DIY Pull Out Kitchen Shelves

Kitchen pull-out shelves work like this drawer.

Every kitchen should have pull-out shelves. Pull-out shelf kits are available on the market for the homeowner’s convenience. The problem with these kits becomes real, however, when your cabinets are not standard sizes. This means you need to build your own. To do this properly, choose only the best plywood on the market to use as bottoms to the shelves. Professionally built pull-out shelves have 9-ply, ½-inch Baltic birch as bottoms. This plywood is strong and works well up to a certain width (around 30 inches). It is a bit pricey, but you need the best to do the best.

Things You'll Need

• Drawer slides
• 1-by-6-inch lumber
• Wood glue
• 8-penny finish nails
• Nail set
• Damp cloth
• Baltic birch plywood
• Table saw (optional)
• Circular
• Variable speed drill
• Philips head screw tip
• 1¼-inch drywall screws

Instructions

1. Measure the opening of the cabinet door where you plan to install the pull-out shelves. Read the instructions that come with the drawer slides you chose for this project and reduce the shelf width accordingly.

2. Cut the front and back pieces for the pull-out shelf from the 1 by 6-inch lumber. Subtract the thickness of the front and back material from the overall depth of the shelf and cut two sides from the same material.

3. Apply a bead of glue to the front and back edges of the sidepieces of the pull-out shelf material. Place them between the front and back (on either end) and secure the four pieces to each other with 8-penny finish nails. Clean up excess glue with a damp cloth. Set the nail heads with a nail set.

4. Determine the width and length of the pull-out shelf frame and cut a piece of ½-inch plywood to that size with a table saw or circular saw. Run some glue on the edges of the shelf frame, place the ½-inch plywood on it and secure it to the frame with 1¼-inch drywall screws. Clean up the excess glue with a damp cloth.

5. Install the drawer slides on the pull-out shelf according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Do the same for installing them in the cabinet. Repeat this process for each pull-out shelf desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Use only the screws that came with the drawer slides to install them.

• Do not leave power tools within reach of children.

References

• Move.com: Installing a Pull Out Shelf

Resources

• Rockler.com: Accuride Full Extension Zinc Box Drawer Slides