How do you attach drawer fronts?

[Cameron Reddy]

I'm building drawer boxes to which I'm attaching a nicely finished false front. The drawer box is all 3/4" solid wood and the false front is also 3/4" solid wood.

I'm afraid of gluing the fronts in the likely event I get one or two off center a bit. I tried to run a couple 1 1/4" screws from the inside (through the 3/4" box) into the hidden side of the false front, but I'm having trouble getting the front to snug tightly with the box.

How do you guys do it?

Cameron Reddy

[Don Dorn]

Some people use carpet tape, but I haven't had much luck with that either. It's a task I end up getting right, but definately have to work at it. I'm as anxious as you to hear the secrets of those that do it well.

[Joe Chritz]

Use an oversize hole so the screw doesn't bite the drawer box at all.

Often what I will do is predrill for handles and then take the drawer in place with a couple pieces of double side tape. Make sure it is in the correct orientation and then run some screws into the handle holes. Then install a couple screws from inside the drawer box, remove the screws and finish drilling for the handles and install.

If it isn't sitting down tight it is either never going to or the screws are forcing it out and not pulling it tight back down.

Joe

[Jerome Stanek]

I use screws to attach mine First I drill a 3/16 hole in the box and counter sink then screw with 1 1/4 inch screws.they pull the front nice and tight.

[Lee Schierer]

I drill the clearance mounting holes in the drawer box and put the screws in the holes and the drawer in place with some weight in it. Then with the drawer in the closed position and the top of whatever off, I locate the false drawer front where I want it and tap the screws to make a mark on the inside of the false front. I use my drill press to drill pilot holes in the back side of the drawer front. By eye I line up these pilot holes with the screws in the drawer box and tighten the screw.

In inset drawers you can shim the drawer front in position so that the gap is even all the way around.

[Kevin Gagne]

I recently completed a project that had lots of drawers. You can see it here (http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=140428).

I used these (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=20389&filter=double%20sided)double sided dots from Rockler to temporarily attach the drawer fronts. I then drilled four slightly over sized holes through just the drawer and used washer head screws to attach the drawer front through two of the holes. The over sized hole allows for some fine tuning to get it perfect. I then removed the double sided dots and attached the front with 4 screws. It worked great.

[Alan Schaffter]

As freebie here is a tip of mine that WWJ wanted/wants to publish (Chris Marshall, I'm still waiting!)

I use what I consider a simple, quick, and precise method for attaching applied drawer fronts. This technique is especially effective when you want to align the fronts of a stack of drawers, or if you do a lot of field installs where things can change after the cabinet leaves your shop, or if you did a lousy job installing the drawer glides.

The key to my method is that I enlarge the screw holes in the drawer box so it is larger than the screw. This method works with either wood screws or machine screws that attach the knobs/pulls. During assembly, I tighten the screws just enough so the applied front does not slip but can still be adjusted slightly for proper alignment. I align the applied front by gently tapping the edges with a mallet. After the drawers are installed and have a chance to settle in their glides, I readjust the applied fronts if necessary, tighten the screws, and shoot a few small brads from the back to lock the drawer front in place. You can also use wood screws from the back to lock the front in place, but brads allows me to realign the fronts yet again if something is not right.

Detailed procedure.

1. Use a jig and drill press to drill holes for the pull screws in all applied fronts.
2. With the drawer box in the case, use shims and/or tape to temporarily position the applied front.
3. Mark the hole locations on the box front using an awl, wood screw, small marker, etc. The location should be as precise as you can get, but DOES NOT NEED TO BE PERFECT!
4. Remove the applied front and drill oversized holes in the box. The size should be just smaller than the head of the pull screw. I use low-profile truss-head screws with my pulls. Since screws must go through the front (3/4"?) and the box (1/2"?) you will likely need to replace the screws supplied with the pull, with longer ones.
5. Insert the screws from the inside of the drawer box, through the box and front, and into the pull. Tighten the screws slightly so it is still possible to reposition the applied front. The oversized holes should give you 1/16"- 1/8" of adjustment range in all directions. For more, you can use larger holes but that will likely require the use of washers and I don't like that.
6. Adjust the position of the applied front for spacing, a consistent reveal, etc. by tapping on the edges with a mallet.
7. Once properly positioned, tighten the screw(s) firmly and add some brads to lock the applied front in position.

You can use a Forstner bit if you want to recess the head of the pull screw.

Found my SketchUp illustration:

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/medium/drawer22.jpg

[Glen Butler]

I use a drawer positioning screw. It takes a 5/16 hole with the head of the screw being large enough to cover the hole regardless of how the screw is positioned in the hole. This allows almost 1/8" of movement in any direction.

[glenn bradley]

Danny Proulx taught a method that I use when drawer pulls will be used. Drill the drawer pull hole a little bit oversized. Position your front and hand tighten the pull to hold it still. Open the drawer and clamp the false front to keep it from moving. Attach with a screw at each end from the backside of the box front . . . you know, from inside the drawer ;-)

[Rod Sheridan]

I drill the holes in the false front, then hold, clamp or wedge the false front in place.

Then I drill one hole through the existing false front knob holes and insert the same size drill, shank first into the hole.

Repeat for the second pull hole if there is one.

Now I slide the drawer open and put 4 screws in from inside the drawer.

Pull out the 2 drill bits, put your handle on.

I find that using the drill shank to align the parts guarantees that the front doesn't move.

Regards, Rod.

[Dan Hilbelink]

I'm just finishing up a kitchen and used whats called a drawer front adjuster by blum for the first time. They allow for 5mm adjustment. I used 2 per front on inset drawers and the fronts were easy to adjust and fasten.

[Will Overton]

I also use the holes for the drawer pulls. I drill them into the false front only. Then, with the front aligned I drive two sheetrock screws into the drawers and tighten them up. After all the fronts are held in place with the sheetrock screws, I drive 4 (more on big drawers) screws through predrilled holes from the inside.

[David DeCristoforo]

"...used whats called a drawer front adjuster..."

That's the ticket. You drill two 20mm holes in the back side of the DF, tap the adjusters in, drill corresponding holes in the front of the drawer box and you're good to go.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=205&source=googleps&utm_source=GoogleBase&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Google

The only problem is that these are not good as a solo permanent attachment method. Usually, attaching the pulls using screws that go through both the false front and the box front will be sufficient but now and then you have to use additional screws to permanently fix the front to the box. Needless to say, that would be done after the fronts have been adjusted.

BTW, You can get these for way cheaper from a cabinet shop hardware supplier...