I am building a chest of drawers. I have already completed the frame
and the drawer "boxes" (don't know the correct term). I am trying to
work out the best way to accurately attach the fronts of the drawers so
that they line up with the frame and with each other. I don't want to
put any holes through the front of the drawers.

So - the drawers are sitting on their sliders and I put them to their
closed position and can manually lay the fronts onto the boxes - but
can't mark any lines on the inside for when I glue them up as they are
closed!

This is probably a pretty dumb question, but it is my first time making
drawers and I want them to look professional.

"Dave In Oz" wrote in message
ups.com...
I am building a chest of drawers. I have already completed the frame
and the drawer "boxes" (don't know the correct term). I am trying to
work out the best way to accurately attach the fronts of the drawers so
that they line up with the frame and with each other. I don't want to
put any holes through the front of the drawers.

So - the drawers are sitting on their sliders and I put them to their
closed position and can manually lay the fronts onto the boxes - but
can't mark any lines on the inside for when I glue them up as they are
closed!

This is probably a pretty dumb question, but it is my first time making
drawers and I want them to look professional.


Screw the drawer front on from the inside of the drawer and into the back of
the drawer front.

You're going to want to the drawer front to be centered on the drawer so cut
yourself a scrap piece that's of the same width of the drawer front
overhang. i.e., your drawer is 12" wide, drawer front is 13" wide so you're
going to want a piece that's 1/2" wide. Clamp this piece to the edge of
your drawer front and then screw the drawer front on.

Dave In Oz wrote:
I am building a chest of drawers. I have already completed the frame
and the drawer "boxes" (don't know the correct term). I am trying to
work out the best way to accurately attach the fronts of the drawers so
that they line up with the frame and with each other. I don't want to
put any holes through the front of the drawers.

So - the drawers are sitting on their sliders and I put them to their
closed position and can manually lay the fronts onto the boxes - but
can't mark any lines on the inside for when I glue them up as they are
closed!

This is probably a pretty dumb question, but it is my first time making
drawers and I want them to look professional.

Use double sided tape to hold them in place then open the drawers and
clamp before attaching.

or

Drill oversize holes in the drawers and use panhead screws to attach.
This will give you *some* wiggle room.

Dave In Oz wrote:
I am building a chest of drawers. I have already completed the frame
and the drawer "boxes" (don't know the correct term). I am trying to
work out the best way to accurately attach the fronts of the drawers so
that they line up with the frame and with each other. I don't want to
put any holes through the front of the drawers.

So - the drawers are sitting on their sliders and I put them to their
closed position and can manually lay the fronts onto the boxes - but
can't mark any lines on the inside for when I glue them up as they are
closed!

This is probably a pretty dumb question, but it is my first time making
drawers and I want them to look professional.

Use double sided tape to hold them in place then open the drawers and
clamp before attaching.

or

Drill oversize holes in the drawers and use panhead screws to attach.
This will give you *some* wiggle room.

Thanks for the reply.

I can do all that, and then the drawer front will line up perfectly
with the drawer box. But, if the slides for the drawer are not
perfectly aligned, then the drawer boxes will not sit perfectly
parallel. Even a 1mm difference will be noticable when the drawers are
closed, as they are about 80cm wide.

So, I am wanting to align the door fronts with each other and with the
frame, which may mean that they are not perfectly aligned with the
boxes inside, but that is no problem.

I hope that this is making sense - I'm finding it hard to explain.

Thanks Ray. I think I will go with the double-sided tape. I feel kind
of dumb for not having thought of it myself. Cheers.

Dave In Oz wrote:
Thanks for the reply.

I can do all that, and then the drawer front will line up perfectly
with the drawer box. But, if the slides for the drawer are not
perfectly aligned, then the drawer boxes will not sit perfectly
parallel. Even a 1mm difference will be noticable when the drawers are
closed, as they are about 80cm wide.

So, I am wanting to align the door fronts with each other and with the
frame, which may mean that they are not perfectly aligned with the
boxes inside, but that is no problem.

I hope that this is making sense - I'm finding it hard to explain.

I am using a slight variation to acheive what you are describing.

Drill oversize holes in the drawer box on opposite corners. Using
screws and finish washers from inside the drawer box you can move the
face slightly to get the correct spacing. Once it is aligned, tighten
down these two screws and then screw the remaining two corners without
using oversize holes.

Works well and the finish washers cover up the oversize holes so there
is no problem with the appearance to me.

Dave

I used a little different method. I started with the bottom drawer,
put the box in alligned the front like I wanted by reaching in over the
rails and used clamps to hold the front to the box, I then braded front
to the box from the inside. Went to the next one up and aligned it
with the one below using a spacer for the horizontal space, ..... This
method worked for me and was fast.
Mike

Dave In Oz wrote:
I am building a chest of drawers. I have already completed the frame
and the drawer "boxes" (don't know the correct term). I am trying to
work out the best way to accurately attach the fronts of the drawers so
that they line up with the frame and with each other. I don't want to
put any holes through the front of the drawers.

