Drag an orange dot to resize; a dashed line shows when it snaps to a common size. Click a dot, then use the arrow keys to nudge 1/8″ (hold Shift for 1″). Every size can also be typed in the panel.
Checks
- The microwave shelf passes the sag check.
- The top passes the sag check.
- The storage shelf passes the sag check.
- This piece must be fixed to the wall. The hardware and step are included.
- Verify every clearance in your appliance’s installation manual. Models differ, and the manual wins over any number in this plan.
- Plug into an outlet that is already there. This plan adds no wiring. Don’t use an extension cord for a heating appliance; if the cord won’t reach, move the piece or have an electrician add an outlet.
- Open front and open back, always: never add a door in front of the microwave or a back behind it. For countertop microwaves only; over-the-range and built-in models need the maker’s own trim kit and cabinet.
Shopping list
| Qty | Item | Est. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1×2 pine board, 6′ (board) | $4.20 |
| 1 | 1×4 pine board, 6′ (board) | $6.60 |
| 2 | 3/4″ birch plywood, 4×8 sheet (sheet) | $136.00 |
| 1 | 1 5/8″ wood screws (box of 100) | $9.00 |
| 1 | Wood glue (bottle) | $5.00 |
| 1 | 3/4″ iron-on birch edge banding (25 ft roll) | $9.00 |
| 1 | Felt floor pads (pack) | $5.00 |
| 1 | Furniture anti-tip kit (stud mount) (kit) | $9.00 |
About $184 · rough estimates, check the store
Parts
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Material | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Side Edge-band the front edge. | 2 | 39 11/16″ | 17 1/2″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| B | Top and bottom Edge-band the front edge. | 2 | 24″ | 17 1/2″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| C | Microwave shelf | 1 | 24″ | 16 3/4″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| D | Shelf stiffener On edge across the front of the microwave shelf. | 1 | 24″ | 1 1/2″ | 1×2 pine board |
| E | Back stretcher | 2 | 24″ | 3 1/2″ | 1×4 pine board |
| F | Top stretcher Lies flat under the top at the back, out of the microwave's airflow. | 1 | 24″ | 1 1/2″ | 1×2 pine board |
| G | Storage shelf Edge-band the front edge. | 1 | 24″ | 17 1/2″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| H | Kick board | 1 | 24″ | 2 1/2″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
Cut list
3/4″ birch plywood, sheet 1 of 2
3/4″ birch plywood, sheet 2 of 2
1×2 pine board, 72″ → D 24″ · F 24″
1×4 pine board, 72″ → E 24″ · E 24″
Kerf 1/8″ included. Every cut runs edge to edge.
Have the store cut it
Most home centers rip sheets on their panel saw. Show them this; do the short crosscuts at home.
- 3/4″ birch plywood: rip into strips 17 1/2″, 17 1/2″, keep the rest.
- 3/4″ birch plywood: rip into strips 16 3/4″, keep the rest.
Steps
- Tape measure
- Speed square
- Pencil
- Drill/driver
- Clamps
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Dust mask
- Circular saw and a straight edge (or have the store cut the sheets)
- Stud finder
- Level
- Sander, 120 and 180 grit
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.
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. Cut sheets with the good face down when using a circular saw: the blade splinters the top face.
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.3Measure the microwave and read its manual
Measure the microwave: width, height, and depth with the door shut and the handle included. Weigh it on a bathroom scale (stand on the scale holding it, then subtract your own weight).
Find "installation" or "clearance" in the manual and note the space it wants above, at the sides and behind. Enter those numbers; the opening is built from them.
✓ The opening will be 24″ wide and 15″ tall, with the back open.
STOP. Verify every clearance in your appliance’s installation manual before you cut. If the manual asks for more room than this plan, the manual wins.4Edge-band and mark the sides
Iron edge banding onto the front edge of the sides, the top and bottom, and the storage shelves. Trim and sand.
Lay the two sides (A) together, ends even, and square lines across for the underside of each panel, measured from the bottom end of the sides: bottom 2 1/2″, storage 12 7/8″, microwave shelf 23 5/16″, top 39″.
✓ The lines on the two sides meet when held edge to edge.
5Stiffen the microwave shelf
Glue the stiffener (D) on edge to the front edge of the microwave shelf (C), its top flush with the shelf top. Clamp every 8″ and let it dry an hour.
It stops the shelf sagging under the 35 lb microwave.
✓ The stiffener is flush with the top face along its whole length.
6Build the frame
Glue and screw the bottom, the storage shelves, the microwave shelf and the top between the sides on their lines: 3 screws, 1 5/8″, through each side into each panel.
Screw the kick board (H) under the bottom, 1/2″ back from the front edge.
✓ Measure the diagonals of the front: they match within 1/16″.
7Add the stretchers
Fit a back stretcher (E) on edge above the bottom, flush with the back, and another just under the microwave shelf. Glue and screw through the sides into each end.
Screw the top stretcher (F) flat under the top at the back. These hold the frame square while leaving the back open for air and the cord.
✓ Push sideways on the top: the frame doesn't lean.
8Set the microwave in
Stand the cart in place and anchor it to the wall (next step) before the microwave goes on.
Set the microwave on its shelf, centred, 1″ or more from the wall behind. Run the cord out the open back to the existing outlet.
✓ There is 3″ above the microwave, 1″ each side, and the door opens fully.
9Anchor to the wall
Slide a stud finder along the wall behind where the piece will stand and mark the studs.
Fix the anti-tip kit's bracket to the back or top of the piece, then screw its other end into a stud with the screws supplied.
Do not load the piece until it is anchored.
STOP. Confirm the wall type first. Drywall on studs: use the studs. Plaster or masonry: use the kit's matching anchors or ask a pro.10Finish
Ease every sharp edge and corner with 120-grit sandpaper so nobody gets a splinter.
Sand all over with 180 grit, always along the grain (the direction the wood fibres run). Scratches across the grain show through stain.
Wipe off the dust with a barely damp rag and let it dry.
Paint, stain or a clear coat (water-based polyurethane is the easiest). Apply thin coats with the grain, let each dry fully, and sand lightly with 220 grit between coats.
Let it dry for the time on the can before using it.
- Tip Try your finish on a scrap of the same wood first: stain looks different on every board.
Conceptual layout, material estimate and assembly guide from the sizes you entered. Not engineering, not a building plan, not stamped or approved. Confirm measurements on site; follow local codes and product instructions; anchor tall pieces before use. Using this plan means you accept the Terms of Use.