Secret Compartment Floating Shelf

A friend needed a floating shelf that had a secret compartment for some of their important items. We decided to use reclaimed wood for the finish. And this is how I made it!

Step 1: Check Out the Build Video.

Here's the build video so you can see the hidden compartment shelf in action. You can also see the build a little more in depth. Now for the fun stuff, let's make this secret compartment floating shelf!

Step 2: Join Your Panel Pieces.

The first thing I did was join down the pieces that would make up the panels. The jointer puts a perfectly straight edge on the reclaimed wood, so when you glue them up the splices are tight.

Step 3: Rip Your Splines.

Then I ripped some splines out of an old piece of oak hardwood flooring I salvaged from one of my remodels. These splines slip into a groove on the panel pieces I'll cut in the next step. They hold the panel together really well, and keep the panel lined up when you glue it together.

Step 4: Rip Your Grooves.

Then I set up a feather board and ripped some grooves on both sides of the panel pieces. These grooves hold the splines chat I cut above.

Step 5: Glue Up Your Panels.

Then I glued up all of my panel pieces and splines. Making sure to get glue on every surface that came into contact with another surface.

Step 6: Clamp Up the Panels.

Then I clamped up the panels outside while I worked on the rest of the project in the shop. I use scrap pieces as cauls. Cauls help keep the panel lined up during the glue up.

Step 7: Cut Your Box Pieces.

Then I cut all the pieces for the interior box on the radial arm saw.

Step 8: Finger Joint the Interior Box.

I put finger joints on all the interior box pieces and glued them up. I let the glue set up over night to ensure a strong joint. Making sure everything was square before they dried of course.

Step 9: Box Joint Glue Up.

Here's an image of me gluing up the box or finger joints. I didn't use any fasteners, just glue.

Step 10: Cut Your Box Top & Bottom.

Then I ripped to width, and cut the top and bottom of the box pieces to length on the table saw sled.

Step 11: Finish the Interior Box.

Then I glued up the top and bottom of the box, and pinned them with finish nails. If you want something stronger, you can use screws as well. But this was good enough for the girls I know.

Step 12: Drill the Hinge Holes.

I used euro cabinet hinges which need a pocket in the bottom door panel. I pre-drilled those holes into that panel on the drill press.

Step 13: Attach the Hinges.

Then I attached the hinges to the bottom door panel and the back wall of the interior box. I used 1/2" screws to attach the hinges.

Step 14: I Smoothed Out the Panels.

The panels were a little rough and had some glue squeeze out after the glue up. So I knocked down any high spots and dried glue with a jack plane.

Step 15: Cut Your Panels to Length.

Then I cut my top panel, bottom panel and side pieces to length. I mitered the side pieces (shown in the video) so you didn't see any end grain. The top panel overlaps the side pieces. And the bottom panel fits inside the side pieces to hide the secret compartment.

Step 16: Attach the Reclaimed Wood Pieces, or Thick Veneer.

Then I attached the side pieces with glue and finish nails. And attached the top and bottom panels the same way. I don't show it in the images, but I had to chamfer the back of the bottom door panel to clear the wall when it opened. This is a design problem I didn't work out before I built it. But it ended up working just fine.

Step 17: Attach the Magnetic Lock and Secret Stuff Holders.

Then I used this magnetic child lock as the opening mechanism. I was really happy because it worked surprisingly well. I also screwed on some velcro and a couple other clips and things to keep the secret stuff attached to the bottom door panel. This really helps so that your stuff isn't falling out when you open the secret compartment. These attachment points will be unique to the stuff you're hiding!

Step 18: Drill a Hole for Your Magnet.

This is a decorative block my wife made a while back. She donated it to make up the key. I drilled a hole in the back of it to fit the magnet that would engage the lock. It works well because you don't see the magnet unless you pick up the key.

Step 19: Glue Up the Magnet.

I then glued the magnet into the decorative block key with some super glue.

Step 20: Attach the Secret Compartment Shelf and You're Done!

I attached the reclaimed wood secret compartment shelf with 6 lag bolts into the wall studs. Two lags into each stud. And it's ready to use! Just run the key under the magnet, push up a little, and bam. All your stuff is right there! You can see it in action in the video I posted above. I also put a notch in the bottom of the front panel so I could quickly feel for and find the location of the key. That isn't necessary, but it makes it really easy to open quickly in the dark.

And that's it! Thanks for checking this one out, and we'll see you on the next one.

— Adam