# Need tips on attaching drawer front



## Winch (Feb 10, 2016)

I'm replacing doors and drawer fronts on my daughters kitchen cabinets. The counter tops have not been removed. I'm looking for tips on how to align the new drawer fronts to the drawer unit while keeping them parallel and plumb with the door below. With the counter top still on I can't use clamps to hold them on temporarily and just measuring then screwing them on out of the unit is hit or miss at best. I was thinking double sided tape but I doubt if that will hold them in place accurately enough to shoot screws in them.

Any tips?


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Double sided tape will work surprisingly well. Look for carpet tape, that stuffs sticky enough you almost wouldn't need the screws. Hot glue also works well


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I have also used double sided tape for that purpose. If you want, when you pull the drawer out put of a clamp just to be sure.

George


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## Winch (Feb 10, 2016)

After thinking about it I wonder if this would work: Drill holes in the inner drawer front. Then shoot screws through those tight fitting holes such that they stick out just enough to touch the drawer front. When I have it aligned like I want I'll tap the front with a rubber mallet to mark where to drill the holes in the front. Then screw the 2 together outside of the unit. How would that work compared to tape?


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

kwiinch said:


> After thinking about it I wonder if this would work: Drill holes in the inner drawer front. Then shoot screws through those tight fitting holes such that they stick out just enough to touch the drawer front. When I have it aligned like I want I'll tap the front with a rubber mallet to mark where to drill the holes in the front. Then screw the 2 together outside of the unit. How would that work compared to tape?


It'd work, but its a lot more work when compared to a strip of tape


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## Winch (Feb 10, 2016)

Double sided carpet seaming tape worked great. Thanks all


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

kwiinch said:


> After thinking about it I wonder if this would work: Drill holes in the inner drawer front. Then shoot screws through those tight fitting holes such that they stick out just enough to touch the drawer front. When I have it aligned like I want I'll tap the front with a rubber mallet to mark where to drill the holes in the front. Then screw the 2 together outside of the unit. How would that work compared to tape?


I have also tried that. The tape works better.

George


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## simpleman (Jun 18, 2017)

kwiinch said:


> After thinking about it I wonder if this would work: Drill holes in the inner drawer front. Then shoot screws through those tight fitting holes such that they stick out just enough to touch the drawer front. When I have it aligned like I want I'll tap the front with a rubber mallet to mark where to drill the holes in the front. Then screw the 2 together outside of the unit. How would that work compared to tape?


We do this all the time on installs when we run out of double sided tape, it works great. If you make up thin little chip spacers for under the drawer front and the sides its pretty much fool proof.


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## sancho57 (Oct 23, 2011)

Couple of dabs of hot melt glue


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## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

I’ve seen cabinets where they allowed some adjustability for the drawer front by making the hole in the drawer a good bit bigger than the screw. This “sloppiness” allowed the drawer front to be moved around for alignment. It used washer head screws to hide the big hole.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

kwiinch said:


> I'm replacing doors and drawer fronts on my daughters kitchen cabinets. The counter tops have not been removed. I'm looking for tips on how to align the new drawer fronts to the drawer unit while keeping them parallel and plumb with the door below. With the counter top still on I can't use clamps to hold them on temporarily and just measuring then screwing them on out of the unit is hit or miss at best. I was thinking double sided tape but I doubt if that will hold them in place accurately enough to shoot screws in them.
> 
> Any tips?


You do that on your work bench. I put all the fronts on the drawer boxes before the drawers are put in the cabinet. Since you have the boxes installed open the drawer and measure the distance between the bottom of the drawer box and the opening. It's probably 1/8". If you want the front to overlay 1/2" then lay the front face down on your work bench and measure 5/8" between the bottom of the box and the bottom of the front. Then measure how much it overhangs the box on each side and make it equal on both sides. Then if you have a nail gun or stapler put a couple staples into it on the underside where it doesn't show to temporarally hold the front to the box. Then turn it around to where you can access the inside and put a couple 1" screws into it toward the sides so they won't be in the way of the drawer pull or handle.


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