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Overview
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In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva and host Kevin O'Connor build a storage system for a walk-in closet.
Steps:
1. Cut the plywood parts to size using a circular saw and clamp-in-place straightedge.
2. Use a clothes iron set to the cotton setting (no steam) to adhere 13/16-inch iron-on veneer onto the plywood edges.
3. Sand the veneer flush with the plywood using a sanding block and 120-grit sandpaper.
4. Use a router fitted with a ¾-inch straight bit to rout rabbets and stopped dadoes in the vertical sides of the cabinets.
5. Cut a small notch, called a haunch cut, in the front corner of the shelves using a jigsaw.
6. Install a counter-balanced, fold-down wardrobe lift to the inside surface of the upper sides.
7. Screw the cabinet parts together using a drill/driver and 2-inch drywall screws.
8. Attach a ½-inch plywood back to the rear of the cabinets using 1 ⅝-inch drywall screws.
9. Screw fixed closet rod hardware to the inside surface of the lower cabinets.
10. Set the assembled cabinets into the closet and fasten them together with 1¼-inch screws and then to the wall studs with 3-inch screws.
11. Mount the horizontal closet rods to the fold-down wardrobe lifts.
12. Install slide-out shoe racks in the lower cabinets, and slide-out pant racks at waist height.
See products and services from this video. -
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8 to 10 hours
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$400 to $800 for average-size walk-in closet
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Tools
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Shopping List
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Difficulty: Moderate
requires mid-level carpentry skills, including precise router work
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Tools List
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Portable circular saw and straightedge guide, used to cut plywood parts to size
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Router, for cutting rabbets and dadoes
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Drill/driver, for drilling holes and driving screws
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Jigsaw, for making haunch cuts in shelves
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Random-orbit sander, for smoothing wood surfaces
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Clothes iron, used to adhere iron-on veneer to plywood edges
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Clamps, used to hold straightedge guide in place during cutting
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Sanding block and 120-grit sandpaper, for sanding veneer flush
Shopping List
1. ¾-inch birch plywood, for building the cabinet, shelves and dividers
2. 13/16-inch-wide iron-on veneer, for adhering to the edges of the plywood top
3. ½-inch birch plywood, for the cabinet backs
4. Fold-down wardrobe lift, used to make clothes more easily accessible5. Clothes rod, for hanging clothes
6. Slide-out shoe rack and pants rack, for neatly organizing shoes and pants
7. Assorted drywall screws, for assembling and installing cabinets
2. 13/16-inch-wide iron-on veneer, for adhering to the edges of the plywood top
3. ½-inch birch plywood, for the cabinet backs
4. Fold-down wardrobe lift, used to make clothes more easily accessible5. Clothes rod, for hanging clothes
6. Slide-out shoe rack and pants rack, for neatly organizing shoes and pants
7. Assorted drywall screws, for assembling and installing cabinets


















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