Lockable Secret Drawer Coffee Table

This coffee table has a special feature: a hidden drawer. Using an RFID lock and key card, you can open the drawer and safely and easily store your possessions.

Materials

108"x8" oak wood

Six wooden biscuits

25"x36" plywood

13' 3" of ¾" square metal tubing

1400 square inches of felt

36" hinge

Three 90° brackets

Twelve ½" screws

ETEKJOY RFID Electronic Cabinet Lock

Two Gas Spring Hinges

36" hinge

LED light strand

Tools

Table saw

Miter saw

Metal miter saw

Biscuit joiner

Welder

Angle grinder

Wood glue

Wood stain

Black spray paint

Nail gun

Large clamps

From your oak wood, cut the following:

Three 36"x8" boards

Two 19.75"x5" boards

Two 17.5"x5" boards

One 31"x5" board

Two 2.75"x5" pieces

Two 2.5"x5" pieces

In your plywood, cut a 1.75" wide by 2.75" deep notch in two of the corners. Be sure these two corners share a 36" edge. Make a 1" wide by 1.5" deep notch in the center of the opposite 36" edge. See the image for where to place notches.

1. In one 36"x8" board, use the biscuit cutter to cut a horizontal slot in the center (18" from either end) of the 36"x2" side of the board.
2. Repeat step one with two more 36"x8" boards.
3. Take one of the boards used in step 2 and repeat step 1 on the opposite side of the board.
4. Put glue into all biscuit notches and spread a line of glue along the thin side that has the notches.
5. Place one biscuit into each slot on the board with 6 notches.
6. Place the other two boards on either side of the board with biscuits, making sure their notches are lined up with the biscuits already inserted.
7. Press the boards together, pushing the biscuits into the empty biscuit slots, and clamp them together to dry.

1. Place the plywood flat on the work surface.
2. Take the 31" board and glue it to the 31" edge of the plywood. Be sure that the board is not on the plywood. The board should be vertically perpendicular to the plywood and resting on the work surface. (Note: You will probably wish to apply glue to the edge of the plywood for this assembly. Clamping everything you glue will aid significantly. We chose to reinforce all our joints with nails using a nail gun, but this isn't necessary.)
3. Take the two 2.75" pieces and glue them to either side of the 31" board and the 2.75" edges of the notches. The pieces should be perpendicular to the 31" board and resting on the work surface. The tops of the pieces and the 31" board should be flush, and the pieces should make two sharp 90-degree corners.
4. Take the two 2.5" pieces and glue them to the 1.75" edges of the notches and similarly to how you glued the pieces in step 3.
5. Take the two 19.75" boards and glue them to the 2.5" pieces and the 19.75" edges of the plywood.
6. Take the 17.5" boards and glue them to the 19.75" boards and the 16.75" edges of the plywood. They should create two 90-degree corners and leave the notch in the center of the edge accessible.
7. Take the felt and cover the insides of the drawer so that it is soft.

1. Take your metal and cut two 25" lengths, one 24.25" length, two 24" lengths, and one 36" length.
2. Cut a 45° angle on one end of the two 25" lengths and the two 24" lengths.
3. Place the two 24" lengths on the work surface with the 45° angle facing up. On the opposite end, cut another 45° angle. On one of the lengths, this cut should cut the left corner off, and on the other length, this cut should remove the right corner.
4. Place the 36" length on the work surface. A cut will be made on both ends. Looking at it from the top, the left corner of one end should be removed and the right corner of the other. This will leave one 36" edge, and one edge will be reduced to 34.5".
5. Take one 25" length and the 24" length from which you cut off the right corner. The other end (the one that was face up) should be welded to the cut end of the 25" length.
6. Take the other 25" and 24" lengths and weld them together in the same way.
7. The first 24" length that you welded should now be welded to the 36" length. The cuts should line up and create a 90° angle. The other 24" length should be welded to the other cut on the 36" length.
8. Lastly, the 24.25" length should be welded vertically perpendicular to the 36" length. It should be centered (18" from each end) and standing on the 36" length.
9. Grind down the welds so that they are smooth.

1. Now is the time to stain your wood and spray paint your metal if you wish.
2. Take your three brackets and drill pilot holes into the metal where you will screw them in. The brackets should be on the inside of the legs, and the horizontal part should be flush with the top of the legs so that it can attach to the top.
3. Screw the brackets into the legs and then screw the top on.
4. Take your 36" hinge and cut it into two 17.5" lengths. Get rid of the excess. Screw these into the top of the 17.5" boards. The hinge should be on the outside of the drawer, not the inside.
5. Take the frame and top and place them upside down on the work surface. Align the drawer with the top, and screw the hinges into the top.
6. Take the electric lock and align it so that the main portion is on the bottom of the top of the desk and the smaller portion is on the inside of the front of the drawer. Make sure they will connect when the drawer is closed.
7. Screw the lock into place.
8. Take the two gas spring hinges and align them, one on the left and one on the right. The top of the hinge should be screwed into the bottom of the top of the desk, and the bottom of the hinge should be screwed into the inside of the side of the drawer. Make sure the drawer can open sufficiently.
9. Attach the LED lights on the bottom of the top of the desk, and you are finished.