How To Build Plywood Drawers, Strong, Easy and FAST!

After this video you will know every step you need to know How To Build Plywood Drawers, Strong, Easy and FAST! Drawer building 101, everything you need to know to build any size drawer you want from plywood in a way that will last forever!

We have been rebuilding the kitchen in the family lake house that was flooded this past spring. The kitchen has been build already and installed and now it is time to build a lot of different size drawers and trays to fill some of the cabinet carcasses. This step by step tutorial will show you what measurements you need to build a drawers your self, show you how to break down material, prepare for assembly and how to assemble very strong drawers.

Tools I Use (affiliate links):

Items specific to the finishing setup:

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#plywooddrawers #easydrawers #builddrawers

[mikeepstein]

There is something about watching builds being done with the right tools and in a shop that is set up correctly. It makes an easy job just that...easy. Nice work

[Gmoon]

Your a beast brother . Respect . Real carpenter . Clean, and really organized. I see your tools in place . Nothing but respect .

[MaydaysCustomWoodworks]

I run a high end custom cabinet shop. We built our drawers very similarly. We use prefinished Russian Birch, undermount slides, and a 1/4" bottom. We load up a sheet of Russian Birch into the CNC router and it will cut out our parts. With rabbet joints for the sides and a 1/4" dado for the bottom, and then we use 23g pins and glue on the sides just like you did. We have never once had a drawer box failure, and I've been building cabinets for 10 years now.

[liloukulele]

I love your concept of adjusting the dado width using the sacrificial fence...usually i spend waaay too much time assembling testing disassembling retesting the dado setup!!!

[hurssylvr]

Wow, this is WAY easier than what I was just trying to do! SO glad I watched this!!!

[mitchcline]

This has been very helpful in making drawers. It's very clear and has just enough info without unnecessary dialogue. Thanks!

[GaryThomsonJoinery]

Just spent the evening watching your videos, not watched you for a while, very relaxing evening, thank you for sharing 👍🔨😊📐

[evanlee]

Thanks. Love the way you show the steps.

[plum]

Thank you... always good to re-enforce learning and inspire doing. Nice video. On year I made 160 drawers out of the "junkiest" wood I had; 1) to get rid of the wood (lots of presswood) and 2) to learn how to do it. I put them "everywhere" just to practice. Ten years later, they're still working well. I'm in a mode where I'm gonna make some "better ones" now and your video will help. Thanks again.

[PatrickArchuleta-lk]

Outstanding work young man may God's favor be on you and your work, God bless keep up the great work.😊

[healthballnut]

Thanks a bunch, I tried this method out, it works great.I wish I could build drawer boxes half as fast as you do, but for me it is a hobby so taking my time can be fun. I have built 24 different drawers now for my kitchen improvements and I have tried several different methods. With the use of wood glue, any method will produce a drawer that is stronger than it needs to be be. The reason I like this method over the floating bottom in dado grooves is because this style pulls the side panels in perfectly when all your cuts are square. Even birch plywood can be warped slightly so the floating bottom panel does not pull it perfectly straight and your side mounted drawer slides work so much better when everything is square, straight, and true. I just love how these drawers come together when you tap in a perfect size for size panel into the bottom rabbits. Thanks again .

[dpeter]

Nice presentation!! I'm 73 yrs old and my Dad taught me that way of building 'boxes' when I was 8 yrs old. The ball drawer slides came much later, in the late '80s for me, and I just don't understand how I ever got along without them! I just completed a machine tool stand with about a dozen small tool drawers, about 8w x 22d x 2 to 4d and three large drawers, and the frame or carcass. I used that joint technique, always do if possible, for everything. And pins while the glue dried! I even have that same GlueBot!! I love the shop cabinets you have build and the way you incorporated the chop saw space. Beautiful!

[davidwalls]

Thanks Tyler. Been looking around a bit for joinery options on some 1/2" ply drawers for a bathroom vanity. Gonna give this a try. The sacrificial wood addition to the fence for the dado was an eye opening "why didn't I think of that!"

[christopherhaak]

I like this construction method, it is virtually the same one I use. The only thing I do different is that I use SS finish screws on the side of the drawers instead of the pins that you use. If the drawers are going to fail, it is typically at the front edge joints. The 1" SS finish screws I use pull the joints tight and then go 13/16" into the front piece and make it virtually impossible for that joint to fail, even in a heavily loaded drawer.

[johnlofts]

Fantastic to is is exactly what I needed. Thank you for the video.

[ULINEgo]

After re doing the custom sized oversized cabinet doors and building new drawers in old warped cabinets with finished plywood and ball bearing drawer slides using a bunch of clamps, idriver, hand pull saw, skilsaw and my best balancing techniques, I am watching the "how it's made " human machine here using these tools that take every headache out of the process and wow. I mean the dados the jig the squared even pressure cuts.. I really appreciate this specific info on proper tools for the job. The cost of not using the tools is much higher in terms of adjustments, difficulty on install, tension on parts and time cleaning up. Now all I have to do is sell a vehicle or something and I can step my game up! Thanks for the graphic visualizations mid video too.. good production. Cheers!

[Walks-Drives]

Your organization space impresses me, I can't keep everything organize and clean like that haha

[gregnewton]

This video was the first on my search for finding a tutorial on how to make drawers. Now to make some. Too bad wood is outrageously expensive. This video earned you a a follower.

[ThomasCustomWoodworks]

Thank you for an awesome video! I love this joint because of its strength.

[jbraMoVal]

Nice shop. For light duty items this will work but I prefer the quarter drawer system. It's also simple and much stronger. First time on your channel, I'll check your other videos