Any professional cabinet maker needs to have an understanding of how to build a cabinet with drawers. Building a drawer cabinet is a required skill for most projects including kitchens, bathrooms, wardrobes, desks, and other furnishing applications.
Understanding how to build a cabinet with the correct drawer system for each application will come down to the requirements of a project and the resources available to the workshops. In the following article we will explore different drawer box systems, the manufacturing process, and possible software integration options.
Drawer box systems
Timber slide systems
Timber slide drawer systems are a traditional practice that have been used for many years. Before the mass production of mechanical drawer systems and components, woodworkers would build a drawer cabinet fully from timber.
This method is still used by many joiners around the world. Traditional joints or more modern mechanical fixings are used to create timber slide systems.
Metallic systems
Making cabinet drawers from metallic drawer systems is a modern solution utilized by many workshops. Major joinery suppliers such as Blum, Grass and Hettich all offer metallic drawer box solutions.
These solutions have metallic sides that are fixed lengths, each pairing with an associated drawer slider. These systems have fixed depths and allow woodworkers to modify widths by manufacturing just the drawer bottoms and backs.
Hybrid/runner systems
A hybrid drawer system allows for manufacturers to create their own drawer boxes, yet integrates seamlessly with manufactured drawer runners, and so incorporates a modern mechanical system.
Major suppliers accommodate for these systems, an example being the Blum MOVENTO runner system.
Making timber drawer boxes
Durability and strength are key considerations when designing and building cabinets with drawers. There are two construction mindsets to have when constructing drawers, traditional and modern fixing techniques.
Traditional techniques include joints such as the dovetail joint. Dovetail joints are extremely durable and are often used in very high-end joinery. The dovetail joint interlocks and minimizes the requirements for additional fixings.
Mechanical fixings include cams and screws. These commonly require additional work to hide them, as they are usually visible. On the other hand, they increase speed of manufacture while maintaining durability and strength.
Additionally, many mechanical fasteners allow for a drawer to be modified, improved, and individual parts replaced as required unlike traditional joints that have been glued.
Making drawers to go alongside metallic systems require their manufacture to be strictly in accordance with the supplier guidelines.
Manufacturing considerations
There are several factors to consider when making cabinets with drawers:
- Material selection: the selected material effects the total cost, look, and manufacture of a cabinet; options include manufactured boards, solid timber and metallic components
- Finishing: depending on material selection, choosing the proper material finish will improve the life expectancy of drawer boxes; this could include edge banding or varnishing
- Drawer slide selection: choosing the appropriate drawer slides should be fit for purpose; examples include full-extension slides, soft-closing systems, ball bearing runners, and timber slides
Whether selecting traditional or modern drawer systems, material and method selection is imperative to a high quality and appropriate cabinet with drawers.
How PolyBoard can help
PolyBoard is a cabinet software that outputs complete manufacturing details. Building a drawer cabinet in PolyBoard allows for both the traditional and modern systems of drawers that can be customized and manufactured in accordance to individual manufacturer’s requirements.
PolyBoard will use this detail to automatically generate the drawer box, drawer fronts, and associate the required hardware information for cutting lists and CNC solutions.
PolyBoard’s libraries include a huge range of drawer configurations from lots of popular suppliers. If you wish to understand how to build a cabinet drawer, PolyBoard can assist you in manufacturing your drawer cabinets.
If you would like to set up a demonstration with a member of our technical team, please contact us here.
