Build a Wall Cabinet

First, break down all of the cabinet pieces to smaller, more manageable sizes. There are many ways to break down a full sheet of 4’x8’ plywood. One option is simply to ask your lumber dealer to crosscut the panel down to 1×33-1/2” piece and 1x 33” piece.

Next, setup the rip fence on your saw to cut the panels for the case down to their final widths. When making crosscuts on big pieces like this, it’s very important to keep the work piece pressed against the fence at all times to prevent any twisting in the work piece.

Finally, cut the panels for the case to their final lengths (I use my crosscut sled). Note – make sure to only work on the panels for the outer case at this point. We’ll come back to the partitions later on.

Since all of the pieces for this cabinet are roughly the same size but not identical, I recommend marking the pieces with a pencil to keep things organized and avoid cutting the wrong piece later on.

Usually, for my shop projects, I’m more interested in the functionality of the piece and getting it done than getting too bogged down in honing complex skills. That’s why I use pocket screws in this build. Feel free to use other joinery methods such as dados and rabbets instead of pocket screws. Those are very good skills to have and shop projects are a great time to practice.

The pocket holes will only need to be drilled along the two short edges of the top and bottom panels of the case. The position of the pocket holes do not need to be precise. For example, I place one pocket hole on either corner, about 1” from the edge, and another pocket hole somewhere in between.

Once the pocket holes have been drilled in the top and bottom panels, sand all four panels starting with 150 grit, to 180 grit, and finishing with 220 grit before assembly. It will be pretty difficult to sand those corners once everything is glued up.

After applying glue to the edges, use right angle clamps to hold the top panel and the short side panel. This will ensure the panels will stay at 90-deg as the glue dries.

Use another clamp to hold the panels together before driving in the 1-1/4” pocket screws. This will prevent any slipping between the panels when the screws go into the second panel.

Repeat the previous two steps when attaching the other panel to the short side panel.

Finally, attach the long side panel to the assembly. Assuming the other three panels are squared up properly, this step will be pretty straightforward. However, we don’t live in a perfect world…

…So I still used a right angle clamp to make sure everything is square. Another method to check this is to measure the amount of overhang. If cuts were made per the plans, the overhang should be 3”. Check to ensure that the overhang is the same along the entire length. If it checks out, then you’ll know the assembly is square.

Once again, clamp everything down and tighten the pocket screws.

If pocket screws were used, go ahead and remove the clamps once the screws are tight. The screws will hold the panels together as the glue cures.

With the case assembled, the top horizontal shelf is next. This is the only shelf that will span from one side of the case to the other. In this step, I will review “referential measurements,” a concept that isn’t emphasized enough for beginner woodworkers.

Begin by ripping the shelf to size, which is 1” less than the panels for the case cut previously. This will leave space for the ½” back panel and will also allow the shelf to sit ½” inset of the case panels. This is purely for aesthetics.

As I previously mentioned, I cut all pieces about 1/8” longer than necessary. This allows me to hold the workpiece up to my assembled case, strike a line, and finalize the length of the piece before gluing it in. In this image, you see me taking the referential measurement along the side. This is because plywood isn’t always flat, so the case might have a slight bow in the center. By referencing against the side, you are more likely to get the perfect length that will actually push or pull the case back straight.

Once the horizontal shelf is marked, cut it to length on the table saw. The length of this horizontal shelf is actually the same length as the top and bottom panels. However, if you use miter joints or rabbets the horizontal partition will not be the same length as the top and bottom case panels.

With the horizontal shelf cut to size, begin to layout which tools you want to hang. For me, it’ll be an angle grinder and a reciprocating saw. If your tools are different than mine, make sure to lay the tools out and measure before cutting based on the numbers in the plans.

Here are the instructions for my setup: To cut the notch for holding the two tools, use a 2” Forstner bit for the reciprocating saw and a 1-5/8” Forstner bit for the angle grinder. Remember to set your drill bit to a speed to accommodate bits this large. For reference, my setting was about 500 RPM. If you choose to hang tools different than mine, be sure to measure the throat-width of your specific tool and use the appropriate Forstner bit to make the cut.

Once the holes are complete, cut the rest of the material out with a jigsaw. To help make the cuts straight, press the side of the jigsaw against a straight edge. If the cuts aren’t as straight as you’d like, use a sander with a 40 or 80 grit sandpaper to smooth things out.

Next, drill pocket holes in what would be the top face of the shelf. This shelf will be above eye level, so if the pocket holes are on the top surface it will not be visible.

With the case laying on its side, use two scrap pieces of plywood as spacers to help position the shelf.

If using pocket screws, apply glue and install 1-1/4” pocket screws to attach the shelf to the case.

