# How big of a gap in between drawers?



## nateoverbey

I'm building a cabinet for a desk. It will have drawers for filing cabinet etc. I have setting the drawer to be flush with the outside of the cabinet. How much of a gap should I leave in between the cabinet and the drawer? I was thinking about 1/8" but I wasn't sure if that is too big of a gap.

Nate


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## MastersHand

nateoverbey said:


> I'm building a cabinet for a desk. It will have drawers for filing cabinet etc. I have setting the drawer to be flush with the outside of the cabinet. How much of a gap should I leave in between the cabinet and the drawer? I was thinking about 1/8" but I wasn't sure if that is too big of a gap.
> 
> Nate


A good rule of thumb is 1/8 on full overlay and 3/32 on inset Cabinets always back bevel all doors an drawers


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## cabinetman

nateoverbey said:


> I'm building a cabinet for a desk. It will have drawers for filing cabinet etc. I have setting the drawer to be flush with the outside of the cabinet. How much of a gap should I leave in between the cabinet and the drawer? I was thinking about 1/8" but I wasn't sure if that is too big of a gap.
> 
> Nate


If you are referring to the vertical gap between drawer fronts, or fronts of the drawer boxes, ⅛" is fine. Or, between the front face of the cabinet and the drawer fronts.












 









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## rrich

To me, 1/8 all around sounds good for inset drawers. (That is 1/16 on each side, top and bottom.) Just for the aesthetics, 1/16 would probably be best between the top of the lower and the bottom of the upper drawer faces. However if there is a frame between top and bottom drawers use the 1/16.

If you are using commercial drawer slides, the manufacturers web site should offer guidance.


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## cabinetman

IMO, 1/16" is too small of a gap (between drawer front edge and cabinet edge/FF, or other drawer front edge). It's too small of a gap between doors, or between a door edge and the cabinet front/FF. There's very little allowance for any movement of the doors/drawers, or cabinet front. There is the possibility of binding and rubbing with any E&C. The closer the gap the more obvious an uneven one. 

Anything closer than 1/8" would be 3/32", and that's about as close as I allow for an inset/flush condition.












 









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## Lola Ranch

*gap might vary depending*

IMHO I think 1/8" is a bit wide but practical for heavy use cabinets as in a kitchen. Once the edges are eased, that 1/8" will look larger.

For a finer look I try to get a gap closer to 1/16" or even less when building furniture.

A lot of it depends on what drawer guide system you used and how much slop there is opening and closing the drawers. Obviously you need enough gap to avoid having the fronts banging into each other when used.

The cabinet in the photo uses wood on wood guides with very little slop. The gap is less than 1/16". IMHO 1/8" would be way too wide for this piece.

Bret


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## woodnthings

*Bret*

It's nice to have perfect examples of stuff, so you don't have to go online looking for them.....just saying. :laughing: bill


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## MastersHand

cabinetman said:


> IMO, 1/16" is too small of a gap (between drawer front edge and cabinet edge/FF, or other drawer front edge). It's too small of a gap between doors, or between a door edge and the cabinet front/FF. There's very little allowance for any movement of the doors/drawers, or cabinet front. There is the possibility of binding and rubbing with any E&C. The closer the gap the more obvious an uneven one.
> 
> Anything closer than 1/8" would be 3/32", and that's about as close as I allow for an inset/flush condition.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .


So you liked my answer. Hope you know I was teasing with candy cane.Did you read how I got into woodworking.PS didn't know how to send this to you direct


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## Lola Ranch

woodnthings said:


> It's nice to have perfect examples of stuff, so you don't have to go online looking for them.....just saying. :laughing: bill


Bill,

Thanks for the complement. I know where all the mistakes are but I'm keeping mum. I can honestly say I've never built anything which was perfect and some a lot less perfect than others.

Doesn't stop me from trying though.

Bret


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## WillemJM

Lola Ranch said:


> IMHO I think 1/8" is a bit wide but practical for heavy use cabinets as in a kitchen. Once the edges are eased, that 1/8" will look larger.
> 
> For a finer look I try to get a gap closer to 1/16" or even less when building furniture.
> 
> A lot of it depends on what drawer guide system you used and how much slop there is opening and closing the drawers. Obviously you need enough gap to avoid having the fronts banging into each other when used.
> 
> The cabinet in the photo uses wood on wood guides with very little slop. The gap is less than 1/16". IMHO 1/8" would be way too wide for this piece.
> 
> Bret


+1

I keep my gaps at 2mm, which is a sliver above 1/16". I have seen casework though, where construction and design will not allow such small tolerances, but that is not fine woodworking IMHO.


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## msbeal

*Draw clearance*

Do you guys ever worry about your dimensions changing on you after the drawer is loaded with weight versus while it's sitting in the shop?

Building my first drawers is in my near future and I've always been curious about that. I'll be using drawer slides and all but a tight reveal could go south on you if the drawer is holding fifty+ pounds of stuff. 

My drawers will be below my new workbench and they could hold heavy stuff. Logically it would seem you're going to have some flexing downward but I just don't know what to expect from these drawer slides.


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## WillemJM

msbeal said:


> Do you guys ever worry about your dimensions changing on you after the drawer is loaded with weight versus while it's sitting in the shop?
> 
> Building my first drawers is in my near future and I've always been curious about that. I'll be using drawer slides and all but a tight reveal could go south on you if the drawer is holding fifty+ pounds of stuff.
> 
> My drawers will be below my new workbench and they could hold heavy stuff. Logically it would seem you're going to have some flexing downward but I just don't know what to expect from these drawer slides.


It depends on the design details and the quality of the slides. Normally a workbench is pretty solid, does not flex and quality slides will not change. If you set the base (bottom) of the drawer slightly higher than the front back and sides, or if you use a false front, there should be no flexing concerns, provided things are built right.

A typical retail cabinet will have inset drawers bind if the floor is uneven, even with a 1/8" gap. I just don't build that way.


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