# How Do I Determine Drawer Dimensions?



## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

Hello all,

I am going to be building a garage workbench. Under the table top I will be installing two drawers. I would like to make them about 6 inches high, roughly about half the length of the 8 foot bench (less legs, glides, etc.) and 22 inches or so deep. The drawers will likely contain a little bit of everything. I can only assume they will likely carry a good amount of weight so will need to be heavy duty.

I have never, I repeat never, made or installed drawers of any kind, anywhere, at anytime, for any reason….…LOL. I have done a fair amount of reading but have a couple of questions.

First I would like to put the drawers on glides as opposed to having them slide in and out on hardwood runners. Any suggestions on where to look for really heavy duty glides that won’t require me to take out a 2nd mortgage on my home?

Second, and I am not sure if I will explain this clearly, how do you determine how wide to make the actual drawer compared to the opening that the drawer will go in? So lets say the overall opening is 30 inches (it will actually be wider), allowing for the glides, how do you determine how wide to make the drawer so that it will fit properly in the opening with the glides? I have read that you should make the drawer about 1 inch shorter than the opening? Is that about right? Does that allow enough room for glides? Doesn’t it depend on the width of the glides? 

I know a lot of you are seasoned cabinet makers and deal with this all the time. Any advice or help would be very welcome…

Thanks again,
Tom


----------



## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

*Buy the slides first.*

Go to a quality hardware store and look at some drawer slides. The better ones will have weight specs on the package. Get full extension drawer slides. That means that the drawer will be able to slide completely out of the cabinet without falling. With that you wont have to dig in the back of the drawer. 
Buy the slides first and they will tell you how to size the drawers. 
I havent bought any recently so I lost tract of the cost. I think 100 lb. load full extensions should not cost much more than about $20/pair. I'm sure someone here will be able to correct me.


----------



## skymaster (Oct 30, 2006)

using normal side mount epoxy slides, which are easy find in the box stores, take the OPENING size, subtract 1" that is your drawer size.As far as depth I make drawers 1" shorter than full depth also. Make simple overlay fronts.


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Most of the standard full extension slides require 1/2" spacing from the drawer side to the inside wall of the cabinet. It's also suggested that 1/32" be added to that dimension to allow for any shimming if necessary. So, the drawer should be 1 1/16" (17/16") less than the width of the opening. This site has excellent prices for slides.

As for drawer construction, the simplest joint for the corners is a rabbet joint where the sides are stepped 1/4" deep and the width of the stock like below. There are also many other choices.
.








.
A groove the thickness of the drawer bottom and 1/4" deep can be machined on the sides and front, 1/4" above the bottom edge. The back of the drawer is cut short to finish above the drawer bottom. When the drawer is assembled, the bottom is slid in the groove past the back and fastened to the underside of the back. The bottom should do a good job of squaring the drawer. Holding a square to the drawer before fastening the bottom to the back makes it easier.


----------



## windstorm (Dec 21, 2008)

I'm in the same boat with Tom & have never made drawers, but have six little ones (3" high x 11" long x 6" deep) I want to make for a small shelf unit I've built. I plan to install them with hardwood runners & want to know how much clearance I will need & what thickness the runners should be to make the drawers slide smoothly. Sorry to invade your thread with a different question, Tom, but I'm hoping Cabinetman can help us both. Thanks.


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

windstorm said:


> I'm in the same boat with Tom & have never made drawers, but have six little ones (3" high x 11" long x 6" deep) I want to make for a small shelf unit I've built. I plan to install them with hardwood runners & want to know how much clearance I will need & what thickness the runners should be to make the drawers slide smoothly. Sorry to invade your thread with a different question, Tom, but I'm hoping Cabinetman can help us both. Thanks.



Since you might get a variety of answers, it might serve you best to start your own thread.