Next, use a ½” piece of plywood to determine how deep the shelf will sit in the case, leaving enough room for the back panel later.

The vertical partition will be pretty straightforward. Make sure it’s positioned so the angle grinder can still be easily removed without scratching the panel.

Hang the angle grinder on the horizontal shelf. Next, use the same scrap piece again to determine the position of the vertical partition so the vertical partition will be at least ½” away from the grinder wheel.

Use referential measurements to determine the length of the vertical partition and cut it to size at the table saw.

Drill pocket holes on the face that will be facing the angle grinder. You can hide these holes with plugs, but I have never been a big fan of those so I just left them the way they were.

With the spacers placed vertically on the bottom of the case, apply glue to the vertical partition and put it into position.

Finally, secure it to the bottom panel and the horizontal shelf using glue and screws.

Once you have installed the horizontal shelf and the vertical partition, the rest of the partitions will be pretty straightforward. Use referential measurements and start building one partition at a time.

Begin with the small horizontal shelf since the length is only dependent on what you want to put here. I used a piece of scrap as a spacer to position the panel.

The next partition is the medium horizontal shelf. Use referential measurements here to measure and mark the length that spans from the side panel to the main vertical partition. Use the previous step for attaching the small horizontal shelf to attach this panel to the case. The small vertical partition is the last one to attach. Take a referential measurement between the top and lower horizontal shelves to determine the height of the piece, and then position it against the middle, smaller horizontal shelf cut previously.

Rip the pieces for the drill holders on the table saw, following the measurements in the cutlist.

Mark the center of the horizontal shelf, then apply glue on the vertical piece and attach the two pieces. Tip: use the center ply on the vertical piece to center the pieces.

Hold the two pieces with some clamps and then secure the two together with 1” screws.

Use glue and screws to attach the horizontal shelf to the overhang piece on the left side panel. If you have a difficult time holding the two pieces together, shoot a couple of brad nails like I did.

Before attaching the rest of the holders to the cabinet, round over the sharp edges with an orbital sander or by hand.

For my drills and drivers, I have found that keeping a 1.5” gap between the holders is just right. The tools are secure yet still easy to place and remove. Make sure to measure your tools to get the fit you want.

The tool holders are held in place with glue and screws.

Measure the back of the case, then cut the back piece from a piece of ½” plywood.

Apply glue along all of the back edges of the partitions attached earlier. Place the back panel. Before shooting any brad nails in, lay out lines on the back panel indicating where the centerline of the partitions are. Now just shoot the brad nails without worrying about things poking out on the other side.

Shoot brad nails on both of the side panels into the edge of the back panel.

Use screws instead of brad nails to fasten the top and bottom panels to the back panel. This will provide a bit more strength and the screws won’t be visible unless someone crouched down to look for them.

The charging platform assembly is made from ½” plywood. It is angled about 16 degrees to make it easy to remove and put in the batteries, while also adding a cool aesthetic.

Cut a piece of ½” plywood to width. It’s good to leave about ½” extra material than the depth of the cabinet at this point.

Begin by making the charging platform cleat that will hold the charging platform at an angle. Instead of targeting a specific degree, draw a line from 3” on one edge and 0” on the other. This should result in a line at around 16 to 17 degrees.

I used my crosscut sled, and set it to line up with the layout line I made earlier. Since the cleat is small, the final piece will be on the offcut side of the saw blade. It’s not important to cut perfectly to the line for this.

Once I got the first cleat ready, I transferred the size to what’s left of my work piece.

Since the angular edge was already cut into the larger work piece, set the crosscut sled back to 0-deg and cut to the layout line. It’s more important to cut to the layout line this time because we want to make sure both cleats are the same size.

Eventually a ½” rail will be added to the front edge of the platform. Cut off the sharp end of the cleat to accommodate it.

Attach the cleats to the inside walls of the side panel and the vertical partition with glue and brad nails.

Since the platform panel will sit at an angle, the front and back edges will need to match this unknown angle created by the cleats so you don’t end up with a gap between the platform and the back panel. Also, the front edge of the platform should be flush with the front edge of the cleats. To get the angle correct, use an angle gauge to take a reference of the angle of the cleats.

Then, simply transfer this angle over to the table saw by setting the blade to the same angle as the gauge. As someone who is always adding angles to the things I build, I use this tool constantly.

Here is a side profile of the angled cuts on the front and back edges of the platform.

Before attaching the ledge to the front of the charging platform, add a piece of spacer along the bottom of the front edge of the platform to prevent sagging.

With the platform glued and attached to the cleats, install 1/2” screws for attaching the battery chargers.

Make necessary adjustments to the screws until the battery chargers sit snugly on the platform so they won’t loosen when removing the batteries.

