Author Topic: Looking for start-to-finish dresser plans. (pics inside)  (Read 1149 times)

Healthie

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 203
Looking for start-to-finish dresser plans. (pics inside)
« on: February 23, 2020, 11:03:49 AM »
Hi guys,

I've built a cabinet with 5 drawers. the inside cabinet height is 33" tall, each drawer is 6" tall, the technique I used for installing the drawer slides was:
1. install european drawer slide at bottom of cabinet box. They are recessed in the cabinet about an 1/4".
2. install drawer slides on drawer box.
3. use 5/8" piece of plywood as spacer for next drawer slide.
4. repeat until all 5 drawer slides were installed.

The problems I'm having:
1. I don't know how to measure the heights for the drawer fronts. the drawer fronts will overlap the frame of the cabinet. With the drawers being slightly recessed in the cabinet, it is difficult to accurately attach the fronts to see that they match correctly.

2. the drawers shift up-and-down while sitting in the slide. I believe this is caused by inaccurate placements of the slides, so I'm going to take them out and re-install.

3. the drawer fronts I did install are closed on one side, not on the other.

I'll attach pics in the next post.

I'm looking for:
1. advice of how to install drawer slides accurately
2. how to measure + install drawer fronts.
« Last Edit: February 23, 2020, 11:14:15 AM by Healthie »

Healthie

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 203
Re: Looking for start-to-finish dresser plans. (pics inside)
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2020, 11:10:26 AM »
pictures of cabinet:

jfer_rose

  • CM*MW 2023 Attendees
  • Pencil Stache
  • *
  • Posts: 984
  • Age: 46
  • Location: Urban Dweller
Re: Looking for start-to-finish dresser plans. (pics inside)
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2020, 11:13:03 AM »
I'm not sure if I completely understand the issue, but when you said that one side of the drawer closes but not the other, I suspect that could also be from inaccurate installation of the drawer slides. I haven't built many drawers, but when I have, I've used a drawer slide jig and found it very helpful for getting them installed correctly.

Also, as far as attaching the drawer fronts, I've used double-sided tape to temporarily attach the drawer fronts while checking to see if they are accurately placed.


Healthie

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 203
Re: Looking for start-to-finish dresser plans. (pics inside)
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2020, 11:15:42 AM »
Yeah, I don't think I installed these accurately - I'm going to take them off and try again.

Do you attach the drawer slide slightly inset of the cabinet?
Do you attach the slide to the drawer itself at the front of the box (where the drawer front will be attached?

Healthie

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 203
Re: Looking for start-to-finish dresser plans. (pics inside)
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2020, 11:18:15 AM »
also for clarity, this is the video of what I'm trying to make:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMNplAdWCeE&t=165s

jfer_rose

  • CM*MW 2023 Attendees
  • Pencil Stache
  • *
  • Posts: 984
  • Age: 46
  • Location: Urban Dweller
Re: Looking for start-to-finish dresser plans. (pics inside)
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2020, 11:46:17 AM »
There are different styles of drawer slides on the market. It looks like you have the kind that attach to the bottom of the drawer, where the ones in the video attach to the sides of the drawers.

Depending on the style of drawer slide, you may need to install an extra scrap piece of wood onto the inside of the cabinet and attach the slide to that. On the drawers I've built I had one on the back of the cabinet. I wish I could send you a photo but I'm not able to today. That said, I haven't ever seen drawer slides that attach to the actual front of the drawer box (where the drawer fronts will attach).

Maybe a more experienced drawer-builder will chime in? I'm still learning (and excited about learning) but don't have that much experience.

Healthie

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 203
Re: Looking for start-to-finish dresser plans. (pics inside)
« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2020, 12:16:07 PM »
Another question: the European drawer slides called for the slide to be 1/16th from the front of the cabinet. I’m using stained wood making a pencil line difficult to see. Can I mount the drawer slides flush?

lthenderson

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2252
Re: Looking for start-to-finish dresser plans. (pics inside)
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2020, 07:15:08 AM »
There are two main methods I use to attach the drawer fronts accurately no matter how bad the action of the drawer slides are. If are no fixed dividers between the drawers and you can remove the drawers, I do the following. Remove all the drawers except the bottom one. When it is in the closed position, place the drawer front against it and shim the gaps on the sides and bottom correctly. Clamp it in place, slide the drawer out enough to put screws in from the inside. Remove clamps, slide in next drawer up, put face on, shim it up from the drawer below and sides, clamp, slide out, screw in place, repeat until you get to the top. The top drawer is trickier since you can't get clamps on it until after the drawer is slid out so I either put the drawer front on using double stick tape (still shimming it for proper spacing) so that it will be held in place until I get the screw in. But there is another option.

The second method I use which is good for all types of drawers that have handles, regardless if the drawers can be removed or you have room to clamp the drawer front on until you get the screws. For this method, you place the drawer front on the drawer body when it is slid into place. Predrill your hardware holes for the handle before placing on the drawer body. Put a small amount of wood glue on the back side of the drawer front, set in place, shim the gaps just like the other method and add a couple screws from the front into the predrilled hardware holes to hold things in place until the glue dries. Remove the screws, finish drilling the holes and add hardware. You can also add a couple more screws from the inside of the drawer to add more strength. You don't need any clamps and you don't have to remove the drawer bodies but it does take some extra time waiting for the glue to dry.

lthenderson

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2252
Re: Looking for start-to-finish dresser plans. (pics inside)
« Reply #8 on: February 24, 2020, 07:29:07 AM »
I misread your post and upon further inspection, see that your problem is that the drawer front it not sealing to the face frame all the way around. You have one of a couple problems going on. Either the cabinet or drawers are not square in that direction or your drawer slides are not installed the same distance front the front of the cabinet. The best way to install any slides is to make a jig to locate it a set distance from the front of the cabinet and a set distance up from the bottom or the drawer below. Trying to measure with a pencil and ruler and then hold it in place while you screw it in can lead to significant errors that can cause binding or issues like your pictures. The jig doesn't have to be much, just a piece of scrap wood and something to register it off the front face of the cabinet.

If for some reason, you can't adjust the slides or get them any better, you can place shims between the drawer body and the drawer front on the side that hits first. This pushes that end of the drawer front away from the body and allows the other side to come in further. This can give you an aesthetically pleasing look with the drawers closed but when you open up the drawer, you will notice easily that the drawer front it not sitting flat on the drawer body.

If the face of the cabinet is not square to the sides of the cabinet so the entire thing is skewed and your drawer is square, you don't have many options other than shimming the drawer front or trying to square the cabinet by removing material off the cabinet face. If the drawers are not square, you can only shim them or remake them.
« Last Edit: February 24, 2020, 07:36:31 AM by lthenderson »

Healthie

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 203
Re: Looking for start-to-finish dresser plans. (pics inside)
« Reply #9 on: February 29, 2020, 08:39:51 AM »
This is very helpful - for some of the drawers, the bottom (which is nailed on; not rabbitted in) is not square with the sides, so I figure that's it.

I re-installed the drawer slides flush against the front of the cabinet and the drawers still poke out. When I screwed the slides onto the cabinet/drawer boxes, I did not pre-drill the holes; I just put the screw in. does having the screw stick out slightly effect this?

Healthie

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 203
Re: Looking for start-to-finish dresser plans. (pics inside)
« Reply #10 on: February 29, 2020, 08:50:13 AM »
One other question: I attached the slides to the drawer boxes by screwing into the side of the drawer box, not the bottom of the box- will this matter?

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!