Drawer Fronts--How do you attatch them?

[Darrick Robbins]

Hello everyone,
I am relatively new at this and have recently completed a cherry vanity for the bathroom in our house (that I gutted a long time ago). I am nearly ready to assemble and wondered if there was any trick to attatching drawer fronts to the drawers. I know I could attatch them--call me picky but I would like them to be square to the face frame, and in line with each other (there are two). I was thinking of putting the drawers in and then attatching the fronts temporarily with hot melt glue or double stick tape then screwing them on. Good or bad idea? Let me say thanks in advance and it has been very helpful to me just following all of your discussions here.
Darrick Robbins

[Dennis Peacock]

Darrick,

Here is what I do. I lay the cabinet carcase down on the shop floor Face UP. I put the drawers in and then I lay the drawer fronts on top of each drawer. I then use my measuring tape to get them evenly spaced from each side and between the drawers. I then use a straight edge to line them up. Measure from the top of the carcase to the top of the drawer fronts. If the measurements are close....then I drill a hole for each knob or handle that will go on the drawer front and use a 2" drywall screw to fasten the fronts to the drawer boxes. I then set the whole assemble upright and pull each drawer out one at a time, drill and fasten with the drawer fronts still on each drawer. If you wish to apply glue, then just put an additional screw in on one side of the drawer to hold the drawer front square like you had done carefully before. Remove both screws, remove the drawer front, apply glue and screw back on to each drawer front.

Sounds confusing....but it's fairly simple process.

[Brian Hale]

When i worked as a cabinet maker years ago, we used plastic (Formica) laminate for spacing drawer fronts. Lay the cabinet on it's back and space the fronts using 2/3/4 pieces of laminate. When your happy, remove one front and put double sided tape on it. Continue with the rest of the drawers. Stand the cabinet up, gently slide the drawer out and clamp it in place. Screw at will....

If your using those slides that don't completly capture the part attached to the drawer, like the kind you'll find in kitchen cabinets, make sure the drawer is settled before your stick the front on.

Welcome to SMC!!!

Brian

[Greg Heppeard]

I use the drawer front as part of the drawer. I use a sliding dovetail to attach the sides to the front.

[JayStPeter]

My method is to cut the fronts. I install them from bottom up using plastic laminate spacers. I remove the drawer above and simply clamp the front to the drawer carcase. Pull it out and screw.
The top drawer is the most difficult, but having the top off the cabinet helps. Laying the cabinet on its back isn't the best idea with some drawer slides as they will shift when flipped back up (DAMHIKT).

Jay

[John Miliunas]

Guess maybe I got lucky on the last ones I did, because they all have a pull knob, dead center. I simply marked diagnal lines on the back of the fronts, same thing on the drawer itself and drilled a hole at the "X". That automatically centered the fronts to the drawers. Get them even and drill two pilot holes for screws from the inside of the drawers and it's a done deal. :cool:

[Larry Browning]

Let's see, 6 posts, 6 different ways to attach drawer facings. It looks to me like the answer may be whatever works for you in your situatiion.
I am going to bookmark this post so I can refer back to it when I put the drawer facings on my current project which has 5 flush drawers.

Larry

[Darrick Robbins]

Thanks for the help guys! I'll see how it goes.

Darrick

[Tom O'Donnell]

I will have to establish one thing
They are to be screwed on to the drawer carcase

Set up your cabinet with the drawers in position insert two screws through the front of you drawer just projecting 1-2mm.
2 Allign you drawer fronts with spacers between each to check on height and spacing left and right
3 When satisfied with the position romove the top drawer fronts and with a clenched fist tap the drawer front which will leave small indentations from the points of the screws
4 Open the drawer and position the front into the screw holed and clamp in position.
5 Screw the front in position
6 Insert the drawer to check the spacing and if satisfied set up the second drawer in exactly the same way

and so on

Best of luck or I may have been too late as I have only just joined the forum
Tom

[Dan Gill]

Here is another way, or perhaps a variation. My cabs have 1/2 inch overlay doors and drawers, with 1 1/2 rails. I install the doors first using 1/2 inch overlay hinges. Then I use a 1/2 inch spacer on top of the doors, with a straight scrap on the side to align the bottom and one side of the drawer front. Then, from the top of the cabinet, I drill countersinks and screw the front to the drawer box. After that I drill my handle holes and counterbore for the screws.

I like to mark for the handles before I do this, but I sometimes forget.

It may not be best practice, but it works for me. And everything is aligned.

[Dan Mages]

Here is another way. Put the drawer box into the finished cabinet. Then use a couple of large spring claps to hold the drawer face against the drawer box. Position the face to your liking and then screw into place.

Dan

[Lee Schierer]

When I make drawers, I make drawer boxes from 1/2" poplar. I fasten my drawers fronts to the drawer boxes with 1" long wood screws. The method for lining up the fronts with the drawers depend upon whether the drawer is inset or an overlay type.

For inset drawers, I measure the finished opening and the drawer front. I make a shim half the thickness of the total amount of clearance so I can center the drawer in the opening. Then I drill the attachement holes in the drawer box and insert the screws such that the tips stick out about 1/8". I put the drawer box in the cabinet, making sure it is seated properly ( I usually put a little weight in the drawer just to be safe). I center up the drawer front with the shims. Then while holding the drawer front with one hand, I reach around the back and firmly push the drawer box against the drawer front. The screws that are sticking out will leave small indentations on the back of the drawer front. I then drill pilot holes for the screws on these marks and install the front with the screws.

For overlay drawers, I insert the drawer box in the opening (with a little weight in it) and measure the distance from the bottom of the drawer box to the face frame below the drawer. Then I measure the drawer opening and the drawer front. Half the difference between the drawer front and the opening size plus the dimension from the bottom of the drawer box to the face frame determines where the drawer box gets located in relation to the bottom of the drawer front. Once the drawer is centered, I mark the attachement hole locations on the drawer front and drill pilot holes.

[Joe Trotter]

Some great ideas in this thread. I am going to try it!

Thanks, Joe

[Steve Clardy]

Make a spacer jig

[Steve Clardy]

More pics...

[glenn bradley]

I'm a fan of the double-stick-tape method but, I stand the carcas upright as it will be installed. That way I don't get any surprises if the drawer glides (if that's what you're using) have some slop and react to gravity.

There is also the Danny Proulx method (or so I've heard it called). This method works if you are going to have center mounted pulls. The center knob hole is drilled through the false front and on through the drawer front. The hole is left a little large to allow "adjustments". Once you're happy with the positioning, you tighten the knob screw to keeps things in place. Clamp as Steve describes and screw away.

If there is no pull, I do what Steve does.