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Girl's Attic Bedroom Storage Karl frees up floor space with a built-in cabinet under an angled roof. From "Wasted Spaces" episode DWSP-205

(Continued from page 1)

Karl and Angie build the storage cabinet: They cut the pieces for the cabinet shell, using a piece of pegboard as a guide to drill holes to accommodate adjustable shelves. After assembling the shell and installing the dividers, they prime, paint and trim out the piece.

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Building the Cabinet

• Draw a diagram of the finished cabinet to use as a reference when building this project; a scale drawing on graph paper makes it easier to get dimensions right. The project cabinet measured 7 feet, 8-1/2 inches long. It was 36 inches high and 20 inches deep.

  Tip: To make the most of the available space, the cabinet should fit flush against the contours of the hole in the wall – including the slant of the roof joists. That means the top of the cabinet also will have a slanted "roof."

• Referring to the measurements on the diagram, cut the pieces for the cabinet shell from 1/2" birch plywood. Use a framing square to mark and cut straight lines.

  Safety Alert: Wear safety glasses and use caution when working with a power saw or any other power tool.
  

  	Figure A
  	Figure B

• Clamp a piece of pegboard – cut to the same size as the plywood – to the plywood side panels for the cabinet. Use the holes in the pegboard as a guide to drill holes partway through the side pieces of the plywood for the adjustable shelves.

  Tip: Use a jig – or just a piece of tape wrapped around the drill bit – to keep from drilling too far into the plywood (figure A).

• Use wood glue and a nail gun to assemble the "box" of he cabinet, making sure all 90-degree joints are squared off (figure B).

  Safety Alert Wear safety glasses and use extreme caution when working with a nail gun. These powerful tools can easily cause severe injury if used improperly.

• Prime and paint the cabinet pieces, allowing the primer time to dry before painting. Also prime and paint the pieces that will form the dividers and adjustable shelves.

• With the outside shell built, add in the dividers inside the shell. Karl drew faint lines on the bottom of the shell to help line up the pieces. Tap the dividers into place and make sure they are square. Also, measure at the top and bottom of the dividers to make sure they are parallel. Secure the dividers with screws.

• Add face trim to the front of the cabinet, covering the raw edges of the plywood. The outside edges of the cabinet face will be covered with trim once it's installed. Prime and paint the entire piece as desired.

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