Carpentry: Drawer Making

Drawers are a basic component to so many types of furniture. Their organizational benefits are always useful in a household with more than one person or a person who has a lot of hobbies, clothes, accessories or work materials. The trick to drawer making is specific measurements. Each drawer much match all the others, both in drawer dimensions and visual clearance around the drawer, for the furniture to look right. A well-made drawer is a fairly simple carpentry skill with many versatile applications.

Tape measure
Pencil
3/4 inch wood
Table saw
Miter gauge
Dado blade
Clamps
Drill
Screws
Roller guides

Instructions

- 1
  Determine the drawer size. Measure the opening into which the drawer will slide and rest. The drawer should be 1 inch smaller in width and height than the opening. Its depth should be a few inches shorter than the opening. Mark the 3/4-inch wood.
- 2
  Cut the pieces of the drawer. Orient the 3/4-inch wood on the table saw so that the grain is most appealing to you. Cut the front, sides, back and bottom to the measurements determined in Step 1. Use the miter gauge on the table saw to trim the pieces to the exact measurements. Allow 1/16 inch on the bottom piece in case the wood moves after construction.
- 3
  Cut the grooves. Set the fence on the table saw to approximately 1/2 inch. Cut the bottom groove into the sides, using the dado blade.
- 4
  Connect the pieces of the drawer. Fit the bottom into the side grooves. Clamp the back to the sides. Use a drill to screw #6 1-1/2-inch screws into all sides to secure the drawer together.
- 5
  Attach roller guides. Use the drill to screw roller guides to the sides of the drawer at the same height and depth as the roller tracks inside the drawer opening.

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