Drill a 2” diameter hole on the side of the cabinet for the power extension cord. To keep things nice and neat, add a 2” desk grommet.

Finally, use the offcut from the charging platform to cut a couple of ¾” wide strips to make dividers between the chargers. Once again, this is more of an aesthetic than functional piece.

Before applying the finish, use some compressed air to clean off all of the sawdust from inside the case. Alternatively, use some mineral spirits to wipe the dust off. Afterwards, remove the chargers and the extension.

Apply finish on the outside of the cabinet first, starting from the back, moving to the sides and top and bottom panels.

Finally, apply finish to the inside of the cabinet (the most tedious part of the build). Apply a second layer of finish to the entire assembly, lightly sanding with 220 grit in between.

Since the rails and stiles of the door frame will be made from solid lumber, begin by milling the rough lumber on the jointer to get a flat face and square up one of the adjacent edges.

Next, flatten the opposite face and bring the workpiece down to their final 3/4” inch thickness.

Rip the shelves down to their final depth of 4-1/4”

Determine the length of the rails by laying them out on the cabinet and cutting them to their final lengths. DO NOT cut the stiles to length yet.

Both the rails and stiles will receive a rabbet along the length of the part, measuring about 3/8” deep and 3/4” wide for accommodating the 3/4” door panel later.

The stile and rails will be joined with a rabbet joint that’s cut into the two ends of the rails. Use the stiles to help layout where to cut the rabbet and cut with the miter gauge at the table saw.

Finally, glue the door frame assembly together with glue and clamps. Use right angle clamps to keep the pieces squared up as the glue cures.

With the door frame glued up, take measurements for the door panel and then cut it to size.

Measure the space between the door stiles and cut the shelves for the door down to length, along with the small rails that will keep things from falling down. Both of these parts will be the same length, just different widths. The width of the shelves should be 1/2” shorter than the door frames to allow for some rails to be attached later.

The shelves will receive pocket holes on both ends, as well as along one of the long edges to attach to the door.

Using a couple of 10” long scrap pieces as spacers, position the shelves and attach them to the door assembly.

Once the shelves are in place, attach the small rails at the bottom of each shelf. The bottom edge of the bottom rail will be attached to the top face of the door frame.

All the other rails will be attached to the front edge of the shelves.

Finally, add an additional rail 1-1/2” above the lower rail. This will help to keep taller items in place as the door swings open and shut. Both rails can be attached using glue and clamps without needing any screws.

Using a couple of 10” long scrap With the door construction completed, it’s fairly easy to install the door pulls. Place the door panels side by side and roughly positioned the handles at a location that would be at eye-level once the cabinet is hung.

After marking the locations for where to drill the holes, use a small jig to help keep the drill perpendicular. Drill the holes.

Finally, insert the screws from the back side of the door and install the handles.

If you have some pneumatic tools that you want to store, I think the best way to do this is using some of these store-bought quick releases with a 1/2” male end.

Determine the best position of your tool so that it will not protrude past the front side of the cabinet. Draw a line to represent the centerline of the hole locations. Place a piece of blue tape on the end of your drill bit to indicate where to stop so you don’t blow through the top surface of the bottom panel.

Before attaching the quick-release connectors to the cabinet, apply some 15-min epoxy to the threads of the male end of the connectors. This will provide some additional holding strength between the plywood and the connectors.

Once the epoxy has been applied to the threads, simply screw the connectors into the bottom face of the bottom panel.

Use a couple of steel piano hinges to attach the doors to the cabinet. These are very strong due to the number of screws used to hold everything together. I recommend attaching the hinges on the outside so all of the screws are seated in the face grain of both the cabinet as well as the doors. Since it’s unknown at this point what will be stored on the door shelves, it doesn’t make as much sense to drill the screws into the edge grain of the plywood cabinet.

In order to keep the doors closed, attach a steel plate to both of the doors…

…and two magnets along the top edge of the case.

In order to keep the doors closed, attach a steel plate to both of the doors…

The cabinet is very heavy, so make sure to hang the cabinet on studs.

Once the two studs are located, use a level to strike a line that extends past the cabinet on top and bottom so it’ll be easy to find where to drill once the cabinet is in place.

To help me move my cabinet in place, I moved the cabinet from my workbench on to some tool boxes sitting on top of my router table. You can do this with any shop cart, of course.

Place a level on top of the cabinet and shim underneath the cabinet until it’s level. Once everything is ready, use some 2-1/2” screws to attach the cabinet to the studs.

Place at least 6 screws through the cabinet: three into the left stud and three into the right stud.

Finally, I wanted to show how I stored my tools in the cabinet to give you a good idea of why the cubbies were spaced the way they are for me. Feel free to make adjustments to the plans as you see fit to meet your needs.