Coffee table with drawers

I am working on making some new furniture to go with my room, as I am working towards making it more functional. I began by making a Storage side table that can be used as a set along with the coffee table. I’m working with my friends on Building Something to give you instructions to build this table today.

To download the plans free of this design, access them on the Build Something website. You will get the complete list of materials, a cut list, and a sketch layout.

Mill Down The Wood

In this project, I used 6/4 and 4/4 knotty alder, which required milling down to the thickness and size. I employed the adaptive Cutting System to rip large portions of the wood in width, then run the wood through a thickness planer to bring it to a thickness of 3/4 inch. If you’re using dimensional lumber in this project, you’ll not require a lot of this. However, specific boards may need to be ripped to a specified size.

For any panels (sides and shelves, or top), I suggest cutting them slightly to allow each end to be squared and cut off to length once assembled.

Build The Side Panels and Shelf Panel

To construct your side panel, glue your boards’ edges, then clamp the boards together. Make sure you secure them tightly enough to feel the glue release. The clamps that are too tight could result in the bowing of the wood. I did not make pocket holes for assembling the panel because they would be evident when the table was completed.

Make pockets measuring 3/4” into the boards for the shelf to join them. Apply glue to the edges of these boards. Clamp and then secure with 1 1/4 pocket screws.

Build The Coffee Table Sides

Make 1 1/2 inch hole pockets into the cross support of the sides of the coffee table. Round the edges of the side panels. Then cut them in half and turn them around to the needed length. Drill pockets of 3/4” on all four sides of side panels. The frame of the table is around the side panels. Attach everything using wood glue and 1 1/4 pocket screws. Join the legs onto the support crossways by using 2 1/2 pocket screws.

Install The Shelf

After the shelf is cut to the desired size, drill 3/4′ pocket holes into the ends. Mark seven 1/4” towards the upper table’s sides and place it on the edge that is the highest point of the shelf at these locations. Fix the frame with glue and clamp. Then attach using 1 1/4 pocket screws.

Install the support in the center and back panels

Attach two upright supports from 1×2 to the center divider of plywood by using 1 1/4 pocket screws. Find where the table’s center is located and attach the support in the center by driving 1 1/4 wood screws in the two uprights through the side underneath the coffee table before fixing it to the shelves using 1 1/4 pocket screws.

To attach the panels to the rear of your coffee table, drill pockets of 3/4” in the top and sides corners of the board. Connect them by putting 1 1/4 wood screws from the top of the aprons into the boards. Attach the sides and tops of the panels using 1 1/4 pocket screws.

Build The Coffee Table Top

Cut the 6/4 alder boards to the required size to make the table’s top. When I bought the boards, I didn’t have the lumber shop create a straight line onto the panels, so I had to do this using adaptive cutting systems. I cut the panels into a wide width using my table saw.

The panel is glued together using wood glue spread across the entire length of the boards. Then put them together until you begin to see the bond start to ooze out.

After the top has dried and the surface is smooth, sand it using a belt sander, drum sander, orbital sander, or a combination of these.

Then, square one ends up, turn it around, and cut it to the size you want. I used the Adaptive Cutting System for this.

Build The Drawers

I cut 3/4″ plywood to the size I wanted to construct the drawers before cutting it into length using Miter Saw. I made pockets of 3/4” in the back and front pieces of the drawer boxes. After that, I glued and clamped the pieces together, securing them with 1 1/4 pocket screws.

Another option to consider before building these boxes is to use a router equipped with an over-rounding bit to trim the edges on the top of the drawers. You could also soften the edges with the help of a sander if you’d rather.

After assembling the drawer boxes, I took the final dimensions, then cut the 1/4 top of the drawer to the required size. I then glued and secured it using 3/4” wide crown staples. You could also use brad nails of 3/4” to do this.

Install The Drawers

To mount the drawers, I employed 18″ side mount slides. I attached the slides on the base of my coffee table using the Kreg Jigs slides. I put the drop-out part of the slides in place, after which I used spaces of 1/4 inch underneath the drawer boxes and put them back in the proper position. I took the drops off approximately halfway before driving the included screws into place. When I finished, I pulled the complete drawer box and went the final screws through each side inside the drawer to completely secure the slide.

Attach the fronts of the drawers

For the installation of the drawer fronts, I used the Cabinet hardware from Kreg Jig to drill holes in the acts of the drawers by the dimensions of my equipment. I put the actions of the drawers in the correct position making equal stacks of playing cards to create a 1/8” gap across the entire side. I inserted 1 1/4” screws into the hole on the front of those drawers.

I took the drawers off and put 1 1/4″ wood screws from the inside to the drawers’ fronts on the show’s four corners.

Once the fronts were in place, I pulled the screws made of wood from the show and completed drilling the hole of 3/16” through the exhibits and inside the drawers. I then put in the handles for the drawers.