DIY File Cabinet

Building The Frame

• 1

  Cut two pieces of 3/4-inch thick hard wood, such as oak, beech or maple, to 24 inches wide and 57 inches long using a circular saw. Cut two pieces of 3/4-inch thick hardwood to 20 inches wide by 24 inches long. Cut two pieces of 3/4-inch thick hardwood to 19 inches wide by 24 inches long. Cut one sheet of plywood to 20 inches wide and 58 1/2 inches long.

• 2

  Measure 18 3/4 inches down from the top of one of the 24-by-57-inch pieces using the tape measure. Draw a horizontal line across the wood using a ruler. Draw another horizontal line 3/4 inch down from the first line. Measure 18 inches down from the second line and draw another two lines 3/4 inch apart. Repeat the whole process on the other 24-by-57-inch piece.

• 3

  Fit the 3/4-inch pilot bearing to the router. Cut two 1/2-inch deep, 3/4-inch wide grooves in both 24-by-57-inch pieces, between the horizontal lines you just drew. Apply glue to the grooves on both pieces. Slide 24-inch-long sides of the the 19-by-24-inch pieces into the grooves between the two pieces to form a basic cabinet frame.

• 4

  Glue one of the 24-inch ends of the 24-by-57-inch pieces. Place the pieces on top of one of the 24-by-20-inch pieces, along the 24-inch-long edges to form the bottom and sides of the cabinet. Reinforce the joints using a hammer drill with a screwdriver bit and three countersunk long screws on each joint.

• 5

  Glue the 24-inch edges on the top of the cabinet frame. Place the remaining 24-by-20-inch piece on top of the cabinet, with the 24-inch edges lining up on both the piece and the cabinet. Reinforce the joints with three countersunk long screws each. Nail the plywood sheet to one side of the cabinet using a hammer and 1-inch nails to form the back of the cabinet.

Building The Drawers

• 6

  Cut two pieces of 3/4-inch hardwood to 20 inches long by 18 inches wide using the circular saw. Cut four pieces of 3/4-inch hardwood to 23 1/4 inches long by 17 1/4 inches wide. Cut two pieces of 2/4-inch thick hardwood to 18 1/2 inches long by 17 1/4 inches wide. Cut two pieces of 3/4-inch hardwood to 24 inches long by 20 inches wide.

• 7

  Fit the 3/4-inch pilot bearing to the router. Cut a 1/2-inch deep groove along one of the 24-inch faces on each 17 1/4-by-24-inch piece. These are the grooves for fitting the files into the drawers, so they must be set into the drawer so the grooves are at the top on the side panels, facing inward.

• 8

  Cut the 1/2-inch diameter dowel into 24 pieces, each 1 inch long. Fit the 1/2-inch diameter drill bit to the drill. Drill three equidistant holes, approximately 1/2 inch deep, in the left side of the wide face of both 20-by-18-inch pieces. Repeat for the right side of the wide face on both pieces.

• 9

  Drill three equidistant holes, 1/2 inch deep, in both thin faces of the 17 1/4-by-23 1/4-inch pieces. Drill three equidistant holes, 1/2 inch deep, in the left and right sides of one wide face of the 18 1/2-by-17 1/4-inch pieces.

• 10

  Apply wood glue to one end of each dowel piece. Tap the glued ends of the dowels into the holes in the 20-by-18-inch pieces and the 18 1/2-by-17 1/4-inch pieces using a hammer. Glue the other ends of the dowel pieces.

• 11

  Place the 23 1/4-by-17 1/4-inch pieces on the dowels on the 20-by-18-inch pieces and tap down to fasten the joints together. Tap the 18 1/2-by-17 1/4-inch pieces onto the other end of the 17 1/4-by-23 1/4-inch pieces to form two rectangular frames with a 3/4-inch raised lip at one end.

• 12

  Glue the thin faces on the side of the rectangular frames where there is a lip at one end. Place the 20-by-24-inch pieces on top of the frames to form a base for the drawers that is flush with the 3/4-inch thick lip. Reinforce the joints with three countersunk screws on each long end. Screw a handle to the middle of the 20-by-18-inch faces.