Bedside table dresser design

[Aaron Liebling]

My wife wants new bedside table dressers to match the new bed. They will be sapele and she likes the style shown.

I have a few questions:

1. What should I use for drawer slides (I've never done drawers before).

2. There's no obvious handle. Should I go with a "push to open" drawer slide (which I'm not the biggest fan of..they feel to modern to me) or does anyone have a suggestion for nice, integrated, and hidden pulls?

3. I plan on making the carcass first and then the drawers to fit. Is this the usual process?

Having made cabinets with doors but not drawers before, is there anything in particular I should be aware of? I have a couple of books that walk through drawers, so hopefully that will answer most of the dumb questions.

Thanks as always!

[Lee Schierer]

I would build the cabinet first and then the drawers. You could make finger pulls with a router that would be flush with the front of the drawers.
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[andy bessette]

Since you are not accustomed to this type of construction, keep it simple. "Push-to-open"? Why? Completely unnecessary and annoying to use.

Hardware store wooden track with the plastic hangar actually work just fine and are extremely simple to install. Hard to go wrong. But are rather utilitarian, if your wife is expecting fine furniture. Same with commercial drawer slides, actually.

The design you've chosen is very simple and straightforward--a good choice. Make the space between the drawers large enough to get fingers in for opening. Or route in some pulls.

By all means build the carcass first.

[Jamie Buxton]

I'm with Andy on push-to-open drawers. You have to first push the drawer, then move your hand to pull it all the way open. A conventional handle just works better. Another nice thing about visible pulls is that they say "pull here", instead of making you guess.

I'm a big fan of full-extension metal drawer slides. My default slide is the undermount kind, Blum Tandems if I can get them. Grass is also good, and is often in better supply.

For inset drawers (which is what is in your picture) I always make the drawer with an applied front. This approach has a complete drawer box -- sides, bottom, back, and front -- plus a show front. The box and the show front are connected by screws whose heads are inside the box. Make the holes through the box a bit oversize, and you can adjust the position of the front. This is important when you're trying to get even gaps all around the show front.

[Aaron Liebling]

Great feedback all. If you do a show front, what are your usual thicknesses for the box versus the show front?

[Jamie Buxton]

Great feedback all. If you do a show front, what are your usual thicknesses for the box versus the show front?

Most often I make the drawer box from 12mm Baltic Birch plywood, edgebanded on visible edges. The show front is generally 3/4" thick. That provides enough meat for the mounting screws to grab.

[Scott Winners]

Given your first attempt at drawers, you might think about making a smaller drawered cabinet for shop tools from shop wood. Maybe a top drawer for router bits with a middle drawer for drill bits and some screwdrivers or something in the bottom?

I can guarantee your second drawered cabinet will come out much nicer than your first one.

Cabinet first, then drawers to fit, yes.

[Lee Schierer]

Most often I make the drawer box from 12mm Baltic Birch plywood, edgebanded on visible edges. The show front is generally 3/4" thick. That provides enough meat for the mounting screws to grab.

I make all of my drawer boxes for furniture using yellow poplar. It works well, is pretty stable and takes finish nicely after the first coat is sanded. The first coat will feel like 220 grit sandpaper, but a light sanding will make it smooth and all subsequent coats will be smooth. The "show fronts" are 3/4" thick finish wood.

[vince mastrosimone]

It would be really helpful for you to know what type of drawer hardware you’re going to use before you build either the cabinet or the drawers. Different types of hardware require different construction methods or measurements. Easier to do it right the first time then to try to just make something work later on. Building a test piece is a good suggestion too.

[mark mcfarlane]

It would be really helpful for you to know what type of drawer hardware you’re going to use before you build either the cabinet or the drawers. ...

+1. Buy the drawer slides before building the drawers so you know exactly how wide the drawers need to be. Blum undermount is a good choice.

[mark mcfarlane]

One more thought.

Make sure the case/carcass is perfectly square as you glue it up. Drawers are problematic otherwise.

I've created some built ins where the casework gets slightly out of square during installation and it adds some complication to getting the drawers to perfectly fit and the drawer front to line up perfectly.

Square is good.

My process:
1) Buy the drawer slides
2) Build the case
3) Measure and build the drawers

[Aaron Liebling]

I think I'm going to go with wooden slides a la https://www.finewoodworking.com/2021/11/04/workshop-tip-two-handy-stops-for-side-hung-drawers

Metal slides just don't feel right in hardwood bedroom furniture for me.

I've done a fair amount of carcass work with handcut dovetails, so that part isn't so bad (though making sure it glues up perfectly square is a good reminder and sometimes a challenge). I've been planning to put a back on it, partially to help keep it square.

[mark mcfarlane]

Wood slides are awesome. FWIW, undermount slide hardware is basically invisible. It is less visible than the FWW plan you referenced. You can see the side piece of the slide inside the casework when the drawer is fully extended. I've never seen full extension of a drawer with wood slides.

If you haven't seen undermounts in person, look at around 3:30 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nJWXax2T4I

[mark mcfarlane]

. ...Metal slides just don't feel right in hardwood bedroom furniture for me...

We have some expensive handmade solid wood dressers (w/ dovetailed drawers,...) that use undermount hardware, so it's not unheard of.

I personally have built too many drawers before discovering the undermount hardware.

[Aaron Liebling]

The undermounts look nice. I assume they take a bit of height.

Somehow the wooden ones just feel right to me, though my guess is that my wife may vote for undermount.

I don't feel like full extension is a critical feature for bedroom dresser drawers. Am I wrong here?

[Lee Schierer]

I don't feel like full extension is a critical feature for bedroom dresser drawers. Am I wrong here?

