How to Build a Corner Linen Cabinet

Set the rip guide on the circular saw to cut 2 inches wide, including the kerf. Cut off one end of a sheet of 3/4-inch lauan plywood leaving you a 94-inch sheet for the sides (A and B).

Set your tablesaw fence to 19-7/16 inches and tilt the blade 45 degrees. With someone to help support the plywood, rip the sheet to make side A. You could make the cut with a circular saw set to 45 degrees and guided by a straightedge.

Set the blade to 90 degrees and set the fence to 18-5/8 inches. Put the beveled side of the remaining piece against the fence with the bevel's point on top, then rip side B. With a circular saw and straightedge, it's better to leave the factory edge square and recut the beveled side.

Have a helper hold side B upright while you stand on a stepladder to apply glue to the long square edge. Put side A in place and make sure its edge is flush with the back of B as you join the pieces with 1-1/2-inch drywall screws spaced about 12 inches apart.

Check the inside dimensions of the cabinet. Because plywood thickness vary, you might have to slightly adjust the shelf dimensions. Rip a sheet of 3/4-inch lauan plywood to 25-3/8 inches for the shelf blanks (C). Then set the fence to 12-5/8 inches to rip the blanks to width.

Lay out the triangular shelves on the blanks as shown in the drawing below. Set the miter gauge on your tablesaw to the 45-degree mark to the left of 90 degrees. Put the gauge in the slot to the right of the blade and make one cut on each blank.

Reset your miter gauge to the 45-degree mark on the right side of 90 degrees. Put the gauge in the slot to the left of the blade and make the second cut to complete the shelf triangles.

Cover the front edges of the shelves with edge-banding veneer (page 44). Lay out the positions of the shelves on the sides as shown in the drawing below left. Extend the lines around the outside of the cabinet to help locate screws later when you install the shelves.

Rip and crosscut side cleats (D) to the dimensions listed. Predrill and countersink two holes in each cleat. With glue and 1-1/4-inch drywall screws, attach a side cleat under each shelf location, 6 inches from the back of the cabinet.

Apply glue to the top of a pair of cleats and install a shelf. Drive three 1-1/2-inch drywall screws through each cabinet side into the shelf. Install the remaining shelves the same way.

Whenever you rip with a beveled edge against the fence, make sure the bevel's point is the top of the board. If the point were at the bottom it could get wedged under the rip fence, ruining the cut and possibly causing dangerous kickback.

This cabinet is 94 inches tall so you can easily maneuver it into place under an 8-foot ceiling. (A trim board covers the gap.) If your ceiling is taller, you can purchase a 10-foot-long panel of hardwood plywood for sides A and B. Depending on species, you may have to order the panels at a lumberyard. Be prepared to wait until the yard's next delivery from the supplier.

It's dangerous and awkward to make a narrow cut across a full-length plywood panel. Instead, do a little math and rough-cut the panel near the middle first with a circular saw. In this case, four shelf blanks need 50-1/2 inches plus 1/2 inch for four kerfs. If you cut the sheet at 51-1/2 inches to be safe, that leaves 44-1/2 inches, plenty for the remaining three panels.

The #6 adjustable counterbore bit shown is the size you'll need to predrill and countersink drywall screws. Loosen the setscrew to set the bit 1 inch from the countersink depth to drive 1-1/4-inch screws flush to the surface.

You should always label parts as you cut them. You can mark the parts in pencil, but the marks can be hard to find and you'll have to sand them off for finishing. Use sticky notes instead to label the parts. They come off easily and don't leave adhesive residue on the wood.