Building A Cabinet Drawer

Building your own cabinet drawer will give you the ability to fit the exact size you need and give you the satisfaction of completing a somewhat challenging job yourself.

Step 1 - Careful Measurement

Measure the width and the height of the drawer opening. From the width measurement, subtract ½ an inch from each side (1 inch total) to allow room for both drawer slides. This will be the overall (O/A) width measurement of the drawer. Read the instructions that come with the drawer slides to see if they require a non-standard clearance.

From the drawer opening's height measurement, subtract ½ an inch for the width of the drawer sides, to allow for clearance when it slides in and out. To avoid any confusion, this will be the drawer depth or the O/A depth measurement of the drawer.

The length of the drawer can be as long as the depth of the cabinet can accommodate. It should normally be measured from the front edge of the casework to the back panel (providing there are no obstructions).

For an overlap drawer front—From this measurement, you can now subtract a minimum of at least ½ an inch to obtain the O/A length measurement of the drawer, which does not include the drawer front which will cover the cabinet front by 3/8 to 1/2 inch, thus hiding the openings for the slides and the clearance.

For a flush-mounted drawer front—Subtract a minimum of 1-1/4 inches to obtain the O/A length measurement of the drawer, which will permit the drawer front to slide in until it comes flush with the casework's front.

Step 2 - Cut the Plywood

Before starting any cutting, make sure you're wearing appropriate eyewear protection, and unplug the table saw or any other power tool before performing a setup. If you have a large sheet of plywood, cut it down to a manageable size before you begin. Using a table saw fence, rip the sides to the O/A drawer depth measurement. If you are making multiple drawers, do all the rips at once, as this will prevent the need to constantly change the table saw fences. For the drawer backs, cut the height one inch less than the O/A depth of the front and sides.

Then cut your drawer front and back to the O/A width minus ½ an inch to allow for the rabbet joints. Cut the 2 sides to the O/A length and lay them aside.

Step 3 - Cut the Rabbet Joints

The Rabbet joints provide more surface for gluing, thus creating a stronger joint. If you choose, you can also use a butt joint.

For rabbet joints, cut a ¼-inch deep cut at each end of your drawer's sides. The rabbet cut should be as wide as the plywood's thickness.

Step 4 - Cut the Groove for the Drawer Bottom

Use a dado blade or table saw blade with multiple passes to make a ¼-inch cut one inch up from the bottom on all the sides and fronts of the drawers. Do not make the cut for a groove in the back of the drawer.

Step 5 - Cut the Drawer Bottom

Cut the ¼-inch plywood for the drawer bottom. Subtract ½ inch from your O/A width measurement and ¼ inch from the O/A length measurement to give you the right size.

Step 6 - Assemble the Box

Apply wood glue to the rabbet joints and spread it with a craft brush. Line the joints up and clamp them together as you build. Clamp the door front in place between the sides. Insert the bottom, and then clamp the drawer back into place. Do not glue the drawer bottom. Secure the joints together with 4d finish nails or 18 gauge brads with an automatic nail gun. Allow the drawer to sit for 30 minutes.

Step 7 - Decorative Front

Either purchase a decorative front or cut one from hardwood. If the drawer front is going to overlap, make it 3/8 to ½-inch larger on all sides than the size of the drawer opening so that it will completely cover the opening and more. If you opted for a flush-mounted assembly, make it 1/8 inches smaller than the drawer opening sizes so that it slides in without jamming or sticking. All that's left now is to line up the drawer front onto the drawer and secure it with screws from the inside. And you have a great cabinet drawer!