Plans

Free DIY Furniture Plans: How to Build a Dawson Tallboy Dresser

03.28.14 By //

By special reader request, this plan is a great one for adding that extra bit of storage when you prefer to go vertical rather than horizontal. Sometimes horizontal wall space is at a premium… especially if you live in my house. Xx… Rayan

Dimensions
Lumber
  • 2 – 1×2 at 6’
  • 1 – 1×4 at 6’
  • 7 – 1×6 at 8’
  • Scrap of 2×2 at 15-3/4”
  • 3 – 2×4 at 8’
  • 2 sheets of ¾” plywood
Cut List
  • 4 – 4×4 posts at 46-3/4” – Legs
  • 2 – 1×4 at 13” – Side Frames
  • 2 – 2×4 at 13” – Side Frames
  • 2 – ¾” plywood at 13” x 40-1/2” – Side Panels
  • 10 – 1×2 at 13” – Drawer Spacers
  • 1 – ¾” plywood at 35” x 42-3/4” – Back
  • 5 – 2×4 at 35” – Stretchers
  • 1 – 2×4 at 6-1/2” – Center Drawer Divider
  • 1 – 1×4 at 35” – Upper Stretcher
  • 1 – 2×2 at 15-3/4” – Center Drawer Spacer
  • 1 – ¾” plywood at 20” x 42” – Top
  • 2 – ¾” plywood at 14-1/4” x 16-1/2” – Smaller Drawer Box Bottoms
  • 12 – 1×6 at 16-1/2” – Drawer Box Sides
  • 4 – 1×6 at 15-3/4” – Smaller Drawer Box Front & Back
  • 4 – ¾” plywood at 16-1/2” x 32-1/2” – Large Drawer Box Bottoms
  • 8 – 1×6 at 34” – Large Drawer Box Front & Back
  • 2 – ¾” plywood at 6-1/4” x 16-1/2” – Smaller Drawer Fronts
  • 4 – ¾” plywood at 6-3/4” x 34-3/4” – Large Drawer Fronts
Instructions

Before beginning to build, always check in on my site to make sure you have the most up to date set of plans, I occasionally update and change the plans to make the building process easier or to allow for less expensive purchasing of materials! Read through the entire set of instructions and all comments before beginning this project. If you print out or save plans, be sure to check in on my site to be sure you have the most up to date set of plans, as I occasionally update things for ease of building or buying. If you are new to building, read through the GETTING STARTED section and other articles found under the BUILD tab in the menu on my site, it has valuable information about how to get started, tools and techniques. If you are unfamiliar with the finishing process, visit my Finishing school for some tips and tricks for painting like a pro and for special finishing practices. Use glue to secure your joints and Consider Painting or Staining individual sections prior to assembling. This makes the paint application virtually flawless. Coat with a spray on Poly or Wipe on Poly to protect your finish and your piece and it will last for ages. Adhere to all safety standards and guidelines, and be sure you follow safety protocol throughout your build. If you are unsure about whether you are building safely, run a quick online search for the tool or technique you are using, or contact me via email or post to the forum before you move ahead. My contact info can be found in the menu of my site.

Step 1

Edge banding will be applied to the exposed edges of the plywood prior to assembly.

Cut the pieces for the legs, the side frames, and the side panels. Set the Kreg jig for 1-1/2” material and drill pocket holes in each end of the 2×4 frame pieces. Attach to the legs using glue and 2-1/2” pocket hole screws.

Set the Kreg jig for ¾” material and drill pocket holes in each end of the 1×4 frame pieces as well as all four edges of the panels. Secure the frame pieces to the legs, then secure the panel to the legs and the side frames using glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws. The front face of the panels will be located 1” back from the outside face of the legs.

Cut the pieces for the drawer spacers, and drill pocket holes in each end. Secure to the legs as shown using glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws. The back face of the spacers (the side with the pocket holes) will be flush with the inside of the legs.

Step 2

Cut the piece for the back and drill pocket holes in each shorter edge. Secure to the legs using glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws. The outside face will be flush with the back face of the legs.

Step 3

Cut the 2×4 pieces for the stretchers. Set the Kreg jig for 1-1/2” material and drill pocket holes in each end. Secure to the legs as shown using glue and 2-1/2” pocket hole screws.

Cut the piece for the drawer divider and drill pocket holes in the lower end only. Secure to the uppermost stretcher as shown using glue and 2-1/2” pocket hole screws.

Step 4

Cut the 1×4 piece for the upper stretcher. Set the Kreg jig for ¾” material and drill pocket holes in each end. Secure to the legs using glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws. Use a few 1-1/4” brad nails through the upper stretcher into the top of the drawer divider to further secure them in place.

Cut the 2×2 piece for the center drawer spacer. Drill pocket holes in one end only of the 2×2 inner frame piece. Secure to the drawer divider using glue and 2-1/2” pocket hole screws. Use a few 1-1/4” brad nails through the back into the back end of the 2×2 frame piece. The bottom of the drawer spacer will be flush with the top of the stretcher.

Step 5

Cut the piece for the top. Secure the top to the desk frame using glue and 1-1/4” brad nails through the top.

Cut the pieces for the drawer boxes. Drill pocket holes in all four edges of the bottom as well as each end of the sides. Assemble the drawer boxes as shown using glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws. Install the drawer slides according to the manufacturer’s installation instructions, locating them ¾” back from the front edge of the sides.

Step 7

Cut the pieces for the drawer fronts. Mark the position for the drawer pulls and drill the holes. Shim the drawer front in the opening – there will be a 1/8” gap around all sides – then drive screws through the holes for the drawer pulls into the drawer box. Open the drawer, and secure the drawer front using countersunk 1-1/4” screws from the inside. Remove the screws from the holes for the drawer pull then finish drilling the holes. Install the drawer pull.

Finishing Instructions

Fill any Screw, Nail or Pocket Holes, Sand and Finish as Desired. For Finishing Tips and Tricks visit my Finishing School

// Disclaimer: Some rights reserved. Private use only. Feel Free to link to any of my plans so long as you ONLY use 1 image and provide an ADEQUATE link back to the original source and appropriate plan! Plans from this page are not to be used for commercial purposes or republished without the express written consent of Rayan Turner, The Design Confidential I hope to provide accurate plans, however, I cannot guarantee each plan for accuracy. Not every plan that I post has been built and tested, so you are building at your own risk. It is recommended that you have a clear understanding of how the project works before beginning any project. Please contact me if you find an error or inaccuracy so that I might fix it. // Post May Contain Affiliate Links

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

2 comments on “Free DIY Furniture Plans: How to Build a Dawson Tallboy Dresser”

  1. It seems like the measurements are off in step one. You have the drawer spacers set at 7″ from bottom to bottom. I calculate them at 8.5″. Can you help me?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.