----------



## AZ Termite (Dec 20, 2008)

Tom, 
Rockler is also a go place for drawer slides. I have gotten most of mine from there. I agree with the others on spacing


----------



## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

Sincere thanks to all who replied....it is just amazing to me how the great advice and answers i receive on this site clear up in a matter of hours or days the questions I have had for years. Amazing what good teachers will do......

Thanks for taking time out of your schedules to help this rookie.

Warm regards,
Tom


----------



## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

One more question.....

Am I living in fantasy land by thinking I can make my 2 workbench drawers almost 46 inches wide?

The working plan right now is that the surfaces ("cabinet") that my drawer slides will be attached to will be four 1X6's. Two of them will be mounted on the inside surfaces of the 4 legs of my workbench and then 2 more 1X6's mounted on either side of my mid-bench framing member. These 1X6's will obviously run front to back and be about 22 or 23 inches in length and the top edges of each 1X6 will be butted up against the bottom side of the bench top frame.

I hope that makes sense. I'd skecth it up if I knew how.

Thanks in advance,
Tom


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Tom5151 said:


> One more question.....
> 
> Am I living in fantasy land by thinking I can make my 2 workbench drawers almost 46 inches wide?
> 
> ...



Not a real problem if you keep dimensions accurate. Dimensional lumber (such as 2x4's, 1x6's) may vary in their flatness enough to give false side to side dimensions when figuring out how wide to make the drawer. Not that the 1x6's won't work, but 3/4" plywood might yield closer dimensions. 

Drawers that wide will have some side play action when pulled out. It is hard to avoid. They can work well if pulled and pushed from the middle, or even (equal) action from both sides.


----------



## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

cabinetman said:


> Not a real problem if you keep dimensions accurate. Dimensional lumber (such as 2x4's, 1x6's) may vary in their flatness enough to give false side to side dimensions when figuring out how wide to make the drawer. Not that the 1x6's won't work, but 3/4" plywood might yield closer dimensions.
> 
> Drawers that wide will have some side play action when pulled out. It is hard to avoid. They can work well if pulled and pushed from the middle, or even (equal) action from both sides.
> 
> ...


----------



## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Tom,
If you don't really need the drawers to be 46" wide, you may want to consider making three drawers aprox. 30+" wide instead. They would be a little easier to operate and maybe not end up to be junk collectors inside. 
Mike Hawkins


----------



## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

firehawkmph said:


> Tom,
> If you don't really need the drawers to be 46" wide, you may want to consider making three drawers aprox. 30+" wide instead. They would be a little easier to operate and maybe not end up to be junk collectors inside.
> Mike Hawkins


Hi Mike....

I'll certainly consider that advice. My only problem would be the mid-bench framing support would not allow me to install a drawer in the middle.

At one point I was actually considering builing a hanging drawer enclosure something like this that a 36 inch drawer could fit into:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/woodworking/1273396.html?page=4

Let me know your thoughts.


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Tom5151 said:


> Hi Mike....
> 
> I'll certainly consider that advice. My only problem would be the mid-bench framing support would not allow me to install a drawer in the middle.
> 
> ...



Actually, unless you really need the width (two drawers), you could use that applied box assembly with a single, or pair of drawers on each side of the center. Instead of a full bottom and little wings at the top to attach, use cross rails at the top and the bottom. You could make a full back to help keep it square. As you install it, make sure the opening is square.


----------



## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

cabinetman said:


> Actually, unless you really need the width (two drawers), you could use that applied box assembly with a single, or pair of drawers on each side of the center. Instead of a full bottom and little wings at the top to attach, use cross rails at the top and the bottom. You could make a full back to help keep it square. As you install it, make sure the opening is square.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

What we're talking about is just adding a self contained box of sorts that has sides to mount drawer slides. It will mount to the underside of the bench top, like indicated in your link. Here is a few ways.

One way is to use a plywood top (for just the drawer box) with two sides (no bottom).

Another is to have two sides, connected with rails (top front and back, and bottom front and back. The rails could be as simple as 3/4" x 2"-3", by the width of the opening. They just fix the sides as the drawer opening and give way to mount the box to the underside of the bench top. They get installed to the sides with the 3/4" edge facing out. The 2"-3" width is used to mount to the underside of the bench. 

