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Stackable Shoe Rack[4/4 · 4ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 1 shoe rack
Build This Project
Pack
4/4 · 4ft · 5-Pack
Uses
1 pack, all 5 boards
Shown in
Black WalnutON SALE
Also in
Hard Maple, Cherry, White Oak (QS), Red Oak, Ash, Hickory, Ambrosia Maple, Sapele, Padauk, Purpleheart
Shipping
Free shipping
How it goes together
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak (QS)
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
A low, sturdy shoe rack with solid end panels and three slats across the top. Shoes go on the slats and on the floor underneath, so one rack gives you two rows. Build a second one from another pack and it stacks right on top. Only crosscuts and one simple glue-up — a good first furniture build.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slats | 3 | Boards 1–3 | 44" × 4" × ¾" | 44" × 3½" × ⅞" |
| End panel pieces | 6 | Boards 4–5, three each | 13" × 4" × ¾" | 13" × 3½" × ⅞" |
End panels: 3 pieces edge-glued, grain front to back.
Slats: 3 slats on the panels' top edges, flush at the ends, evenly spaced (½" gaps S4S, 1¼" S2S).
Fixing: 2 pre-drilled #8 screws per slat end, down into the panel's top edge. No glue.
Finished size: S4S 44" W × 13" D × 12¾" H · S2S 44" × 13" × 11⅜". Holds about 6 pairs on top and 6 underneath.
Get a free woodworking plan every Tuesday
The Tuesday 3-2-1 Build and the Friday Five, plus 10% off your first order of any non-sale species. Walnut is already on sale.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 4/4 · 4ft (S4S or S2S)
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- 12 × #8 flat-head screws: 1¼" (S4S) or 1½" (S2S)
- Felt pads
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Finish: wipe-on poly or hardwax oil
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square) — with a stop block
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits
- 4 bar clamps, 12" or longer
- Tape measure, combination square, pencil
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- S2S only: jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
S4S or S2S? S4S boards arrive flat and square on all four sides — cut and build. S2S boards have rough edges you straighten first, and finish ⅞" thick instead of ¾". No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 23½"/47½" long with ¼" to square an end, 4" wide, ¾" thick · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean), ⅞" thick · sizes drawn for the narrowest board in the pack. Wider boards give you a bigger offcut or a wider part — never a shortage.
Step-by-Step
S4S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 4 sides — no jointing
- 1 Sort the boards. Boards 1–3 are the slats, boards 4–5 make the two end panels. Put your three straightest boards on slat duty.
- 2 Cut the slats. Square one end of boards 1–3 and crosscut each to 44".
- 3 Cut the end pieces. Clamp a stop block at 13" and crosscut boards 4 and 5 into three pieces each — six matching pieces.
- 4 Glue the end panels. Edge-glue three pieces into each panel, 13" deep × 12" tall. Grain runs front to back in every piece. Keep the ends flush, clamp, and leave overnight.
- 5 Sand. Flatten the glue seams, then 120 → 180 → 220. Round the front corners of the panels and every slat edge — feet and shoes will rub them.
- 6 Lay out the slats. Stand the panels on their bottom edges, 44" apart outside to outside. Set the slats on top, ends flush with the outside faces of the panels. Space them with ½" gaps: front slat flush with the front, back slat flush with the back.
- 7 Screw the slats down. Mark the centre of the panel's ¾" top edge. Pre-drill and drive 2 countersunk #8 × 1¼" screws through each slat end into the panel, about 1" in from each slat edge. Keep the pilot holes dead centre so the edge doesn't split. Screws only — the slats cross the panel's grain.
- 8 Check for wobble. Set the rack on a flat floor and push the top side to side. If it racks, add the back rail from Make It Yours.
- 9 Finish. 2–3 coats of wipe-on poly or hardwax oil — wet shoes need a finish that resists water. Add felt pads under the panels.
S2S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 2 sides — straighten edges first
- 1 Prep the boards. Trim ½" off each end to remove any end checks. Joint one edge straight, then rip the other edge parallel (¼" off each rough edge is our planning allowance). S2S boards finish ⅞" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 Sort the boards. Boards 1–3 are the slats, boards 4–5 make the two end panels. Put your three straightest boards on slat duty.
- 3 Cut the slats. Square one end of boards 1–3 and crosscut each to 44".
- 4 Cut the end pieces. Clamp a stop block at 13" and crosscut boards 4 and 5 into three pieces each — six matching pieces.
- 5 Glue the end panels. Edge-glue three pieces into each panel, 13" deep × 10½" tall. Grain runs front to back in every piece. Keep the ends flush, clamp, and leave overnight.
- 6 Sand. Flatten the glue seams, then 120 → 180 → 220. Round the front corners of the panels and every slat edge — feet and shoes will rub them.
- 7 Lay out the slats. Stand the panels on their bottom edges, 44" apart outside to outside. Set the slats on top, ends flush with the outside faces of the panels. Space them with 1¼" gaps: front slat flush with the front, back slat flush with the back.
- 8 Screw the slats down. Mark the centre of the panel's ⅞" top edge. Pre-drill and drive 2 countersunk #8 × 1½" screws through each slat end into the panel, about 1" in from each slat edge. Keep the pilot holes dead centre so the edge doesn't split. Screws only — the slats cross the panel's grain.
- 9 Check for wobble. Set the rack on a flat floor and push the top side to side. If it racks, add the back rail from Make It Yours.
- 10 Finish. 2–3 coats of wipe-on poly or hardwax oil — wet shoes need a finish that resists water. Add felt pads under the panels.
Why grain front to back in the end panels? The panels move up and down with the seasons, not front to back, so the 13" depth stays put and the slats always land flush. It also puts long grain on the top edge for the screws to bite.
Why no glue on the slats? Each slat's grain runs across the panel's grain. Glue there would fight the seasonal movement. Two screws per end hold fine and let the wood move.
Why pre-drill? Maple, oak and hickory split if you drive a screw without a pilot hole. Pre-drill every screw and countersink so the heads sit flush.
Make It Yours
- Stop blocks for stacking: glue small offcut blocks under the second rack's panels, just inside the lower rack's slats, so it can't slide off.
- Back rail: for a wobble-proof rack, screw a ¾" × 1½" hardwood rail across the back, between the panels near the floor.
- Bench top: add a cushion and use it as a low entry bench for kids.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
- Stacked racks: keep the stack to two high and don't sit or stand on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for S4S boards — they arrive flat and square on all four sides. S2S boards need their edges straightened: a jointer, a table saw with a straight-line jig, or a hand plane all work. No jointer? Choose the S4S pack.
Not as drawn. The slats screw into a ¾" edge, which is fine for shoes but not for an adult's weight. Treat it as a shoe rack.
Build a second rack and set it on the first, panels over panels. Its end panels sit on the lower rack's slats right above the lower panels. Add the stop blocks from Make It Yours so it can't slide.
S2S boards finish narrower after edge prep, so the three slats cover less of the 13" depth. The gaps grow to keep the rack the same size.
Planned offcuts only: about 3" off boards 1–3 and about 8" off boards 4–5. Save the 8" pieces for stop blocks.
No. The slats are 44" long, so this is a 4ft-pack build. A 2ft pack is too short for the slats.
Get a free woodworking plan every Tuesday
The Tuesday 3-2-1 Build and the Friday Five, plus 10% off your first order of any non-sale species. Walnut is already on sale.
Next build with this pack
More free plans for the 4/4 · 4ft pack.
