diy nightstand

hello remodelaholics! welcome back to our diy channel! please subscribe to see our weekly video tutorials. l in in today’s video, we’ll walk you through building a mid-century modern nightstand, designed and built by our awesome contributor, scott, from saws on skates. be sure to check out his youtube channel linked below. you can also find the full written tutorial and free printable instructions over on our site at remodelaholic.com and the link is also in the description box below. this beautiful retro-style nightstand has clean modern lines with slanted drawer fronts that give it character and dimension,

while also saving you the struggle of finding the perfect drawer pulls – since you won’t need any! this build also uses handmade drawer slides, which will save you money while building your own skill set. before you start building, note that 3/4" plywood is actually thinner than 3/4". to avoid driving the pocket screws through the edge of the plywood, set your pocket hole drill bit between the 1/2" and 3/4" mark. here is a list of the supplies that you will need and the tools you will need to get started. first, you’ll create the frame, or carcass, of the nightstand. cut the top, bottom and side pieces.

drill about 5 evenly placed pocket holes in the short sides of the top and bottom pieces. now you’ll assemble the frame. apply glue to the short ends of the top piece, line up and clamp it to the two end pieces, and attach them using 1 â¼â€ pocket screws. next, apply glue to the short ends of the bottom piece and clamp it to the sides, ensuring that the back edge is flush with the back of the sides. the front will not be flush with the edge of the box. attach using 1 â¼â€ pocket screws.

before attaching the back, measure the inside dimensions of your frame: cut the 3/4” plywood back to those dimensions and drill pocket holes around the edges, about 3 on each side. apply glue to the edges of the back piece, and position it in the frame. it should fit snugly inside the space. secure it using 1 â¼â€ pocket screws. next, cut and install drawer slide supports. cut 8 pieces of â¾ inch plywood to length. for easy installation, cut a piece of scrap wood to hold the supports in place while you glue and nail them.

the vertical scrap wood pieces are just there to make sure you nail your supports on in the perfect position. now line up the scrap piece between the other guide. glue and nail your supports in place then remove scrap wood. you’ve just created one of the top drawer slides! simple right? have you ever made your own drawer sliders before? let us know in the comments below of how you made them or any other great tips. next you will add the bottom portion of the drawer guides in the same way, but with a shorter vertical scrap piece.

repeat that same process on the other side inside of the body of the night stand. now you’re ready to build the legs. cut the four feet, and braces according to the plans. drill two pocket holes on the wider end of the feet as shown. next, cut the long leg brace, drill pocket holes and apply glue to each end and attach the legs using 1-1/4" pocket screws. finish up the leg assembly with the short leg braces. being sure to follow the plan instructions for cuts! here is how it will look when they are assembled.

now we have the drawer boxes to build! begin by cutting the drawer box pieces. be sure to double check the plans to make sure you cut the 5 degree bevel, for the drawer box fronts! now assemble the drawer boxes. apply glue to the ends, line everything up and clamp in place then secure it with 1-1/4" pocket screws. before installing the drawer bottom, check the dimensions of your drawer box. cut the drawer bottoms to fit your drawer from 1/8" hardboard. apply glue to the bottom of the drawer box, place the drawer bottom and attach it using 3/4" brad nails.

test fit the drawer slides and the drawer in the carcass. the drawer should move easily without being too loose. adjust the width of the slides if necessary. to install the drawer slides on the drawer box, clamp a scrap piece of 1x3 to the side as a guide, place the slide on the scrap, mark the ends and cut to length. apply glue to the slide and attach using 1-1/4" brad nails. repeat for the remaining 3 sides of the drawer boxes. finally, attach the drawer fronts!

this is the piece of wood that shows, so pick wood that you’ll want to see this piece has another 5 degree bevel cut, so be sure to double check the plans. now attach the drawer front to the drawer box. first insert the drawer box into the bottom drawer opening in the carcass. there should be an 1/8" gap between the drawer front and the bottom of the carcass. place a few scrap pieces of 1/8" hardboard on the bottom of the carcass, place the drawer front on top of the scrap, then place 1/8" hardboard on each side and clamp the drawer front in place. if you can't fit the 1/8" scrap on each side of the drawer front adjust the length of the drawer front to fit.

from inside the drawer box, drill countersink holes and attach using 1-1/4" wood screws. repeat for the other drawer front. at this point, you can also use a router with a cove bit to make a "pull" on the underside of each drawer front. this will make it easier to open the drawers. now you’re ready to apply your finishes to the nightstand. prime and paint the carcass and apply several coats of polyurethane to the drawer fronts. also, apply candle wax to the drawer supports to help the drawers slide in and out smoothly. now pat yourself on the back for building an awesome nightstand, and send us a picture! show your latest builds on instagram using the hashtag #imaremodelaholic or tag @remodelaholic.

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