If you still are confused, sometime later, I will do a rough sketch. When you do catch on to this it's going to be a forehead slapper.


----------



## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

cabinetman said:


> What we're talking about is just adding a self contained box of sorts that has sides to mount drawer slides. It will mount to the underside of the bench top, like indicated in your link. Here is a few ways.
> 
> One way is to use a plywood top (for just the drawer box) with two sides (no bottom).
> 
> ...


 hello sir.....

LOL....I have bruises from all of the forehead slapping I have been doing lately.....

I really had a good one last night. I had literally just completed the last of 16 mortises I was doing on 4 table legs. I got done and had a funny gut feeling. Well long story short I cut that last darn mortise on the wrong edge of the leg and now have to scrap it and start from scratch gluing up and cutting another blank for the 4th leg.....ugh....live and learn......

I really apologize, I am sure it's not your explanation but rather my ability to visualize what you are describing. I just can't quite get my head around it. If you get a chance to do a quick sketch great but please don't put yourself out on my account. I'll come up with something that i am sure will work just fine.........and hopefully I won't put the pull in the wrong spot or something dumb........LOL

Thanks again for taking the time to answer all of my questions. I really appreictae it.

Tom


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

I'll try to explain it in a different way. Lets say you have your bench done. Then you want to add drawers to the underside of the bench top.

Your link and what I explained is just a loose shell all by itself made to hold drawers that gets screwed in place. How 'bout that?


----------



## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

cabinetman said:


> I'll try to explain it in a different way. Lets say you have your bench done. Then you want to add drawers to the underside of the bench top.
> 
> Your link and what I explained is just a loose shell all by itself made to hold drawers that gets screwed in place. How 'bout that?


hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......I think I have it.........basically an elongated, inverted "U" shaped box attached to the underside of the bench top framing?......the slides would go on the two inside sides of that box and the drawer itself would fit in that?

Is that kinda close?


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Tom5151 said:


> hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......I think I have it.........basically an elongated, inverted "U" shaped box attached to the underside of the bench top framing?......the slides would go on the two inside sides of that box and the drawer itself would fit in that?
> 
> Is that kinda close?



Slap your forehead...you got it!


----------



## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

cabinetman said:


> Slap your forehead...you got it!


 LOL.....hey I get a gold star......dang does my forehead hurt now..:icon_smile:.....one more question....the joint between the two sides of the "U" shaped box and the panel actually attached to the underside of the bench top frame would seem to me to be carrying a lot of the load of the drawer and it's contents........what in your opinion would be the best way to join those two surfaces for max strength?

Tom


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Tom5151 said:


> LOL.....hey I get a gold star......dang does my forehead hurt now..:icon_smile:.....one more question....the joint between the two sides of the "U" shaped box and the panel actually attached to the underside of the bench top frame would seem to me to be carrying a lot of the load of the drawer and it's contents........what in your opinion would be the best way to join those two surfaces for max strength?
> 
> Tom



You could just rabbet the top edge of the sides and glue in the cross piece/pieces. Since it won't really show, you could drive in some 2" coarse thread screws. Just maintain the sides to whatever is your top cross piece @ 90 degrees. Structurally, this method can carry quite a load. I do this frequently for slide out keyboard trays. They are easy to mount.


----------



## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

cabinetman said:


> You could just rabbet the top edge of the sides and glue in the cross piece/pieces. Since it won't really show, you could drive in some 2" coarse thread screws. Just maintain the sides to whatever is your top cross piece @ 90 degrees. Structurally, this method can carry quite a load. I do this frequently for slide out keyboard trays. They are easy to mount.


 perfect...thank you sir.....i appreciate your patience with all of my thick-headedness and questions.....


----------



## Sawduster (Dec 30, 2008)

The thick headed ones are the ones who are too proud to ask.


----------

