Click image to enlarge.
Space shelves according
to your storage needs, typically, 8 to 14 in. apart.
Cutting List
A - Wide divider, 3/4" x 24" x 54"
B - Two narrow dividers, 3/4" x 11-5/8" x 54"
C - Bin bottom, 3/4" x 24" diameter
D - Up to 16 shelves, 3/4" x 11-5/8" x 11-5/8"
E - Base, 3/4" x 24" x 24"
G - Two treated 1x2s, 1 x 2 x 24"
H - Top shelf, 3/4" x 18" x 18"
J - Shelf side, 3/4" x 7-1/2" x 18"
K - Shelf side, 3/4" x 7-1/2" x 17-1/4"
Materials List
- One and a half 4x8 sheets of(birch) plywood
- One 12" round lazy Susan ring
- One 3" square lazy Susan ring
- 1 lb. of 2" No. 8 screws
- Sixteen 3/4-in. No. 6 flat head screws
- Ten 4' strips of 3" vinyl base
- 1 lb. of 1" tacks
- One tube of vinyl base adhesive
- Two 2' treated 1x2s
- Three 2-1/2" x 3/16" masonry screws
- Eight 2-1/2" screws
Careful Cutting and Layout
Make Assembly a Snap
Cut all the pieces to size from the
cutting diagram. Accurate cuts will result in tight, clean joints. Clamp a
straightedge to the plywood to guide your circular saw when making the straight
cuts. Use a carbide blade with at least 36 teeth to minimize
splintering.
Photo 1 shows
you how to mark the circle for the plywood bottom. Substitute a narrow strip of
1/4-in. thick wood for the compass arm if you don’t have Peg-Board. Use
the bottom as a template to mark the arcs on the quarter-circle shelves (Fig.
B). Use a bucket to mark the arcs on the tops of the dividers.
Before assembling the pieces, lay out the shelf locations on
the dividers. Make the shelves any height you want, but making them different
heights in adjacent sections simplifies the screwing process.
Fasten the shelves to the two narrow
dividers first (Photo 2), then
set them upright and attach them to the wide center divider (Photo 3).
Tip
Mark the centerline of
each shelf on the opposite side of the dividers to help position the screws
(Photo 3).
Drilling an Access Hole Is
the Trick to Mounting the lazy Susan
At first glance, attaching the 12-in. lazy
Susan is a bit mysterious. The lazy Susan rotates on ball bearings with the top
ring secured to the bin bottom and the bottom ring secured to the base.
Securing it to the base is straightforward—you center it and screw it
down. Once it’s fastened, you have to drive screws upward to fasten the
top ring to the bin bottom. The bottom ring of the lazy Susan has a special
3/4- in. access hole to help here. Drill a 3/4-in. hole in the plywood base at
the access hole point (Photo
4). Then poke your screws through the access hole to fasten the top
ring to the bin base (Photo 5).
The 3-in. lazy Susan rotates on square
plates. You won’t need an access hole to fasten them. Just screw through
the holes in the corners (Photos
6 and 7).
Tip
Use a magnetic screwdriver tip to keep from
dropping the screws. It's a hassle to retrieve them!
Putting The Unit In
Place
If you’re placing the base on a
concrete floor, rest it on treated 1x2s to avoid rot. Level it with shims, if
needed, for smooth rotation. Fasten the support shelf to the walls (Photo
8).
Anchor the base to the floor with masonry
screws set in the exposed corners. Predrill the holes into the concrete with a
5/32-in. masonry bit or the size the screw package recommends.
The vinyl base provides an edge for the shelves. Buy the type
that’s not preglued. The 4-in. wide type is most common, but buy the
3-in.wide type if you can. Otherwise, use a sharp utility knife to trim an inch
off the 4-in. one.
1. Cut all the
pieces with a circular saw and jigsaw, using the dimensions in Fig. A and our
Cutting List. Mark the circle cut for the bottom with a 12-in. compass made
from a scrap of Peg-Board. Cut it out with a jigsaw. Then trace the arcs of the
shelves using the bottom as a template. (Note: The shelf sides are 11-5/8 in.)
2. Measure and
mark the shelf locations on the dividers, spacing them anywhere from 10 to 14
in. apart. Align the shelves with these marks, then predrill and screw the
shelves to the two narrow dividers with 2-in. drywall screws. A drill/driver
bit speeds this process ($10 at home centers).
3. Connect the
two shelf assemblies to the wide center divider with 2-in. drywall screws.
Center and screw the circular bottom to the dividers.
Click image to enlarge.
4. Center the
12-in. lazy Susan on the base. Align the screw holes on the top and bottom
rings. Locate the access hole in the lazy Susan and mark its location on the
plywood with an awl or nail. Remove the lazy Susan and drill a 3/4-in. hole at
the mark. Center the lazy Susan again, aligning the access hole to the hole
drilled in the plywood, and fasten the bottom ring to the base with 3/4-in. No.
6 flat head screws.
5. Center the
base on the bin bottom and align a screw hole in the top ring of the lazy susan
with the access hole. Fasten the top ring of the lazy Susan to the bin bottom
with a 3/4-in. No. 6 flat head screw driven through the access hole. Turn the
bin bottom to align the remaining screw holes in the top ring with the access
hole, and fasten with additional screws.
6. Screw the
bottom ring of the 3-in. lazy Susan to the dividers on top of the bin with
3/4-in. screws. Assemble the support shelf (Fig. A). Mark the bin rotation
center on its bottom (about 13 in. from each wall) so the bin will clear the
wall by about an inch when it rotates.
7. Center the
3-in. lazy susan at the rotation center on the support shelf. Screw the top
ring of the lazy Susan to the support shelf with the 3/4-in. screws.
8. Set the bin
on treated 1x2s with the base about 1 in. from the walls. Shim to level if
needed. Level the support shelf and screw it to the wall studs with 2-1/2-in.
screws. Spin the bin to test for smooth operation. If it runs rough, shim the
base or slide it side to side slightly until it spins smoothly. Predrill and
fasten the base to the floor with 2-1/2 in. masonry screws.
9. Squeeze a 3/8-in. bead of cove base adhesive
along the shelf edges. Position the vinyl base with the lip to the top, curling
out. Secure the ends with 1 in. tacks. Trim the ends flush with a utility
knife.