So - the drawers are sitting on their sliders and I put them to their
closed position and can manually lay the fronts onto the boxes - but
can't mark any lines on the inside for when I glue them up as they are
closed!

This is probably a pretty dumb question, but it is my first time making
drawers and I want them to look professional.

"mew" wrote in message
I used a little different method. I started with the bottom drawer,
put the box in alligned the front like I wanted by reaching in over the
rails and used clamps to hold the front to the box, I then braded front
to the box from the inside. Went to the next one up and aligned it
with the one below using a spacer for the horizontal space, ..... This
method worked for me and was fast.

I've used many different methods, but a variation on the above is to use two
sheetrock screws, with their extra sharp points just sticking through the
front of the drawer box about 3/16".

With the spacer as a guide, pressing the drawer front onto the sharp points
of the sheetrock screws is enough to help hold it into position while you
open the drawer and drive the temporary screws home, to be replaced after
you're satisfied with alignment of ALL the drawer fronts.

Advantage is that when Murphy strikes, you don't have to pull a bradded
drawer front off its box.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 8/29/06

I've used many different methods, but a variation on the above is to use two
sheetrock screws, with their extra sharp points just sticking through the
front of the drawer box about 3/16".

Thanks - that sounds great.

I've never heard of sheetrock screws. I'm in Australia and some things
have different names here. Do you know of another name for sheetrock or
sheetrock screws?

On 22 Sep 2006 05:07:18 -0700, "Dave In Oz" wrote:

I am building a chest of drawers. I have already completed the frame
and the drawer "boxes" (don't know the correct term). I am trying to
work out the best way to accurately attach the fronts of the drawers so
that they line up with the frame and with each other. I don't want to
put any holes through the front of the drawers.

So - the drawers are sitting on their sliders and I put them to their
closed position and can manually lay the fronts onto the boxes - but
can't mark any lines on the inside for when I glue them up as they are
closed!

This is probably a pretty dumb question, but it is my first time making
drawers and I want them to look professional.

Can't really answer your question because you don't want holes in the front of
your drawers, but you might try the old double-sided tape method...
us 2 SMALL pieces of mounting tape to hold the drawer front to the drawer....
close the drawer and carefully align the face where you want it and reseat the
tape... open drawer and use screws or whatever to attach drawer front..


I usually have 1 or 2 holes in the drawer and face, depending on the type of
pulls... I try to make the hole(s) in the drawer large enough to allow a little
adjustment space since the pull is what's holding the drawer front in place..
Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

"Dave In Oz" wrote in message
oups.com...
I've used many different methods, but a variation on the above is to use
two
sheetrock screws, with their extra sharp points just sticking through
the
front of the drawer box about 3/16".

Thanks - that sounds great.

I've never heard of sheetrock screws. I'm in Australia and some things
have different names here. Do you know of another name for sheetrock or
sheetrock screws?

Probably "drywall" or "plasterboard" in Oz?


--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 8/29/06

Dave In Oz wrote:
I've used many different methods, but a variation on the above is to use two
sheetrock screws, with their extra sharp points just sticking through the
front of the drawer box about 3/16".


Thanks - that sounds great.

I've never heard of sheetrock screws. I'm in Australia and some things
have different names here. Do you know of another name for sheetrock or
sheetrock screws?

I know them as drywall screws. Other names for sheetrock/drywall are
wallboard and gypboard (gyp for gypsum). The screws are non-tapered
(except at the tip), black in color, and with a phillips head.

screw you,
jo4hn ;-)

On 22 Sep 2006 07:52:33 -0700, "Dave In Oz"
wrote:

I've used many different methods, but a variation on the above is to use two
sheetrock screws, with their extra sharp points just sticking through the
front of the drawer box about 3/16".

Thanks - that sounds great.

I've never heard of sheetrock screws. I'm in Australia and some things
have different names here. Do you know of another name for sheetrock or
sheetrock screws?

I think it's the same thing as plasterboard / drywall screws.




--

"Dave In Oz" wrote in message
ups.com...
Thanks Ray. I think I will go with the double-sided tape. I feel kind
of dumb for not having thought of it myself. Cheers.

Or a hot melt glue gun can work really well here.
Put a little weight in the drawer box, squeeze out some glue, press the
front carefully into place, then check alignment and screw securely from the
inside. Voila.

Tim W

On 22 Sep 2006 05:07:18 -0700, "Dave In Oz"
wrote:

So - the drawers are sitting on their sliders and I put them to their
closed position and can manually lay the fronts onto the boxes - but
can't mark any lines on the inside for when I glue them up as they are
closed!

Hi, Dave. I faced the same problem recently. I put a couple of dabs
of construction adhesive (e.g. "Liquid Nails") on the drawer boxes,
and then applied the fronts. I then used shims to adjust the fronts
so that they were all aligned properly. After the adhesive had cured,
I pulled open the drawers and secured the fronts with screws from
inside the box. Consider it a variant of the two-sided tape method.

Bill