DIY Hexagon Shelves

Place a 16-by-16-inch sheet of cardboard on a work surface. Draw a 6-inch horizontal line along the bottom edge of the cardboard using a pencil and ruler. Mark the starting point of the line A and the ending point B.

Place a protractor on point A and mark 120-degrees on the cardboard. Do the same with point B.

Draw a 6-inch line extending at a 120-degree angle outward from point A. Mark the end point of that line C. Draw a 6-inch line extending at a 120-degree angle outward from point B. Mark the end point of that line D.

Place a protractor at points C and D and mark 120 degrees at each point. Draw a 6-inch line extending at a 120 degree angle outward from point C. Mark the end point of that line point E. Do the same from point D and mark the end of that line point F. Draw a straight line from point E to F to complete the hexagon shape on the cardboard sheet.

Cut out the hexagon shape from the cardboard using a utility knife. Guide the utility knife with the ruler.

Place the cardboard template onto the surface of a 1-by-14-by-48-inch board and draw three hexagons onto the board. Space each hexagon 1 inch apart.

Cut the hexagons from the board using a band saw. Lay the board flat against the table of the saw and guide the board through each cut. These are the hexagon shelves. Sand the cut edges of the hexagon shelves with a bench sander until they are completely smooth.

Sand all the wooden parts with 120-grit sandpaper until the surface is smooth. Sand in the same direction as the wood grain.

Place one hexagon shelf flat on a work surface. Center one 1-by-6-by-36-inch board on each side of the shelf. The 1-by-6-inch end of the boards should be flat against the work surface. These are the legs of the shelving unit. The 6-inch sides of the legs should be flat against the sides of the shelf.

Fasten the legs to the shelf by driving three evenly spaced wood screws through the legs and into the sides of the shelf with a screw gun. Insert a shelf 8 inches above the first one and 10 inches above the second. Fasten the shelves in the same manner as the first. Turn the shelving unit upright.

Apply an even coat of wood finish to the unit with a finish brush. Allow the finish to dry at least four hours. Lightly sand the finish with #0000 steel wool and apply a second coat of finish. Allow the second coat to dry for 72 hours before placing anything on the unit.