How to attach face to deep drawers

[Tom Stacey]

Hello Everyone

First off, this is my first post to this great forum. Ive gotten a great amount of information here over the years.

I need help with the design of my latest project. I am designing a kitchen island that will have 4 large drawers on it instead of cupboard doors. The bottom drawer will be 16" deep and will hold small appliances. I was planning on constructing a 8-9" deep drawer box (4 sides) and attaching it to a 16" drawer face. I am planning on constructing the drawer faces using traditional rails and stiles (3/4"x2.5" stock - shaker style) with a 1/4" beadboard panel in the middle.

What would be the best way to construct these drawers? I am using 11/16" 11 ply birch plywood for the drawer boxes, and was planning on dovetailing the drawer boxes. Should I scrap the false front and do a sliding dovetail into the frame of the drawer front (poplar)? dovetail the plywood and use a false front screwed from inside the box? or is there something else I have not considered yet?

Also, if the drawer front is double the height of the box, would it be strong enough to take the weight/ force of opening and closing the drawer? The drawer pulls will be on the top rail.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks

Tom

Here is a quick sketch up of the rough dimensions.
drawer 1.JPGdrawer 2.JPG

[Dave Richards]

Make a normal drawer box and apply the front as a false front. Make your beadboard panel so it is flush with the back face of the rails and stiles so there's no gap.

Just quick sketch.

[glenn bradley]

I used this method on a recent Kitchen Hutch. the "drawers" are actually large bins for pots, pans and counter top appliances. You can sort of see the drawer box construction here:

Kit-Hut-(97).jpg

Here they are installed without the false fronts.

Kit-Hut-(103).jpg

My fronts make the drawers appear to be greater in number and more "normal" in height but, the method may trigger some ideas for you.

Kit-Hut-(154).jpg

[Sam Murdoch]

Make a normal drawer box and apply the front as a false front. Make your beadboard panel so it is flush with the back face of the rails and stiles so there's no gap.

Just quick sketch.

Just like this but add a mid-rail on the back of your front panel (doesn't need to be seen from the front) to secure the drawer box and to add an approximately center back up for positioning a pull. Glenn achieved the same effect by adding a top frame to the drawer box (if I'm seeing it correctly).

[Tom Stacey]

My original plan was as Dave suggested. The beadboard stock I was able to get is only 5/16" I think. So I picked up some hardboard panels to use behind the beadboard to make the panels of the fronts thicker in the hopes that it would make the front stronger and more able to take the stress of opening/ closing such a large drawer.

I have in the past used a threaded insert which screws into the back of the drawer front and then you can use Allen screws through the drawer box to attach and align the front. Assuming I am able to get this hardwear into the frame of the front panel approx half way up the face would it be strong enough?

Thanks all

[Sam Murdoch]

If you glue your back up panels to the bead board front it will be as one and so your fastening system will be plenty strong. You can then attach the drawer pull(s) through the entire assembly or if the box is to short through which to properly place a pull simply make the front of the drawer box taller than the back and sides. This will make certain that the pulls are attached to it as well as to the face piece. This would be my choice.

I have in the past on such tall pullouts scooped the sides so that they were as tall as the box front - at the front - then were reduced in height the rest of the way back. This makes a very rugged drawer.