Our third set of plans in our series on the Pottery Barn Cameron Storage Unit inspired kids storage system is the divided storage unit. For our design and build, the divided storage unit will be in the middle of the two upper units with doors.
The construction for all of the upper box units is exactly the same. So even if you are doing different types of upper units like we are with two units with doors and one divided storage unit, it makes sense to cut all of the pieces and build all of the boxes for your upper units at one time to ensure all of your measurements and cuts are exactly the same.
Materials Required
- 4′ x 8′ x 1/2″ plywood sheet
- 4′ x 2′ x 1/2″ plywood sheet
Tools Required
- Saw – table or circular
- Dado blades for your table saw are useful
- Or a router with a 1/2″ and 1/4″ straight bits.
- Nail gun and nails
- Drill
- Tape measure
- Square
- Wood glue
- Sandpaper
- Wood putty or edge banding
Step 1: Cut the pieces from the 1/2″ plywood
Just like the construction of the base units, it is easiest to cut all of the plywood pieces for these Cameron Storage upper units at the beginning. Remember, if you are planning on building multiple upper units, even if they are all not going to be divided storage units, it is also better to cut all of the pieces for all of the units at one time to help ensure you measurements and tool settings are exactly the same for all.
For each of these units you are going to cut six pieces from the 1/2″ plywood:
- Bottom panel: 29 1/2″ x 16″
- 2 Side panels: 23″ x 16″
- Back panel: 29″ x 23″
- Lower Top: 29 1/2″ x 16 1/4″
- Upper Top: 29 1/2″ x 16 1/2″
Step 2: Cut the rabbets in the sides
Once all of the plywood pieces are cut, it is time to cut the rabbets in the back edge of the side panels.
You can either use a dado blade on your table saw, or a 1/2″ straight bit on your router. Either way will work just fine, and there are other methods for accomplishing this task but I won’t go into those here. For cutting these rabbets I typically use an oversize dado stack and then bury part of the stack in my table saw’s sacrificial fence so what is left sticking out to cut is the exact width of the plywood panel.
Once you have your setup dialed in, cut a 1/2″ wide by 1/4″ deep dado in the back edge of both side pieces.
Step 3: Assemble the box
Once you have all of your panels cut, it is time to assemble these upper units. The assembly is only going to use wood glue and nails, but you want to take your time and ensure you are keeping your box square as you assemble each piece. I highly recommend using right angle corner clamping jigs in order to ensure the corners stay square.
TIP: It is a good idea to paint or stain the inside of the upper unit (including the inside of the back panel), before you attach the back panel. Painting before the back panel is attach the back panel allows easier access to the inside corners.
Step 4: Cut panels for the dividers
Now that the boxes are built, it’s time to cut the pieces for the dividers. I find it easiest to rip one long piece 15 1/2″ wide down the full length of the 4′ x 2′ sheet of plywood. Then I’ll make the cuts for the lengths of 28 1/2″ and 23″.
The last step you need to take to prepare these divider panels is to cut the slots in the middle of each panel. This slot should be 1/2″ wide, and only go 7 3/4″ (half of the width) through the panel. I prefer to use a straight bit on a router, but you can make the same cut with a few different types of saws as well. Once you have the slots cut, you should be able to dry fit the pieces together to ensure they fit snug.
TIP: Now is a good time to paint the dividers – before they are assembled!
Step 5: Insert and attach the dividers
After you are satisfied with the way your dividers fit together, move onto dry fitting them into the box. Hopefully your dividers will fit tightly, but not overly tight.
Use a few small beads of glue to glue the dividers together, and then insert them into the box. I prefer to not glue the dividers into the box, instead I prefer to just use a few small brad nails through the outside walls to hold the shelves in place. Not using glue gives me the option to easily swap out the dividers for shelves or another option at some point in the future.
Step 6: Sand and paint or stain the divided storage unit
Now that your divided storage unit is fully are assembled, you can finish sanding and painting or staining any areas that weren’t previously done. Now your divided storage unit build is complete!
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