WOODWORKING
Drawer Guides:
The second decision you must make when constructing a drawer is the type of drawer guides you will
use. Do not wait to make this decision until after you begin building. In fact, purchase the guides before
you even begin construction. The dimensions of the guides will determine the size of your drawers. There
is nothing worse than constructing a drawer and having to tear it apart because the sliding hardware didn’t
fit.
Drawer Construction:
Though joinery may vary from one drawer style to the
next, the basics to drawer box and face construction are the
same. A drawer has five parts: The face, the front, the
sides, the bottom, and the back. You will build the box
first. That is to say you will attach the front, sides, bottom,
and back together. Once the drawer box is built, you will
add the decorative drawer face. To better understand the
process, it will help to become familiar with each part of
the drawer.
The drawer box: The drawer box is the actual drawer body, much like a shoe box without the lid. To
save money, the box is often constructed of a different type of wood than the front of the cabinet, such as
pine or douglas fir. High quality furniture and cabinets will use more expensive hardwoods. Cabinets
drawers manufactured in mass production are often made of particle board, which breaks easily. The
drawer box is made up a front, two sides, a bottom, and a back.
To determine the size of your drawer box, measure the face-frame opening. The box should not be any
taller than 2/3 the height of the opening. In other words, if your drawer opening is 6”, the drawer box will
be no taller than 4”. This will prevent the drawer from binding as well as provide room for the drawer
slide hardware to work effectively.The face: The face of the drawer is the visible front, the decorative part. It is attached to the drawer box
front after the box has been constructed. Some use the drawer face as the front of the box and attach it
directly to the sides. I do not recommend doing so unless special joinery is employed. With the amount of
use the drawer gets it is best to attach the face to the drawer box front and provide yourself with a little
extra strength. The drawer face will either be a flush, lipped, or overlaid. Decide before you begin.
Measure the opening of the face-frame. If you are using a lipped or overlay drawer front, decide how
much your drawer face will overlap the face frame. Typically, lipped drawers will overhang between 3/8”
to 1/2” on the sides and top, and just enough to cover the hardware on the bottom.The front: The front of the box is the leading member of the drawer. It is what the drawer face is attached
to. Notice in the above picture how the sides of the box run the full length of the box depth and the front
and back members go between the sides, much like the stiles and rails of a face-frame. This is done to
provide strength for the pulling action on the drawer.The sides and back: Because the sides are seen when the drawer is
opened, they should run the full length of the drawer. The back, as well
as the front of the drawer box (not the face), will be attached between
the drawer sides.
The most common method used today for constructing the drawer
box is nailing. For more decorative drawers, the dovetail joint is used
(right).The bottom: The bottom of the drawer is best attached to the drawer
box by cutting a ¼” dado from the bottom of the sides, front, and back
wide enough for the bottom to slide into (right). Some simply attach the bottom to the bottom edge of
the box. The drawer guides hide the unsightly exposed edge. If you do so, remember to factor the
thickness of the material used for the bottom into the overall height of the drawer box.Front
FaceBackSideBoƩomSideDrawer Box and FaceUnit V: Cabinetry Craftsmanship