36″ wide key and mail organizer plans

Parts

Cut list

Kerf 1/8″ included. Every cut runs edge to edge.

Steps

• Tape measure
• Speed square
• Pencil
• Drill/driver
• Clamps
• Safety glasses
• Hearing protection
• Dust mask
• Circular saw or miter saw
• Stud finder
• Level
• Countersink bit
• Putty knife
• Sander, 120 and 180 grit

Underlined words have a short explanation: hover or tap them. All of them are on the glossary page.

1. 1Before you start

   Read every step once, start to finish, before you buy or cut anything. Each step names the parts it uses by letter; the parts list gives their sizes.

   Set up somewhere flat with good light. A pair of sawhorses with a sheet of plywood on top makes a fine work table.

   Wear safety glasses whenever a tool is running, hearing protection for saws, and a dust mask for sanding and for cutting treated wood or sheet goods. Tie back long hair and loose sleeves. Keep children and pets out of the work area.

   • Tip At the store, pick straight boards: hold each one up to your eye and look down its length. Skip boards that bow, twist or have big knots near the ends.
   • Tip Measure twice, cut once. Most mistakes are a misread tape, not a bad cut.

2. 2Cut and label the parts

   Cut every part on the cut list. Cut the longest parts first: if one goes wrong, it can still become a shorter part.

   To mark a cut, hook your tape on the end of the board, make a small V with its point exactly at the measurement, and draw a square line through the point with a speed square. Put an X on the waste side.

   Cut on the waste side of the line, so the blade's kerf (about 1/8″) comes out of the scrap, not your part.

   Write each part's letter in pencil on a face that won't show, and stack the parts by letter.

   Sand the faces before assembly while they're flat and easy to reach: 120 grit, then 180.

   ✓ Lay the parts out and count them against the parts list. Measure a few: if one is off by more than 1/16″, recut it now.

   STOP. Let the saw reach full speed before it touches the wood, keep both hands clear of the blade's path, and never reach under a board you're cutting. Support long boards on both sides of the cut so the blade doesn't pinch.

3. 3Mark the back

   Lay the back (A) good face up. Draw a line across it 4 1/4″ up from the bottom edge: the underside of the pocket bottom goes on it.

   Draw a second line 2″ up from the bottom for the hooks. Mark 4 hook centres on it: the first and last 2″ in from the ends, the rest 10 11/16″ apart.

   The screws into the wall will go through the back inside the pocket, where the mail hides them. You find the studs at the wall, so don't drill those holes yet.

   • Tip Grain runs along the length of a board. Cut and sand with the grain wherever you can: across it, the wood tears and scratches show.

   ✓ Both lines are parallel to the bottom edge: measure up at each end.

4. 4Build the mail pocket on the back

   Glue the back edge of the pocket bottom (D) and hold it on the line, flat side down, flush with the ends of the back. Drive 5 screws, 1 5/8″, through the back from behind into its edge. Predrill and countersink so the heads sit flush: the back goes against the wall.

   Stand a pocket end (C) on the bottom at each end, flush with the ends of the back. Their bottoms are end grain: glue them with a thin coat, wait two minutes, then a second coat.

   Drive 2 screws through the back into each end, and 1 up through the bottom into each end.

   • Tip Drill a pilot hole for every screw within 2″ of the end of a board, or the board will split. Then countersink so the screw head sits flush.
   • Tip End grain (the cut end of a board) soaks glue up like a straw. Brush on a thin first coat, wait two minutes, then add a second coat before you join the parts.

   ✓ The pocket bottom and ends are square to the back, and the gap between them and the front edge of the bottom is 2 1/2″ all along.

5. 5Close the pocket with the front

   Glue the front edges of the pocket bottom and ends. Set the front (B) on them, its bottom flush with the underside of the pocket bottom and its ends flush with the back.

   Drive 2 screws through the front into each end and 6 into the bottom's edge, about 6″ apart. Countersink them, then press wood filler into the holes, let it dry and sand it flush.

   • Tip Spread a thin, even layer of glue on one face with a finger or scrap: enough that a little beads out when you clamp, not so much that it runs. Wipe the squeeze-out with a damp rag right away, or scrape it once it turns rubbery; dried glue blocks stain and finish.

   ✓ Slide an envelope in: it drops to the bottom without catching, and the front doesn't flex when you press it.

6. 6Add the top shelf

   Glue the top edge of the back. Set the shelf (E) on it, flush at the back and both ends.

   Drive 1 5/8″ screws down through the shelf into the back's edge every 6″, centred on the 3/4″ edge. Predrill and countersink each one.

   • Tip Drill a pilot hole for every screw within 2″ of the end of a board, or the board will split. Then countersink so the screw head sits flush.

   ✓ The shelf is square to the back: hold a speed square in the corner at each end.

7. 7Sand and finish

   Sand every face and edge of the organizer with 120 grit, then 180 grit, always moving along the grain (the lines in the wood). Sanding across the grain leaves scratches that the finish makes darker.

   Soften every sharp edge and corner with a few strokes of 180-grit paper on a block, so edges don't splinter or chip.

   Vacuum the dust, then wipe with a tack cloth or a barely damp rag and let it dry 10 minutes.

   Brush on a thin coat of water-based polyurethane along the grain. Thin coats dry clear; thick coats drip and stay sticky.

   When it's dry (about 2 hours; read the can), the surface feels a little rough because the water raised the grain. Sand very lightly with 220 grit just until smooth, wipe off the dust and brush on a second coat. Three coats on anything handled every day.

   Let the last coat dry overnight before you handle it much.

   • Tip Pine goes blotchy under stain. If you want colour, brush on a pre-stain conditioner first, or use a gel stain.
   • Tip Finish the back and underside too. Wood that is sealed on one side only can cup as the seasons change.
   • Tip Work in a warm, dry, well-ventilated room. Below about 50°F (10°C) most finishes dry slowly and cloudy.

   ✓ The surface feels smooth and even, with no drips on the edges and no dull, dry patches.

8. 8Screw on the hooks

   Screw a key hook on each mark (4 in all). Drill a small pilot hole for each screw so the thin screws don't snap.

   Point every hook straight up so keys can't slide off.

   ✓ Hang a set of keys on each hook and tug them: the hooks don't turn or loosen.

9. 9Hang the organizer on the wall

   Slide a stud finder along the wall and mark every stud with a pencil. Studs are usually 16″ apart, measured center to center. Confirm one by drilling a tiny test hole where the trim will hide it: you'll feel the drill bite into wood.

   Hold the piece at the height you want and draw a level line along its top with a level.

   Drill pilot holes through the back or hanging rail where it crosses a stud, then drive #10 × 3″ screws into the studs: 6 in all.

   • Tip Before drilling, check the wall for pipes and wires: avoid drilling directly above or below outlets and switches, and behind sinks.

   ✓ Every screw went into wood (they pull tight, not spin). The piece doesn't move when you pull on it firmly.

   STOP. Drywall alone won't hold it. Never hang this with only drywall anchors. Keep the load under about 25 lb, and never hang it over a bed or crib.