Step 1

I started by laying out my material, ¾” plywood, to see what I was working with. I marked where I wanted to make a cut on each side of the bin and then cut both along both marks using my circular saw.

Step 2

Next, I added a rabbet along every side that was becoming a joint later on to increase the surface area for the glue-up. Once the rabbets were in place, we dry-fit the laundry bin together to make sure everything fit the way it was supposed to before the glue up.

Step 3

After a bit of a struggle to get everything lined up properly, we went back over to the router table. We routed a couple of grooves into the back, the front, and the bottom to create spaces for the movable dividers to sit.

Step 4

The next morning, I calculated out the measurements for my dividers. I wanted to have the option of splitting the large bin into quarters, thirds, or a combination of both. I set my router length and then started by doing a pass on the front piece. I cycled through my measurements for all of the pieces until I had all of my channels routed out at the distances I wanted them.

Step 5

Next, I quickly hand-sanded all of the channels to smooth them off. Then it was time to glue this thing together by loading Titebond III into all of the rabbets. I put the laundry bin together and clamped it well to dry overnight using band clamps. Using a random orbital sander, I pulled off any extra glue drips once the bin had dried.

Step 6

Then I measured out where I needed to drill holes to install casters for wheels on the bottom of the bucket. These casterswent on easily with some nuts, bolts, and washers.

Step 7

To add some more sturdiness, I decided to add reinforcements to the corners of the bin. I used a pine board and my table saw to create long, triangular strips that would fit into the corners of the laundry bin. Then I glued in these reinforcements with more Titebond III and added some screws as well, sawing off the excess with my post saw.

Step 8

I wanted the dividers to be ½” plywood so they’d be nice and easy to handle. To get the proper angle on the top of the dividers, I used a large machinist square and a pencil.

Step 9

At this point, Brooke did up the design for our Carvey CNC router for some signs to label the sections as Lights, Darks, and Delicates. We decided to carve these signs out of some leftover ¾” plywood scraps, and then sanded down after.

Step 10

To paint the signs, Brooke filled the lettering with acrylic paint and went in with black paint for the rest of the sign. The finishing touch was a generous coat of spray-on glossy varnish.

Step 11

Once dry, Brooke used a staple gun to quickly add twine to each for hanging. To finish off the dividers, I routed a 45-degree chamfer onto all of the sides’ edges. I then cleaned off the bin with paint thinner to prep for the glossy wipe-on poly finish.

Step 12

Since I wanted to be able to quickly and easily change out the signs, I used Command Strips to hang them on the laundry bin.

The Final Result

Now the laundry sorter was done, and it made a big difference in the basement by keeping the laundry room a little more organized! You could easily do this same project, switch the signs out, and use it for other storage solutions as well.