Inset drawer spacing

larry merlau

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Location
Delton, Michigan
for some its old hat and others they avoid it like the plague,, well here is a tip for making just alittle easier to asseble a drawer frt with the right spacing each way.. after you have got the drawer frt sized correctly for the allowance you want then take some plastic laminate scraps and cut them to a manageable size i use 2x3.5 and then use one or more to make it fit as you like.. if you want a small gap i take one and just add layers of blue tape just make two the same size for the sides and for the bottom spacing.. works great for me..
drawer spacing 001.jpg drawer spacing 002.jpg

oh and for us old folks we need to write down the wraps so that we dont mix them up:)
 
And add a couple of drops of hot melt glue to the back side of the front to temporarily attach it to double check the fit before you permanently attach it.:thumb:
 
Good idea, Larry! I always seem to have shorts of edge-banding, both 1/8" and 1/16", that I keep in a coffee can for that purpose. I'll have to check on the laminate "samples" the next time I'm at Lowe's. :)
 
to me the adjustment factor is key. unless i am the only one that takes one more cut or planes one more swipe that changes things alitle..works for any type of spacing allowance procedure..
 
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For sizing I make one corner fit tightly, then i just use a scriber to set my gaps. I just make two marks on the side, and two on the top and run it on the edge sander and sand to the lines.

For mounting I use two tapered shims and I just eyeball it. Then nail it from the backside. If I can't get at the backside I use double sided tape, but its not my favorite way to go.
 
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I use pennies to space and double sided tape to hold front in place.
I like the plastic spacers, much easier for us old folk to handle.
I knew an old trim carpenter who used to hang doors using the thickness of a dime for reference. His boss questioned him on a fairly wide gap one time. "I didn't have a dime", says he, "so I used two nickels there":D
 
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