advise on inset drawer fronts

[Bob Cooper]

OK...this is my first attempt at doing any kind of inset anything. I had to quickly build this "built-in" when building the house and am just now getting around to finishing it.

My question has to do with how to make these inset drawers turn out right. As you can see from the pictures i'm using drawer slides that mount under the drawer. I'm planning on attaching a drawer face (around 3/4" thick) to the front of the drawer so that it sits in slightly from the trim (i forget what you call this trim style).

Due to the nature of these drawer slides, the drawer can feel a little wobbly so i'm concerned that no matter what i do, eventually the drawer face is going to eventually not stay evenly offset from the sides of the faceframe.

question. I'm wondering if i need to install some small bumber material underneath the drawer box -- right on top of the faceframe opening -- so that the bottom of the drawer would actually rest on the faceframe. this would make the drawer always sit in the same position.

also do you see any issues with me glueing the drawer front to the box vs. some other approch.

Any advice? Hopefully you can tell what i'm getting at by my description.

[Jamie Buxton]

Yeah, with inset fronts, you don't want the drawer to be flopping around. Your drawer slides must position the front quite consistently. I've never tried insets with that kind of slide, but it may be a challenge.

I never glue inset drawer fronts to the drawer box. I screw them on from the back, through largish through holes in the box. This gives me some ability to adjust the drawer front position, and that's essential.

[Neal Clayton]

ever consider just making wooden slides?

they solve these problems pretty well.

a) you can easily adjust their thickness either by shimming them when you mount them to the inside of the box or cutting them to precise dimensions, to ensure that the drawer cannot move too far left or right.

b) the vertical position is also controlled by the drawer resting on the wooden ledge, it can't be too low.

[Will Overton]

http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/69609-01-200.jpg
Drawer glides should solve your problem. I believe they are also available with adhesive backs. Even the nylon tape variety should work.

http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/70615-01-200.jpg

These products are available at Rockler, and other places.

[Zach Callum]

blum tandem undermounts with the inset drawer alignment option are the way to go.

[glenn bradley]

As stated, I leave the false front un-glued for possible future adjustment. "Bumpers" to force the position of the front once seated couls be a fix but, more appropriate glides are the long term answer IMHO.

[Jim Becker]

Bob, the singular thing I regret about building my kitchen was using the single, centered under-mount slides the same as or similar to what you show in your pictures. "A little movement" is an understatement...they move enough that the drawer fronts of my inset design easily catch on the face frames. I should have gone with a dual slide system, whether hidden under the drawers of exposed as side-mounts.