Step 2:
Cutting Off the Back.
The back of the block must be cut off in order to cut out the drawers. Draw a straight line 1/4” from the back of the block to mark the cutoff. Be sure to label all parts so that backs can be matched to blocks and oriented in the proper direction.
Try to keep the back cut as straight as possible. However, since the back cut-off will end up being glued right back on, any wavy cuts will be unnoticeable in the finished project.
Since the wood was damaged, I removed some material, leaving me with a board 3” thick, 3 ¾” wide and 32” long.
I then cut my board across the grain approximately every 8 inches. This amount of lumber will produce four boxes. You can use any saw you want to cut across the grain. Your band saw, miter saw, hand saw or table saw would all work. I used my hand saw. *Note* if I owned a table saw I would have ripped away the damage from the entire length of the board, then cut the 8 inch lengths since it would have been faster and more accurate. A table saw would have given me a perfect straight edge, however with patience and a quality machine, I was able to rip my board straight enough on my band saw. This project does not need perfect straight lines, so in this case, straight enough is good enough.