Cabinet building questions

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 10:27 pm

I'm building my first set of proper cabinets. It's a single unit, three columns with two deep drawers in each column and will be placed in a corner. I made the face frame first and then began carcass out from that. The face frame components are 1-3/4" wide. The exposed side panel I put flush with the outside edge of the face frame and will have to use a spacer to mount the drawer slide. The side panel against the corner/wall I put flush with the inside edge of the face frame so the drawer slide could be mounted directly to it.

My question is with the two inside carcass divider panels. Is there a "best practice" for locating them in relation to the edges of the face frame? Should they be centered and have spacers installed on both sides for the drawer slides? Should they be put flush with one edge of the face frame and the drawer slide mount directly to it on one side and a spacer on the other side?

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 11:41 pm

heathicus wrote:I'm building my first set of proper cabinets. It's a single unit, three columns with two deep drawers in each column and will be placed in a corner. I made the face frame first and then began carcass out from that. The face frame components are 1-3/4" wide. The exposed side panel I put flush with the outside edge of the face frame and will have to use a spacer to mount the drawer slide. The side panel against the corner/wall I put flush with the inside edge of the face frame so the drawer slide could be mounted directly to it.

My question is with the two inside carcass divider panels. Is there a "best practice" for locating them in relation to the edges of the face frame? Should they be centered and have spacers installed on both sides for the drawer slides? Should they be put flush with one edge of the face frame and the drawer slide mount directly to it on one side and a spacer on the other side?

You have not described what the slides will be. Are you making wood slides, or using store bought hardware?

If you are making them, anything goes since you will be able to make them 'unique'. If store bought, I would think an ability to shim them to the drawer/opening is prudent. In that case, flush to the inside may be a problem(no room for the hardware).

I would inset the side on the wall side, just not all the way to the inside edge. I say that assuming you will trim it to the wall later. If not, make it flush also. However if you ever decide to relocate it that side will be funky if not again placed against a wall.

I defer to those more experienced, but this is the way I see it.

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 12:12 am

Store-bought hardware for the drawer slides. Full extension, 22" long, 1/2" thick, heavy duty.

"Wild Bad Bob" · Post by **"Wild Bad Bob"** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 2:45 am

Why did you build the face frame first? Usually it is done after the case so you can set it perfectly to the case. Now you have to build the case perfectly to the frame which IMHO is much harder, plus, if building the case to fit in an enclosed area you may have to adjust/tweak its dimensions, but you are struck with a built face frame that may not match.
Most metal side mount drawer guiedes need a 1/2" on each side so the drawer width OD is 1" smaller then the case width minus what ever your frame opening width is devided by 2 and shim the guides case mount by that.
Sorry to say this, but you have 2 carts before the donkey on this project, but everything is fixable with time and thought.

"Wild Bad Bob" · Post by **"Wild Bad Bob"** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 2:57 am

I reread your original question, I would shim the side you need to center the drawer, but what style drawer front are you putting on? You may have to off set the drawer sides on the front one way or the other. I just did that on a cabinet I made with 4 drawers on one side and a door on the other, but it was a frame less cabinet with full overlay drawer and door front, with a hidden vertical divider between the drawer side and cabinet side.

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 6:21 am

Heath,
Nearly everything is fixable.

No sense crying over spilt milk. What's done is done.

Shim where needed. Adjust the drawer fronts' sizes and/or positions.

algale · Post by **algale** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 6:59 am

They make slides that attach to drawer bottoms. That may work on the drawers on the side that you made flush to the inside edge of the face frame.

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 9:01 am

This is my first attempt at cabinetry so I did a bit of reading before I started. Most of what I read said to build the face frame first, then build the carcass off of it. Of course, I also read differing opinions, but I could see the logic. And really, it's going just fine.

In my case, the face frame will not bare any load. There will be no doors. And the space it is in is only confined on two sides - the back and left end. This thing is pretty big. 8' long, 2' deep, and 33" tall. Not a "standard" height, but this has a dedicated purpose that dictated that size.

The drawer fronts will just be plain and flat and will overlap the face frames by 1/2" all around.

I'm aware that the drawers boxes will have to be 1" narrower than the opening to allow for the slides.

Question is moot now as I made a decision and proceeded. I'll let you know how it worked out!

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 10:43 am

heathicus wrote:This is my first attempt at cabinetry so I did a bit of reading before I started. Most of what I read said to build the face frame first, then build the carcass off of it. Of course, I also read differing opinions, but I could see the logic. And really, it's going just fine.

In my case, the face frame will not bare any load. There will be no doors. And the space it is in is only confined on two sides - the back and left end. This thing is pretty big. 8' long, 2' deep, and 33" tall. Not a "standard" height, but this has a dedicated purpose that dictated that size.

The drawer fronts will just be plain and flat and will overlap the face frames by 1/2" all around.

I'm aware that the drawers boxes will have to be 1" narrower than the opening to allow for the slides.

Question is moot now as I made a decision and proceeded. I'll let you know how it worked out!

Atta boy! Think fer thyself and solve problems as they occur!

8' ! Wide 'corner'!:D

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 12:06 pm

All done with the cabinet frame/carcase. Starting on the drawers tomorrow. Progress hasn't been as speedy as I had planned.

I'm on a "staycation" this week and this is one of the projects I had planned. But between all the other things I wanted to get done this week and things just coming up (a couple smaller projects, fishing with my kids, trips into town, my sister-in-law having a baby, etc.) work has been a little slow. Didn't even get to get started until Tuesday.