Full extensions are nicer for drawers that will hold, shirts, sweat shirts or sweaters. Even drawers with things like socks benefit from full extension slides as the rear of the drawer can become like an archaeological dig with old items getting buried in the back.

Our dressers and drawers under the bed with 3/4 slides and they don't pull out far enough to see the things that get put toward the back.

[mark mcfarlane]

Although probably most of the mature folks (like me) on this forum grew up with 3/4 extension type drawers, I really like full extension, and in some cases over-extension (under kitchen counters). It is really nice to open a drawer and have everything in view and quick to grab. Very convenient, very smooth, classy feel to open and close (if you don't buy cheap hardware).

I've become a snob for full extension, soft closes slides. I'm slowly changing all the slides in the built-ins in our home.

...or possibly I'm just too lazy to build classy, craftsman-driven wooden slides.

[andy bessette]

I have lived on my boats (and travel trailers) half my 79 years and have become used to non-full-extension drawer slides. I don't have any trouble reaching everything in drawers. :)

[Aaron Liebling]

OK..I think I'll go for the undermount. The nice blums are stiff at $300 for 6 sets - 3 drawers in two dressers, though. Given that these dressers will last a long time, I'm assuming it's worth crying once and enjoying for a lifetime.

[Jamie Buxton]

...The nice blums are stiff at $300 for 6 sets ...

Cabinetparts.com has 18" Blum 563H softclose in stock for $24/pr. Add a couple bucks for the locking devices, and you're at $27 per pair. Times six drawers, and you're at $162, not $300.

[Aaron Liebling]

Thanks, I was looking at lee valley. That's much better!

Is it worth getting a jig to mount them or is it easy enough to do by hand?

[Jamie Buxton]

Thanks, I was looking at lee valley. That's much better!

Is it worth getting a jig to mount them or is it easy enough to do by hand?

You should be able to mount the mounting clips to the drawer without a jig. Boring the hole in the back of the drawer can be done without a jig, but it does want precision. It also wants a solid depth stop. I use a shop-built jig and a plunge router. Fastening the cabinet members to the casework can be done without a jig.

[mark mcfarlane]

I usually make a disposable jig out of scraps.

[Aaron Liebling]

Homemade jig it is!

[Aaron Liebling]

Next questions:

1. Do I need horizontal stiles between the drawers? The undermount slides mount on the sides, so in theory the drawers could butt directly up to one another, or? Is there an aesthetic or functional reason to have stiles? This is assuming

2. I really like the look of the drawer front just being the front of the3 box (i.e. no show front), but I assume this makes it much harder to fit...especially if the boxes are hardwood and not ply. So if I'm planning on making the drawers from 5/8" hardwood, should I still have 3/4" for the show front or will that be too bulky?

[andy bessette]

...in theory the drawers could butt directly up to one another,..

Don't do this. Make a face frame.

[Jamie Buxton]

Next questions:

1. Do I need horizontal stiles between the drawers? The undermount slides mount on the sides, so in theory the drawers could butt directly up to one another, or? Is there an aesthetic or functional reason to have stiles? This is assuming

2. I really like the look of the drawer front just being the front of the3 box (i.e. no show front), but I assume this makes it much harder to fit...especially if the boxes are hardwood and not ply. So if I'm planning on making the drawers from 5/8" hardwood, should I still have 3/4" for the show front or will that be too bulky?

The horizontal parts between drawers keep the sides of the casework from bowing in or out. Need for them depends on how tall your sides are. On a case which is only 24" tall or so, I wouldn't bother.

As I said earlier, for inset drawer fronts I like the adjustability of the applied drawer front. It easily gets you uniform gaps around the show front. If you don't like the two layers of wood in the front of the drawer, make your drawers overlay the casework. Then the positioning of the front is less sensitive because there are no gaps to call attention. Of course, your dresser looks more like kitchen cabinets....

[mark mcfarlane]

Aaron, I don't see a need for styles between drawers unless the cabinet is large enough to need the bracing (or you are worried about the cabinet sides bowing).

The inset drawers I have made in the past were on cabinets with face frames but my commercially purchased white oak dressers have no face frame.

I use attached drawer fronts (i.e. fronts are not part of the drawer)

My process has been to make the box, then make and mount the drawers, then as a last step carefully measure and make all the drawer fronts EXCEPT don't cut the top drawer for height. I start attaching the drawer fronts at the bottom using double stick tape and spacers to get the horizontal and vertical reveals consistent. The top drawer front is cut AFTER the lower drawer fronts are attached, just in case I need to add or subtract a few mm to get the reveal consistent.

A little work with a sharp hand plane on the mounted drawer fronts can help fine tune the fit. If a reveal is slightly off, e.g. the vertical edges aren't perfectly matched between drawers, you don't need to change the entire thickness of the drawer front, just the visible edge with a sharp block plane.

I'm still a novice doing this, building ~25 inset drawers so far. The last set came up much better than the first set :).

[Lee Schierer]

I use attached drawer fronts (i.e. fronts are not part of the drawer)

My process has been to make the box, then make and mount the drawers, then as a last step carefully measure and make all the drawer fronts EXCEPT don't cut the top drawer for height. I start attaching the drawer fronts at the bottom using double stick tape and spacers to get the horizontal and vertical reveals consistent. The top drawer front is cut AFTER the lower drawer fronts are attached, just in case I need to add or subtract a few mm to get the reveal consistent.

I do the same thing except that I add a weight to the drawers before sizing the drawer fronts to insure the drawer doesn't move down when the actual drawer contents get added during actual use.

[mark mcfarlane]

I do the same thing except that I add a weight to the drawers before sizing the drawer fronts to insure the drawer doesn't move down when the actual drawer contents get added during actual use.

Adding weight to the drawers is a brilliant tip. Thanks Lee.