How to Make Wood Shelves

Description:

This week I made an extremely sturdy shelf that you can put in your garage or basement. I started by cutting all my 2×4’s down to their final sizes. From there, I began to assemble the frame for the shelf using 2.5″ wood screws and wood glue to get the strongest joint possible. Once I had the frame for the shelf constructed, I began to cut my 2 sheets of 3/4″ plywood to size (I had my local hardware store rip the 4’x8′ plywood into 2’x8′ sheets to make it easier to take home) and notched out the corners on the middle and bottom shelves. I attached the plywood to the shelves with 1 5/8″ wood screws that were countersunk to allow the head of the screws to sit flush with the plywood. From here, I moved my new shelf into position and it was all set to be loaded up! Below is a shopping list and a cut list if you’d like to make this shelf yourself.

Shopping List:

15- 2×4’s at 8′ Long

2- 4’x8′ Sheets of 3/4″ Thick Plywood

1- Box of 2.5″ Wood Screws

1- Box of 1 5/8″ Wood Screws

1- Bottle of Wood Glue

Cut List:

6- 8′ Long 2×4’s (Front/Back Runners)

6- 63″ Long 2×4’s (Legs)

12- 21″ Long 2×4’s (Side Rails)

4- 2’x4′ Sheets of 3/4″ Plywood (Middle and Bottom Shelves – Don’t forget to cut notches in the corners to account for the legs)

1- 2’x8′ Sheet of 3/4″ Plywood (Top Shelf)