- 1). Take two planks of 2-by-3 lumber cut to 30 inches, and two planks cut to 20 inches. Use a rabbet plane to cut a rabbet edge 1 inch wide and 2 inches deep into one edge of each plank.
- 2). Miter cut the ends of these planks to 45 degrees, so that they form a rectangular frame when the angled ends are mated; the rabbet edge of the planks should be on the inside of the frame. Miter the ends of another pair of 30 inch and 20 inch planks to form a second frame without a rabbet edge.
- 3). Glue the mitered ends of the frames together and press them with corner clamps for about an hour, or until the glue is fully dry. Drill two pilot holes, sized to fit 3-inch wood screws, through the corners of the long side of each frame. Screw the frames together through the pilot holes, then remove the corner clamps.
- 4). Insert a 2-inch thick piece of lumber, sized 18-by-28 inches, into the frame with the rabbet edge. The lumber will sit into the rabbet edge, with the top of the frame on the same plane as the lumber sheet. Drill pilot holes every 5 inches around edge of the lumber slab into the rabbet edge of the frame; then drive 3-inch wood screws into the pilot holes to secure the slab in place. This is the shelf of the kitchen island.
- 5). Take four planks of 2-by-3 lumber cut to 33 inches (the legs) and make a cut on one 3-inch side that is 3 inches from the end and 1-inch deep. Chisel out the wood between the end of the legs and the 1-inch-deep cut to create a housing on the end of each leg that is 3 inches long and 1 inch deep.
- 6). Cut a second housing on the same side of each leg, the same size, only make the housing sit 5 inches up from the bottom of the legs, rather than flush with the top like the first housing.
- 7). Place two legs flat on the work surface with the housing up, around 30 inches apart. Spread a thin layer of wood glue into all of the housings.
- 8). Fit the shelf into the bottom housings that are 5 inches from the end of the legs, and the empty frame (the top of the kitchen island) into the top housings. Adjust the position of the legs so that the sides of the legs line up with the ends of the frames. Clamp the legs in place for an hour, or until the glue is dry.
- 9). Flip the frames so that the legs are now facing you, then drill two pilot holes through each housing on the legs into the side of the frames and secure together with 3-inch wood screws. Repeat with the remaining two legs to attach them to the other side of the frames.
- 10
Stand the unit upright on the legs. Center a 2-inch-thick piece of lumber sized 22-by-32 inches over the top of the empty frame for the counter of the kitchen island. There will be 2 inches over on all sides of the counter. Drill pilot holes every 6 inches around the edge of the counter into the frame underneath then secure with wood screws driven through the pilot holes. - 11
Apply wood putty to all the screw holes on the kitchen island and let it dry before sanding the kitchen island. Finish the kitchen island with varnish, wood stain or paint, following the finish manufacturer's recommended drying times and coats.