Here are plans for a 53″ sliding door console or buffet.

Materials:

• 2 – 2×10 @ 6 feet long
• 2 – 1×8 @ 6 feet long
• 1 – 4′ x 8′ sheet of 3/4″ plywood (for the floor and sides)
• 1 – 4′ x 8′ sheet of 1/4″ thick plywood or hardboard (for back)
• 1 – 4′ x 4′ sheet of 1/2″ thick plywood (for the door)
• 3 – 1×2 @ 6 feet long
• 3 – 1×4 @ 6 feet long
• 1 – 1×3 @ 6 feet long
• 6 – 2×3 @ 6 feet long
• Wood screws
• Nails
• Hardware for sliding doors – You can buy the hardware for sliding doors, or you can make your own.  I made my own for my rustic barn wood dog crate. Remember if you are buying it, you need to buy a set that accommodates two doors

Tools:

• Saw: circular, miter, and/or table saw.
• Drill / Driver
• Nail Gun or hammer
• Quick-grip clamps also come in handy
• Kreg jig
• Sander and sandpaper
• Square
• Tape Measure
• Wood Glue (I’m a fan of Titebond)

Step 1: Build the frames and cut the bottom

Start by assembling your assembling your upper and lower frames.  These are made out of 2x3s, and are identical.  Use wood glue and 2 1/2″ wood screws for all joints. I actually buy 2x4s and rip a 1/2″ off of each edge to get down to the desired dimensions of 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″.

Now to do things just in a slightly different order from most of our sliding door consoles, let’s go ahead and cut out the bottom shelf to fit into place. The bottom shelf is a 50″ x 15 1/4″ sheet of 3/4″ plywood.

Step 2: Add the plywood sides

Cut your two sides from the 3/4″ plywood sheet.  These are each 31 1/2″ high, by 15 1/2″ wide. Note that these will be 1/4″ wider than the frames so that you can let that 1/4″ overhang the back edge and will conceal the outer edges of the back panels we’ll add later.

If you plan on using pocket hole screws to attach the top boards, now is the time to add six pocket holes to the top inside edge of each plywood side.

I like using 16 gauge nails and wood glue. The glue itself, if applied correctly, will provide a much stronger bond than any mechanical fastener.  So the nails are really just holding it in place until the glue dries.

Note: Now is a good time to check to ensure the piece is square, before moving onto the face frame.

Step 3: Attach the face frame

The face frame is made out of 1×4 boards for the outer rails and stiles, while the inner stiles are made from 1×3 boards.   I prefer to build mine like an actual cabinet face, using mortise and tenon joints, but it is perfectly fine to use two pocket hole screws and wood glue at each of the joints.

Once you have the face frame assembled, attach it to the unit using wood glue and finishing nails. You’ll have to fill in the holes from the nails later, but make certain to countersink the heads or you won’t be able to hide them in the finished product.

Step 4: Front shelf supports

The four 12″ vertical shelf supports, made from 1x2s, are glued to the backs of the face frame. Use your quick-grip clamps to hold them in place until the glue dries.  The two outer ones should be pushed flush to the cabinet sides, while the two middle ones are centered on the face frame boards.

The four 15 1/4″ horizontal supports can be cut now, and we will use them in the next step to join the shelf boards together.

Step 5: Build and attach the shelf

The shelf in these sliding door console plans consists of two 1×8 boards cut to 50″ in length and then held together by four 15 1/4″ horizontal shelf supports made from 1x2s.  When building, make certain the horizontal shelf supports are aligned over the vertical supports installed on the last step. The shelf should be resting on the horizontal supports, not the 1×8.

Once the shelf is in place in the cabinet, attach the outer horizontal shelf supports to the cabinet sides using 1 1/4″ wood screws or nails.

Step 6: Rip and attach plywood back planking

When you are ready to install the back planking, you have two options:

1. Make all of the planks the exact same, which means cutting seven boards at 7 1/8″, or
2. Make the boards varying widths for a more rustic/reclaimed look.

In either case, you will install them the same.  Use wood glue and nails (or staples) at the top and bottom of each board to attach to the frames, and also secure the middle of the planks to the middle shelf to provide more structural integrity to the entire piece.

Note: it’s also a good practice to ensure the back of the piece is still square before you start attaching the planks.

Step 7: Bottom Trim

The bottom trim is made of 1×2 stock, cut with 45 degree miters.  Simply glue and nail it on.

Step 8: Top

The next step is attaching the top.  This consists of the two 2×10 boards, cut down to 53″. One of these boards can remain at 9 1/2″ wide, while the other board will need to be ripped down to 7 3/4″ wide. Or, you can rip them both down to 8 5/8″ wide so they are equal widths.

Align them flush with the back of the piece, and overhanging each side by 3/4″.   To hide the fasteners, use a Kreg jig and pocket screws from underneath going through the upper frame.  Alternatively, you could use 4″ wood screws going straight up through the upper frame as well.  For the second method, I definitely recommend pre-drilling the holes and even countersinking them to better hide the screw heads.

Step 9: Door and sliders

The simplest way to build the door is to start by cutting a 16×26 1/2″ piece of 1/2″ plywood, and then laying 2″ strips around the edges and then in an X pattern.  Though how you build the door is really what will add your custom touch to this piece, so feel free to experiment.  Just remember to keep it at 16×265 1/2″.

After you have your doors built, you just need to attach it to your sliders and your sliding barn door console is ready for finishing. 

If you have comments or question, please feel free to connect with us via the comments section below.  We love the feedback!  Also, don’t forget to check out our other free DIY furniture plans.

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