Modular Room Divider and Bench

Drill countersunk pilot holes for the flathead wood screws. Then glue and screw the side rails to the base rail ends (Project Diagram, Drawing 2) to make a base frame.

Assemble the four legs from a leg front that is 3-1/2 inches wide and a leg side that is 2-1/2 inches wide. The resulting component faces will have nearly the same width.

Apply glue to the top edges of the dividers and back and position the top on the case. Drill pilot holes and screw the top in place. Repeat for the second bottom case.

Assemble the case components using the same steps you followed for the bottom cases. Note that these two cases have a back inside the middle opening only.

Cut the middle shelf (K) and the side shelves (L) to size. Cut 7-3/8-inch-tall spacers to rest the shelves on during the assembly.

Cut the tops (M) to size. Sand all the edges of the cases and the tops to ease any sharp edges.

Flip the base/case over and drill pilot holes through the top. Insert a countersink bit in a right-angle drill attachment and countersink the holes inside the bench using the pilot holes as a guide.

If the bench is freestanding, center the top on the case. If the bench will be used with the divider tower, slide the top forward so the back edge of the top and the back of the lower case are even. Switch to a driver bit in the right-angle drill attachment and screw the top to the case.

For the room divider (Project Diagram, Drawing 7), repeat the process of attaching the base to the bottom case. Then center the remaining cases on top of each other with the edges and ends aligned. Starting with the bottom case, drive screws upward into the middle case. Then do the same to screw the middle and top cases together. Screw up from the top case into the top to complete the divider case.

Build the pass-through drawers in the same manner as the lower drawers, using the wider bottoms (R) and the longer sides (S) (Project Diagram, Drawing 10). Pass-through drawers, however, require an oak drawer face with a cutout at both the front and the back.

Lightly sand wood filler and the areas treated with sizing using a fine-grit sanding sponge. Apply primer to all of the MDF surfaces, let dry, and sand lightly.

Apply two coats of paint to the primed surfaces in the color of your choice (Bistro White shown).

For the bases and the drawers, apply a coat of stain following the manufacturer’s instructions. Very dark finishes may require two coats of stain. After the stain has dried, add two coats of satin polyurethane the drawers.

When the paint and finishes have cured, reassemble the project. To help the drawers slide easier in the cases, apply the Velcro to the bottom edges of the sides (O) using the softer loop portion of the Velcro. Slip the drawers in the divider.