How to Construct a Cabinet Drawer

Drawers can store small to medium-sized tools, dishes and supplies of all kinds in an easily accessible place. Building a drawer is a matter of creating a box without a top. They are typically made of 1/2-inch plywood or hardwood with a 1/4-inch plywood bottom. Most modern drawers are constructed in six pieces: two sides; a front and a back; a drawer bottom; and a decorative drawer face. The instructions below will create a drawer 18 inches wide, 20 inches long and 4 inches deep.

Things You'll Need

• 1/2-inch plywood
• 1/4-inch plywood
• Drawer face or 3/4-inch plywood
• Table saw
• Router (optional)
• Glue and nails
• Hammer or pin nailer
• Wood screws
• Drawer slides and pulls

Instructions

Cutting Drawer Pieces

1. Cut the drawer-box pieces from 1/2-inch plywood. Cut two sides at 4.5-by-20 inches. Cut a front and back at 4.5-by-17 inches.

2. Cut the bottom from 1/4-inch plywood, 17 3/4 -by-19 3/4 inches.

3. Cut a drawer face from 3/4-inch plywood, if you are not using a premade drawer face that matches the cabinet. The drawer face is typically 1 to 1.5 inches taller and wider than the drawer opening. We'll assume an opening 6 inches high by 19 inches wide, so cut the face 7-by-20 inches.

4. Cut a dado (groove or slot for holding the bottom of the drawer) 1/4 inch wide and 1/8 inch deep, 1/4 inch in along one long edge of each drawer side, and the front and back pieces. You can cut this with a router, 1/4-inch groove bit and a fence jig, or a table saw.

Assembling the Drawer

1. Attach the two sides to the outside ends of the back. Match up the dadoes at the corners, placing them inside the rectangle. Use glue and nails to make the joint secure. You now have an open-ended rectangle 18-by-20 inches.

2. Slide the drawer bottom into the dadoes, making sure it fits into the end dado, leaving enough room for the front piece. Glue and nail the front of the drawer between the sides, making sure that the dado fits over the edge of the bottom panel.

3. Attach the drawer face to the front of the drawer. Lay the face, good side down, on a level work surface. Stand the drawer on end and center the front of the drawer box on the back of the drawer face. Use 1-inch wood screws to attach the box to the face.

4. Add slides and pulls to complete the look of the drawer. Most hardware comes with specific installation instructions. Typically, slides are installed in two parts, one attached to the drawer and one to the cabinet. Drawer pulls typically attach with screws through the drawer face. Use a screwdriver rather than a drill to avoid stripping hardware.

References

• Building Cabinet Doors and Drawers