Sink Cabinet Problem

[Greg Caputo]

Hello everyone.

I'm building a base cabinet for a new laundry sink. And since I've never built anything like this, I'm stumped on one of the details. The cabinet has plywood sides, with a face-frame. The face-frame is built with a six inch opening for the "drawer" and a large opening beneath for doors. I need to apply a false drawer front, similar to what you see on most kitchen sink cabinets, to complement the overlay doors. Here's my problem: how do I fasten the false drawer front? I'm using maple for this, and since this false front will be 3/4" x 7" x 24", with the grain running in the 24" direction, I'm concerned about wood movement across the 7" height. Is this an unnecessary concern? Once attached, this front will likely never need to be removed. This feels like it should be a simple issue and maybe I'm over-thinking it. Wouldn't be the first time!

Thanks to all for any advice.

Greg

[Dan Mages]

Its actually quite simple. Make the top and bottom stiles for the face frame a little larger and put a couple of screws through the back of the face frame and into the drawer front.

Good luck!!

[Jim Becker]

If you are concerned with wood movement, install two "hidden" stiles in the opening where the pulls would be on the drawer and use longer screws for the pulls to hold the false front to the cabinet. Pocket screws will get those short stiles into the opening lickety-split!

[Jesse Thornton]

Another possibility is to make use of that space with tip out trays like these:
http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=1&p=40404&cat=3,43722,43731
They come with all the neccessary hardware for attaching them to the face frames. You can keep all those little sink accessories in them that usually end up just sitting along the back edge of the sink.
Otherwise I'd go with Jim's suggestion.

[Hal Flynt]

Let's see if I can paint a word picture or 2.

Make some "L's" where the leg part is the thickness, minus a hair, of the style material and the foot part long enough to wrap the rails. Screw to the back of the false front at the ends and in the middle (6 total) I would think, leaving enough clearance to twist into "locking position".

A "T" would also work where the upright was the thickness of the style minus a hair or so and the horizontal part of the T the width of the opening plus 1" or more, mounted in the middle of the false front and then twisted to hold in place. Use 2 or 3.

Stops and or placement will align and it's adjustable.

[Steve Clardy]

Either two hidden 6" stiles in the opening, or two 1/2" straps glued, nailed behind the opening. Then screw the false front on from behind.

Or as above, a set of hinges with tip out tray.

[Mark Rios]

If I may interject a side note here........Will you be using any sort of rubber/bumper/stop thingy on the doors to prevent them from banging closed?if so, then may I suggest that you make the false front 7/8" thick (an extra 1/8") to allow for the bumper. Otherwise, the false front will be recessed.

I just did this on my cabinets for my latest kitchen remodel and I like the look much better.

However, I"m just a hack. Some of the REAL cabinet folks may want to confirm or refute this idea.

[Greg Caputo]

Wow.

Great ideas here. Just as I knew I'd get.

Thank you all.

Greg