Drawer Making
Posted 10 October 2016
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In the videos below, Paul takes us through the process of making drawers, in this case for a tool cabinet. The general principles can be transferred to numerous other projects.
Dimensions
Your drawer dimensions may vary depending on the specifications of your project. The drawers in these videos are made to the following dimensions:
| Part | Qty | Size (imperial) | Size (metric) |
| Front | 2 | 3⁄4” x 3” x 14 5⁄8” | 19 x 76.5 x 371.5mm |
| Sides | 4 | 1⁄2” x 3” x 111⁄4” | 13 x 76.5 x 286mm |
| Back | 2 | 1⁄2” x 2 1⁄2” x 14 5⁄8” | 13 x 63.5 x 371.5mm |
| Plywood Bottom | 2 | 1⁄4” x 14 5⁄8” x 111⁄4” | 6 x 371.5 x 286mm |
Tool Cabinet Project
These videos form a small part of our rather epic Tool Cabinet Project, which can be streamed as part of a paid subscription.
Thanks a lot for going into depths again about planing. To me, planing flat, square and twist-free are the hardest skill in woodworking (so far) but I am getting better with every new detail that I learn from (mostly) your videos.
Dieter
Wow! I only wish I had seen this a month ago – before I dovetailed the drawers on two Shaker style end tables. I can’t wait to try this method on my next project.
Paul, I really thank you for this exhaustive description of how to make and fit drawers to any
project. Now I will feel comfortable making the chest of drawers for my son.
Please continue with you perfect methods of woodworking! When you retire, do not forget to
have a skilled artisan to follow in your “hand steps”.
Best regards,
Jim Childress
I only have access to 3/4 inch thick stock and don’t own a band saw. What method should I use to get it down to 1/2 inch for drawer sides? Should I just plane it down to the thickness? What are your thoughts on using 3/4 for the sides also?
scrub plane!
Hi Nicholas,
The unfortunate part is that overly thick drawer sides make no difference to the final appearance when the drawer is closed, but when you open the drawer it looks clunky and overweight. My suggestion is plane the drawer sides down to half an inch and hopefully they’re not very big.
Kind Regards,
Izzy
What considerations are made in the selection of the different species of wood for the front and sides to make such a nice contrast that shows off the dovetail? Thank you so much for your work.