In an effort to somehow organize the massive amounts of mail that gets delivered each day, and eliminate the piles that used to sit on our kitchen counter, I designed and built this handy sorting station in just a few hours. I’ve also included one of my favorite building tricks for “nailing blind” in Steps 8-10. Lastly, you can check on my DIY Font Stencil tutorial, which I used to create the labels on each Box.
Click the image above to view to the Building Plans, and click the tabs below to view the tools, materials and cut lists.
Cost: $25
Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate. Building the boxes is easy, but attaching them to the backer board requires some careful nailing. Don’t worry, I’ll show you a trick to getting it right!
(1) ¼” x 4′ x 4′ plywood
(1) 1 x 3 x 6′ board
(5) ¼ x 2 x 3′ board
(4) 2½-inch Wood Screws to mount the assembly on the wall
1 inch Finish Nails
1¼-inch Finish Nails
Wood Glue
1 x 3 Box Side – 8 @ 8 inches
1 x 2 Box Bottom – 4 @ 11 inches
¼-inch Plywood Box Fronts – 4 @ 12½ x 8 inches
¼-inch Plywood Backer Board – 1 @ 14 x 48 inches
¼ x 2 Trim Boards – 8 @ 12½ inches (Miter ends at opposing 45-degree angles)
¼ x 2 Trim Boards – 8 @ 8 inches (Miter ends at opposing 45-degree angles)
Steps
1. Cut the Parts
Using a the cut list above, cut pieces to size. On each 1 x 3 Side Board, mark a cut line that tapers from the front edge of the board to 1 inch from the front edge at the opposite end. See the building plans above for a detailed drawing of this part.
TIP: Get straighter cuts with the circular saw using our DIY Cutting Fence tutorial.
2. Assemble the Sides and Bottom
Lay the 1 x 2 Bottom Board between the 1 x 3 Sides flush with the skinny end of the taper. Apply wood glue to the ends of the Bottom Board. Using a pneumatic nail gun, drive two 1¼-inch finish nails through each Side and into the ends of the Bottom to hold the parts in place. Repeat to assemble the remaining Box Side and Bottom pieces.
3. Add the Box Fronts
Apply wood glue to the top edge of all the frame pieces. Lay the ¼-inch plywood Box Fronts onto each tapered frame. Position the plywood so that it’s flush with the outside edge of each corresponding frame piece.
4. Secure the Box Fronts
Using a pneumatic nail gun, drive 1-inch finish nails through the plywood Fronts and into the Side and Bottom pieces.
5. Add the Trim
Position the ¼ x 2 Frame pieces on the plywood Fronts to create a border on each assembled Box. Make adjustments to the pieces as needed. Apply wood glue to the backside and cut ends of each Frame piece, and then position it back in place.
6. Secure the Trim (Part 1)
Using a pneumatic nail gun, drive 1-inch finish nails through the side and bottom Trim pieces and into the 1 x 2 Bottom boards and 1 x 3 tapered Side boards.
7. Secure the Trim (Part 2)
Using hand clamps, secure the top Trim board in place, and allow it to dry.
8. Position the Boxes
Lay all four Boxes on the ¼-inch plywood Backer Board. Center the Boxes on the width of the board with equal 4-inch spacing between them, and 2-inches from the top and bottom of the Board. Now draw a line along the sides and bottom of each box.
9. Mark the Box Placement
Since we’ll be nailing through the backside of the Board and into the Boxes to hold them in place, we’ll first have to create a map on the back of the Board so we’ll know where to nail. To do this, remove the Boxes from the Board. Using a drill/driver and a small drill bit, drive holes about ¼ inch inside the lines marked in Step 8.
10. Attach the Boxes to the Backer Board
Apply wood glue to the backside of the Boxes, and clamp them back in place on the Board. Now flip the assembly over, and trace a line between the holes drilled in Step 9. Using a pneumatic nail gun, drive 1-inch nails through lines on the backside of the plywood to secure the Boxes in place.
MORE BUILDING PLANS
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Anonymous
I may be mistaken, but the materials list does not account for the (4) 1×2 bottom pieces. In order to get true 2″ width, you’d need to rip a 1×3, requiring an additional 4′ of 1×3 board or 10′ in total.
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Ashley
The mail sorter looks great! I love the labels.
Amy C
Is there an easy way to print the plan with all of the info on one sheet? Thank you – can’t wait to build this!