Two critical accessories are required. Hidden door hinges adjustable-euro style. This technique allows you to cut through-dovetails at all four joints (which is easier) and to stretch your supply of good drawer-front material. Let’s look at this kitchen cabinet as an example. A small rule or straightedge makes this quick. And why not? This probably isn’t the final setting, but it will put you in the ballpark. Subtract that number from the case width. You can use a corner clamp or square to hold pieces square when assembling them. Set the fence so there is exactly 9⁄16″ of space between the bit and the fence. You either have a frame around the drawer or you don’t. As a general note, I will be talking about ball bearing, side mount drawer slides only in this post. The drawers go together like a puzzle, and the interlocking nature of the joint ensures their longevity. Unplug the router, then use one of the sides to adjust the fence to set the protruding flute of the bit flush to the outside edge of the side piece. In woodworking magazines, books and plans there’s almost always an omission that’s big enough to drive a truck through: How to build the drawers for the project. Again, just like with the drawer front sizes, there are two main options that you may run into. To run the drawer front and back, the fence must be reset. plywood on the market today which is as much as 3/32 in. A perfect mating fit is shown. But, if a cabinet or piece of furniture has a face frame that covers a portion of the inside of the cabinet like shown below on this storage desk, you’ll need to install a spacer block so that you can mount the drawer slide flush with the opening in the frame so it can slide in and out. So, plywood drawers are the norm. Install the top panel. April 24, 2002. With other tools, such as a pocketknife, you run the risk that your knife line isn’t in exactly the right place. The grain of the plywood should run with the length of the drawer panels. Attach the top panel into the chest frame. But, the best way to help ensure the drawer is square is to make sure the ¼” plywood bottom is square before putting it in. I have tried a variety of ways to clamp dovetails, but I keep coming back to these cauls. This clamping setup allows you to focus on marking accurate lines. The thickness of your materials must be dead on (check it with a dial caliper) and you must make a couple more test runs on scrap with this technique than the others. Your drawer length will be 1″ less than your cabinet depth. The sides can be made from 1/2″ plywood or 3/4″. Save up to 68% on 7 issues of woodworking projects and tricks. I get a lot of questions about jigs to mount the slides. But that’s the cost of strength and endurance. Usually it won’t need any adjustments, but if it does, that’s why the screw holes are slotted—simply loosen the screw, adjust, then tighten again. See policies page on this site for more information. However, not all wood species are available in veneer plywood. We have more than 500,000 square feet of warehouse space and a unique intra-company hub and spoke […] That’s because it automatically creates a 1⁄2″ space for side-mount drawer slides. Reply. I assemble my drawers using ¼” plywood in dadoes on the drawer box sides. Note that your fence faces should be set as close to the bit as possible. Matching finished veneer end panels. First, you need to determine whether your drawer fronts will be inset or overlay. Apply the veneer before planing or sanding your dovetail joints. A sharp and high-quality cutting gauge, such as the Tite-Mark, makes lines that are easier to see than with a scratch gauge, To mark the pins, clamp the tail board in place to the pin board using a set of inexpensive 90° clamps, available from any home-center store.