 Reader's Digest Learn how to make this charging station. |
We’ll show you how to build this charging station in a few easy steps. With a table saw and a miter saw, you can knock this project out in one morning, including the finish. You’ll need 8 ft. of 1/2-in.-thick, 5-1/2-in.-wide wood for this project. Most home centers carry common species like oak and maple. For a wider selection, shop online at rockler.com. We used cherry, which cost $80. To get the project into the $20 range, use oak instead.
You can make the charging station any length you want, but be sure it works with one of the standard sizes of power strips. The height shown here works for most cell phones, cameras and iPods. If the height of your charger plug and power strip exceeds 3-3/4 in., make the charging station a little taller. (Measure the height of the power strip and transformer, and add any height difference over 3-3/4 in. to the height of the front and side pieces.) Place the dividers on the lid wherever works best for your gadgets.
Get started by sanding the lumber with 100-grit sandpaper to remove any rough spots. Then cut the front, back, bottom and rail approximately 17 in. long, and cut the rest of the pieces to size, following the Cutting List. Cut the lid 1/8 in. shorter than the front so it can easily slide in and out. Cut the cleats, dividers and stop from the scrap.
If you’re planning to set the charging station on a counter, drill a 1-1/4-in. hole in the back with a spade bit for the power strip plug (keep the hole away from the corners to avoid hitting nails). If you’ll wall-mount it by screwing it through the back, just run the cord through the slot in the bottom.
 Reader's Digest Inside of a changing station |
Once the charging station is assembled, lightly sand it with 180-grit sandpaper. Don’t brush on a finish! Spray on a coat of lacquer (a can of spray lacquer costs $6). Or use a wipe-on finish. We wiped on Watco Golden Oak finish ($13 per qt.).
1. Fasten the dividers without nails or clamps. Just spread a little glue on each piece and hold it in place until the glue grabs (about one minute). Wipe away any excess with a damp rag. Use the same technique to attach the stop and the cleats.
2. Gang-cut parts so they’re precisely the same length. Clamp the front, back, bottom and rail together, then cut one end. Flip the boards around and cut the other end to size. Gang-cutting eliminates any slight length differences.
3. Attach the ends to the sides. Hold each joint together and predrill 1/16-in. nail holes. Then start the 3d finish nails and apply glue to the joints. As you drive the nails home, they’ll align the joints perfectly.
Cutting List
QTY. SIZE & DESCRIPTION
2 1/2" x 4" x 16" front and back
2 1/2" x 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" sides with 30-degree angle
1 1/2" x 4" x 16" bottom
1 1/2" x 1-1/2" x 16" rail
1 1/2" x 5-1/2" x 15-7/8" lid with 30-degree bevel
1 1/2" x 1/2" x 15-7/8" stop
2 1/2" x 1/2" x 4" cleats
3 or 4 1/2" x 1/2" x 5-1/2" dividers with 45-degree angle at ends
