This project was built and designed by David from dk builds. It’s a sleek and practical entryway cabinet featuring push-to-open doors, cubby holes for baskets, and soft-close drawers for everyday essentials.
Designed to add both organization and style to a home’s entry, the cabinet includes multiple storage zones and a clean, painted finish. David walks through every step of the process—from plywood breakdown to drawer installation—offering tips and lessons along the way.
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Getting Started with Materials and Layout
David begins by breaking down full-size plywood panels into more manageable pieces using a circular saw. This method helps avoid awkward handling in the shop and makes precision cuts easier down the line.
Rough-cut edges are cleaned up with a hand plane before moving on to edge banding. Since the cabinet will be painted, covering plywood edges ensures a clean and consistent look. A block plane is used to trim the edge banding flush, particularly on the front-facing sections of the carcass and drawer fronts.
Constructing the Cabinet Frame
Dado joinery is used to create solid connections between the main cabinet panels. A dado stack on the table saw provides even, accurate cuts, and a sacrificial board is used to minimize tear-out during these passes.
Safety remains a priority during this part of the build, with extra attention given to keeping fingers clear of the blade. With the dados cut, the basic carcass structure starts to take shape.
Prepping for Drawers and Assembly
Before gluing the cabinet together, drawer slides are installed into the interior. This allows for easier access and alignment than trying to fit them after the frame is fully assembled.
Glue is applied to the joints, and brad nails help hold the panels in place while everything dries. This method keeps the structure square and speeds up the assembly process.
Troubleshooting a Misaligned Dado
During assembly, David notices that one of the dados in the top panel is slightly off—by just over 1/16″. To fix it, he widens the dado and glues in a shim.
Once dried, the shim is cut flush with a carcass saw and refined with a router plane. These small corrections ensure a precise fit and reinforce the importance of flexibility when unexpected issues arise.
Back Panels and Cubby Space
For the cabinet backing, leftover wainscoting is reused from a previous project. This not only saves money but also adds texture and detail to the final piece.
The cubby compartments are designed to be shallower than the full cabinet depth. This prevents storage baskets from sliding too far back, keeping them easily accessible.
Building and Installing Drawers
The lower drawers are built using 1/2″ plywood with grooves cut to hold the bottom panel. The drawer fronts are made from solid maple, chosen for its durability and clean appearance.
To maintain consistent sizing, a drawer front template is created from scrap wainscoting. This ensures all fronts align cleanly and match the surrounding cabinet design.
Incorporating Dovetail Joinery
For the top drawers, David uses dovetail joinery, which is more decorative than structural in this context. While cutting grooves, a router bit breaks, requiring a quick tool replacement to continue the build.
Once assembled, the drawers are finished with shellac for a fast-drying protective coat. While David often uses oil-based poly, shellac works well for this project’s timeline.
Installing and Aligning the Fronts
Drawer fronts are carefully trimmed for a precise fit. David uses business cards as spacers to maintain even gaps all the way around the fronts during installation.
To hold the fronts temporarily, CA glue is applied before permanent hardware is added from inside the drawers. This technique makes positioning easier and avoids errors during final attachment.
Painting and Final Details
All surfaces are primed and painted with high-quality paint in a color called Jojoba by Benjamin Moore. The soft green tone gives the piece a modern and calming appearance while blending easily with various home styles.
A final panel is installed beneath the bottom drawers to help them operate more smoothly. This small touch improves both function and visual balance in the finished cabinet.
A Clean and Functional Entry Solution
This entryway cabinet offers smart storage and a professional finish while making use of accessible tools and techniques. With a combination of drawers, shelves, and cubbies, it provides a tidy solution for shoes, keys, hats, and more.
David’s thoughtful approach and clever adjustments throughout the build highlight the value of planning, patience, and adaptability in woodworking.
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