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The legs here are built from two boards glued face-to-face — a 1x2 and a 1x3 joined on their long edge — rather than a single 2x2 or 4x4, which is what lets the drawer box fit cleanly between them: the 1x3 face sits front and back, the 1x2 face sits on the sides, and getting that orientation right is what makes the drawer opening the correct width. Mark both the bottom-shelf clearance and the top-shelf clearance directly on the legs before attaching anything — 3-1/2" up from the bottom for the lower shelf, and 5-3/4" down from the top for the upper shelf — since these two marks are what set the drawer opening's height.
The drawer box itself uses plywood sides and back rather than solid wood, keeping it light, with a pair of 1x2 guide strips fastened to the inside of the case to keep the drawer running straight as it's pushed in and out — no hardware drawer slides required. Front and side trim dress up the lower shelf and drawer opening, and the countertop is two boards — a narrower back piece and a wider front piece — overhung slightly past the case on the front and sides for a finished edge.
The drawer box is built in a straightforward stack: bottom, then back, then both sides, then the face nailed on last. If everything above was built accurately, the drawer should be a near-exact fit against the guide strips — this is a project where careful marking on the legs early on pays off directly in drawer function at the end.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 1x12, 6 ft | 1 each |
| 1x2, 8 ft | 2 each |
| 1x3, 8 ft | 2 each |
| 1/2" plywood, quarter sheet | 1 each |
| 1x10, 2 ft | 1 each |
| 1x6, 4 ft | 1 each |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4" and 2" | 60 each |
| Wood glue | 4 oz |
| Wood filler | 2 oz |
| Sandpaper | 3 sheet |
| Primer and paint, or stain and poly | 1 set |
| Drawer knob | 1 each |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Shelves1x12, 6 ft | 2 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 15" |
| Leg side pieces1x2, 8 ft | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 25 1/2" |
| Leg front/back pieces1x3, 8 ft | 4 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 25 1/2" |
| Drawer box sides1/2" plywood, quarter sheet | 2 | 1/2" × 5 3/4" × 11 1/2" |
| Drawer box back1/2" plywood, quarter sheet | 1 | 1/2" × 5 3/4" × 14" |
| Drawer guides1x2, 8 ft | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 11" |
| Bottom front trim1x2, 8 ft | 1 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 11 1/2" |
| Side trim1x2, 8 ft | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 8 1/2" |
| Back countertop piece1x3, 8 ft | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 18 1/2" |
| Front countertop piece1x12, 6 ft | 1 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 18 1/2" |
| Drawer bottom1x10, 2 ft | 1 | 3/4" × 9 1/4" × 9 1/2" |
| Drawer back1x6, 4 ft | 1 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 9 1/2" |
| Drawer sides1x6, 4 ft | 2 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 10 1/4" |
| Drawer face1x6, 4 ft | 1 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 11" |
Buy 8 boards at 8 ft.
1 board
1 board
1 board
2 boards
Glue and nail a leg side piece to a leg front/back piece along the long edge to form an L-shaped leg. Build four legs. Mark each leg 3-1/2" from the bottom, keeping the wider 1x3 face on the front/back and the 1x2 face on the sides.
Attach the legs to the bottom shelf flush with the marks made in the previous step, giving a 3-1/2" clearance underneath.
Mark the legs 5-3/4" down from the top edge on the insides. Attach the top shelf leaving that clearance above it for the drawer opening.
Attach the plywood drawer box sides and back to the case.
Attach the drawer guides inside the case. Add the bottom front trim and side trim pieces flush with the shelf and drawer box edges.
Attach the back countertop piece, then the front countertop piece, overhanging about 1" on the front and sides.
Nail the back to the bottom, then attach both sides, nailing through the sides into the bottom and back. Nail the face to the front of the assembled drawer.
Fill any holes with wood filler, sand smooth, apply primer and paint or stain and poly, and add the drawer knob.
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2 boards
1 board
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →