Kitchen Island storage box

New guy here. I wanted to clear up the clutter on my kitchen island. After searching the internet and the local stores and not finding anything that met my expectations, I decided to make my own storage thingy. Since I don’t own a planer or jointer, I went the “big box” route and purchased all of the materials from my local Menards store.

The storage box measures 22”W X 6 3/4”D X 10 1/2”H. I wanted something that would take some abuse so I went with red oak. For the finish I used one coat of Varathane Premium Wood Stain – Cabernet and five coats of Watco Lacquer Finish – Gloss. Everything is held together using Kreg pocket screws.

Things I’ve learned from this project.
1) Most of you already know this, but the key to any project is patience and being able to think outside the box. Unless you’re a professional, nothing ever goes according to plan. When plans go awry, take a deep breath and ask yourself what can I do to make this work.

2) I assumed the thickness of the boards would be 3/4” on every board I purchased. I was wrong. After cutting the dados, I found the right side of the top shelf to be slightly thicker. Which meant I had to sand the edge until it fit into the dado.

3) Visualize what you’re about to do before you do it. I had a few WTF moments before I slowed down and thought things through before doing it.

4) The instructions on the lacquer said I didn’t need to sand if applications were done within 6 hours of one another. After my second coat I learned to ignore said instructions. In order to achieve a smooth finish you must sand using 220 plus grit sandpaper or #0000 steel wool.

5) A cross-cut table saw sled is your friend. If you own a table saw, it behooves you to own a cross-cut sled. It takes all of the guess work out when cutting multiple pieces of the same length or width.