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Custom Drawer Box Construction

Superior Quality & Excellence in Custom Drawers

We have developed systems to quickly and efficiently manufacture high-quality custom dovetail drawers.  That is to say, we provide cost-effective products, and we deliver them on time.  Our custom size drawers are constructed with:

Custom Drawer Box Construction

1. ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY MATERIALS

2. FLAWLESS DOVETAIL JOINTS

3. CLEAN, TIGHT BOTTOMS

+ ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY MATERIALS
We manufacture all of our custom drawer boxes with environmentally friendly materials.  For example, we use water-soluble PVA adhesives, waterborne finish, and responsibly harvested materials, among other things.

+ FLAWLESS DOVETAIL JOINTS
We putty and sand the joints on our solid wood custom dovetail drawers to provide strong, flawless dovetail joints.  Moreover, we lay out our dovetails in the best possible way according to the height of the custom drawer box with no half dovetails.

+ CLEAN, TIGHT BOTTOMS
Firstly, we rout the bottoms (hidden on the dovetail joint) into the sides of the custom drawer boxes.  Secondly, we staple the bottoms in place from underneath to provide a clean, tight custom drawer box interior.

= SUPERIOR QUALITY
As a result, these features and others combine to provide superior quality custom drawers.  View our custom size drawer box construction specifications below, then contact us for a quote on your next job!

Joinery & Parameters

Available drawer box thicknesses are 1/2” and 5/8” with 1/4”, 3/8”, and 1/2” thick matching bottoms. Drawer box construction is completed with either dovetail or bore-dowel joinery.

Dovetail Joinery

  • Half Blind – The dovetails in this style are cut partway through and lock into the front and back of the drawer box. The dovetails are only visible from the sides of the drawer box and not from the front or back.
    • Spaced on 1” increments.
    • Clean cut, with no tear-outs, tight fit.
    • Drawer box bottom concealed within dovetail joint (some exposure for 1/2” thick bottom).

 

  • Through – The dovetails in this style are cut all the way through custom drawer box constructionthe front and back of the drawer box. This style is designed for a more traditional look from the side of the drawer and is recommended for a box that gets a drawer head attached to the front.

 

  • Traditional – This style is designed as custom drawer box constructiona true traditional dovetail with the joint cut square all the way through to the front of the drawer box. This design is best used for pullouts and/or drawer boxes with exposed fronts.  This style is gives a traditional look from all sides.

 

 

Bore-Dowel Joinery (for Melamine Drawer Boxes)

  • Dowel thickness is 6mm.
  • Dowel length is 25mm.
  • Dowels per joint varies with height of drawer box (a minimum of 2 dowels are used).

Minimum and Maximum Parameters for Building a Drawer Box

  • Height: 2” to 22” in 1/16” increments (for dovetail joints); 2” to 16” in 1/16” increments (for bore-dowel)
  • Width: 5” to 48” in 1/16” incrementscustom drawer box construction
  • Depth: 5” to 31” in 1/16” increments

 

An upcharge will be applied if the drawer box size is:
1) under minimum or 2) assembled and over maximum (UP-020).


Bottom Placement

Bottom Information

  • routed in 1/4” deep on all 4 sides.
  • thicknesses available: 1/4”, 3/8”, and 1/2”.
  • bottoms are pinned with staples.
  • bottom dado is concealed within dovetail joint (except with 1/2” bottom).

Inset options for 1/4” and 3/8” thick bottoms

  • 1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2”, and 9/16” insets are available to match various drawer slides.
  • For our drawer box construction, even inch height boxes with 3/8” thick bottoms and a 9/16” inset are used, and we recommend that 1/8” be added to the drawer box height. This will to eliminate a dovetail void at the top when building a drawer box. See “Dovetail Layout” below.

custom drawer box construction


Inset options for 1/2” thick bottoms

  • 1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2”, and 9/16” insets are available to match various drawer slides.
  • Since 1/2” thick bottoms do not fit cleanly between the dovetails, the following construction methods are offered.
  • When ordering please indicate the construction method.
    • Construction Method 1 – Results with small voids above and/or below the lowest dovetail, which are puttied.
    • Construction Method 2 – Flush mount option maximizes interior space which could result with void below lowest dovetail, depending on height and inset of box. Any voids are puttied.

custom drawer box construction


Flush Mount Options*

  • Flush and recessed mount construction can be ordered for 1/2” and 5/8” thick sides, and only 1/4” or 3/8” thick bottoms. This option can not be used with melamine drawer boxes.
    • Flush mount Bottoms are attached to the bottom of the sides of the drawer box, NO Rout.
    • Recessed Flush mount Bottoms are routed into the bottom of the sides.

*An upcharge is applied when ordering this option: UP-010

custom drawer box construction


Dovetail Layout

1 Inch Height Increment

custom drawer box construction


1/8 Inch Height Increment

custom drawer box construction


1/4 Inch Height Increment

custom drawer box construction


1/2 Inch Height Increment

custom drawer box construction


3/4 Inch Height Increment

custom drawer box construction