The Family Handyman – August 2019

FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM JULY/AUGUST 2019 45

b

DRILL THE

PLUG HOLES

Bore holes with a 3/8-in. Forstner

bit in the drill press. They should

be about 3/8 in. deep to make

room for the plugs, so be sure to

set the depth stop. You can bore

the holes with a standard drill and

bit using a stop collar, but you’ll

get better results with a Forstner

bit in a drill press.

b

MAKE PLUGS

To get a perfect match, cut

your plugs from an offcut of the

wood you used for the cabinet. A

special plug-cutting bit will cut a

circle into the material and leave

the plug in the middle. Chuck the

bit into a drill press and set the

depth to cut 1/2 in. deep; you’ll

ruin the plug if you go all the way

through. Cut more plugs than you

need so you have options for grain

matching. Break out the plugs by

prying with a flat-head screwdriver.

b

ASSEMBLE THE

CABINET BOX

Drill a pilot hole in the middle of

each plug hole and into the ends

of the cabinet top/bottom. Apply

glue and screw the box parts

together with 1-in. screws.

1

2

3

Tools and materials

We spent about $150 on the

materials, which are available at

any home center. You could save

some cash by choosing different

hardwood and hinges (we found

ours online for $6 each!). You’ll

need a pocket hole jig to replicate

the dart storage system. To make

perfectly matched plugs to hide

the screws, you’ll need a plug

cutting bit ($17 for a set of three

sizes) and a drill press, or you

could use a dowel or store-

bought plugs.

An angle grinder would be

helpful for cutting the steel, but

you’ll get a decent cut with

aviation snips—without the sparks.

You can have the panels cut to size

at the home center or cut them

yourself with a circular saw and

straightedge guide. Just check the

diagonal measurements before

you make the cuts. cutting bitPlug

3/4"

3/8"