About Cabinet Drawers

The Drawers get more Use and Abuse than any other Part of the Kitchen Cabinet. When it comes to the Kitchen Cabinet Drawer play close Attention to how the Drawer is Constructed. The Wood used, the Joints that hold the Box together, Soft Close or Standard Slides and the Style of Drawer Front.

Joints

The 3 Most Common Joints used to Attach the Front & Back to the Sides of a Drawer

• Butt Joint - Least Reliable
• Rabbet Joint - Better than the Butt Joint
• Dove Tail - Strongest of all Joints

Wood Used for Drawer Boxes

Listed From Poor to Best Quality

• Partical Board
• Furniture Board
• Plywood
• Any of the Hardwoods

Example of Drawer Failure, Inexpensive Wood & Weak Joints plus Standard Slides allowed Slamming

Drawer Fronts

Slab

The Slab is a 1 Piece Drawer Front. A Streamlined Look with Matching Wood Species, Stain or Color as the Door.

Raised Panel

The Center Panel is Raised out or Higher than the Outside Wood. This Raised Panel Drawer Front is a 5 Piece Construction. The Frame of the Raised Panel is Mitered at 45 degrees at all Corners. This Type of Construction can Separate slightly at the Miters.

Decorative

A Decorative Drawer Front would also be considered a Raised Panel Style with Moldings or Decorative Wood Pieces inset within a Mitered Corner Frame. The Center Panel can be just a Matching Flat Material.

Edge Formed Slab

This Drawer Front is Solid or Pieces of a Solid Wood that is Bonded together to Form a Slab then the Edge has been Machined with a Rounded Decorative Edge.

Shaker Style

The Shaker Style is Simplistic in Design. This Simple Squared off Corner Style with Mortise and Tenon Style Joints and a Simple MDF or Plywood Stained, Laminated or Painted Panel in the Center.

For more information about the Types of Joints used for the 5 Piece Drawer Front, go to our Article Doors Kitchen and Bath. see link below

Drawer Slide Tracks

Under Mount Soft Closing Drawer Slides are the most Requested Mechanism to slide the Drawer Open and Closed. They do Prevent Slamming the Drawer Shut when you want to make a Statement.

Soft Close are activated when you open them, the Spring is Stretched and wants to return to its natural Position. When the Closing Actions starts the Spring Re-Coil is Dampened by a Hydraulic Action that slows the Closing Process.

The Soft Close Drawer Slides do cost more so you have to add that cost or go to the lesser expensive Drawer Slides. Regular Drawer Slides are a Mechanism that use Plastic Rollers and Guide Tracks to Smoothly Close the Drawer.

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