How to Make Drawer Boxes | With a Beveled Face

In this woodworking video I'm going to show you how to make drawer boxes with a floating bottom and how to install them. This drawer is a little special as it has a beveled front face. I'll walk you through all the steps to build this walnut drawer box with a floating bottom. I'll show you how to install drawer slides and make adjustments. I'll even show you a trick to install the drawer face.

This drawer build is part of building a walnut office desk. Please also check out the rest of the build on my channel.

Supplies

-Drawer slides

-3/4" Wood for frame

-Wood glue

-Brad nailer

-1/4" plywood for floating bottom

-Scrap 3/4" plywood for nailiers

-1/2" plywood for supports

Step 1: Install Supports to Attach Slides

First measure your space and select and purchase right slides. If the area you want to install your drawer into doesn't have anything to attach slides to, add some supports to screw to. I used 1/2" plywood for the supports and 3/4" plywood to make some mounting blocks to nail to. I used CA glue to immediately hold the piece in place while I nailed it but also regular wood glue to hold the support in place long term. Then I glued and nailed some 3/4" support blocks in place for added strength.

Step 2: Measure and Cut Frame

Measure your space for the drawer between the supports to determine how big your drawer box can be. Just remember that typical drawer slides are about 1/2" wide on both sides and that you will need to attach a face to the front of the drawer. Now cut the sides, front and back. I'm using 3/8" rabbets in the side pieces so I added 3/4" to the front and back. Remember, you want to build the frame with the front and back inside of the side pieces so only the sides are visible when the drawer is done. You do not what to have end grain showing.

Step 3: Cut Floating Bottom Slot in Frame

Cut a slot about 1/4" from the bottom of each of the frame pieces. Not find a scrap piece of wood and do the same. Now move the fence enough to make a slot just wide enough for the drawer bottom and try it on the scrap piece. You should be able to slide the drawer bottom in the slot but it should fit snug enough that it wont rattle. Once your happy with your test piece, cut all of your frame pieces the same way.

Step 4: Cut Rabbets in Side Frame Pieces

Using either a dado set or multiple passed with a flat kerf blade, make your desired rabbet cut so the front and back frame pieces fit into the sides. Again, I made my rabbets 3/8" deep and as wide as the material I was using.

Step 5: Assembly/Cut Bottom to Size

Assemble the back and side pieces using the rabbet cuts, glue and brad nails. Measure and cut the bottom to fit into the slots with about 1/8" of allowable movement. Now slide the bottom into the frame and then install the front frame piece using the rabbet cuts, glue and brad nails. Fill the holes and rough sand the assembly. You will be sanding it again later.

Step 6: Install Slides

Typically side mounted slides will be mounted near or at the bottom of the box. But in this example I mounted them near the top because of the beveled front face. I attached the slides to the drawer box first and then measured where the mounting holes needed to be in the supports on the desk. Then I predrill holes and installed the slides in the desk, making sure that they were level. Then, test fit the drawer box into the the space and make sure it slides smoothly. We will make final adjustments later.

Note: If the drawer is a little tight you can plane or sand down the side faces a little bit to get the drawer to slide smoother.

Step 7: Sand/finish

Make sure all the holes are filled and then sand working your way from 60-240 grit sand paper. Finish with your finish of choice.

Step 8: Install Face

Using double sided tape, stick the face in place where you want it. I added recessed holes for the face screws on the inside, but it is not necessary. Screw the face on from the back side making sure the screws you selected will not go through the front of the face. Now remove the drawer and double sided tape and reinstall using the screw reference holes you just made.