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Drawer base

A frameless base 24" wide, 34 1/2" high and 24" deep: three equal drawers on 21" undermount slides, boxes in 1/2" hard maple, and a toe kick notched into the sides.

Open this example Opens in the planner as your own copy, named Drawer base (example), with Gus’s answers and the cut list already made. Nothing you change touches this page, and the copy doesn't count toward the 3 projects Free keeps.

The space

A 24" space against a wall. In Gus’s first step: Cabinets, Run width 24, Wall to wall. The cabinet brings the usual base height and depth, 34 1/2 × 24.

The decisions

  • Stock. 3/4" birch plywood for the carcass and drawer fronts; 1/4" for the back and drawer bottoms; 1/2" hard maple for the drawer boxes.
  • Construction: frameless, two 4" stretchers across the top instead of a full top.
  • Toe kick: notched into the sides, 4" high and 3" back.
  • Fronts: three drawers, heights left empty so Gus makes them even, Full overlay.
  • Slides: 21" undermount. Gus sizes each box to the slide.
  • Joinery: the Dado & rabbet preset: 1/4" dadoes and rabbets for the carcass, rabbeted box corners, bottoms in a 1/4" groove.

Step back through Gus’s answers

Open the example, then choose Edit design in the top bar (on a phone it is in the More menu, the ⋯ button). Gus opens on Review with every answer in place. The steps sit above it: 1 What are you building, 2 Sections, 3 Configure sections, 4 Stock, 5 Joinery and 6 Review. Tap any step to see the answer behind each number.

Change an answer and the drawings follow as you type. Generate cut listPro makes the parts again. If you have moved parts by hand, Gus asks first: Keep my changes updates the sizes and leaves your layout, Find the best layout again starts over. Back to planner closes Gus and keeps your answers.

Free can open every example and look through its answers; changing a Gus example and generating it again is Pro.

The cut list

The plywood parts, then the drawer box lumber, then the install notes.

PartSize (L × W)QtyMaterialGrain
Back30 1/16 × 23 1/1611/4" Birch plywoodAny
Drawer bottom21 7/16 × 20 1/231/4" Birch plywoodAny
Side34 1/2 × 2423/4" Birch plywoodAlong length
Bottom23 3/4 × 23 1/1613/4" Birch plywoodAny
Drawer front23 7/8 × 10 1/1633/4" Birch plywoodAlong length
Stretcher23 1/16 × 423/4" Birch plywoodAny
LumberSize (L × W × T)QtySpecies
Drawer side21 × 8 1/2 × 1/26Hard maple
Drawer front/back21 7/16 × 8 1/2 × 1/26Hard maple

Install notes

  1. Cabinet 1, left side. Dado for the bottom; rabbet along the back edge for the back.
  2. Cabinet 1, right side. Dado for the bottom; rabbet along the back edge for the back.
  3. Cabinet 1, bottom. Sits in a dado in both sides, raised 4" for the toe kick.
  4. Cabinet 1, front stretcher. Dado into both sides, flush with the top.
  5. Cabinet 1, back stretcher. Dado into both sides, flush with the top.
  6. Cabinet 1, back. Sits in the rabbet.
  7. Cabinet 1, bay 1, drawer 1. Full overlay: covers 21/32" on the left, 21/32" on the right; 1/8" reveal. Attach to the box after fitting; 1/8" reveal above and below.
  8. Cabinet 1, bay 1, drawer 1 bottom. Slides into the groove in the box, behind the front.
  9. Cabinet 1, bay 1, drawer 2. Full overlay: covers 21/32" on the left, 21/32" on the right; 1/8" reveal. Attach to the box after fitting; 1/8" reveal above and below.
  10. Cabinet 1, bay 1, drawer 2 bottom. Slides into the groove in the box, behind the front.
  11. Cabinet 1, bay 1, drawer 3. Full overlay: covers 21/32" on the left, 21/32" on the right; 1/8" reveal. Attach to the box after fitting; 1/8" reveal above and below.
  12. Cabinet 1, bay 1, drawer 3 bottom. Slides into the groove in the box, behind the front.
  13. Cabinet 1, bay 1, drawer 1 box, undermount slides 21". Notch and locating hole in the back for undermount slides.
  14. Cabinet 1, bay 1, drawer 2 box, undermount slides 21". Notch and locating hole in the back for undermount slides.
  15. Cabinet 1, bay 1, drawer 3 box, undermount slides 21". Notch and locating hole in the back for undermount slides.

The sheets

Nested with Max yield and a 1/8" kerf. The grain arrow marks parts locked to the grain: the sides and drawer fronts.

Sheet 1 of 2: 3/4" Birch plywood, 96 × 48, 8 parts122436486072849612243648Side34 1/2 × 24Side34 1/2 × 24Bottom23 3/4 × 23 1/16Stretcher 23 1/16 × 4Stretcher 23 1/16 × 4Drawer front23 7/8 × 10 1/16Drawer front23 7/8 × 10 1/16Drawer front23 7/8 × 10 1/16
Sheet 1 of 2: 3/4" Birch plywood, 96 × 48, 8 parts.
Sheet 2 of 2: 1/4" Birch plywood, 96 × 48, 4 parts122436486072849612243648Back30 1/16 × 23 1/16Drawer bottom21 7/16 × 20 1/2Drawer bottom21 7/16 × 20 1/2Drawer bottom21 7/16 × 20 1/2
Sheet 2 of 2: 1/4" Birch plywood, 96 × 48, 4 parts.

The drawings

The front, a section through the side with the toe-kick notch, and the plan.

24Cabinet 12434 1/2
The front elevation, as Gus draws it.
34 1/224Stretcher · 1/4 dadoBack · 1/4 rabbetBottom · 1/4 dadoToe kick · 4 × 3Drawer front/back · 1/4 rabbetDrawer bottom · 1/4 groove
Cabinet 1 in section, seen from the side.
WALLCabinet 121 15/1622 9/1624
The plan, seen from above.

Build order

  1. Break down the plywood from the sheet layouts and mark each part off in Cut mode. Mill the maple for the boxes.
  2. Notch each side for the toe kick, 4" high and 3" deep. Make the sides a mirrored pair.
  3. Cut the dadoes for the bottom and stretchers and the rabbet for the back.
  4. Glue up the box, square it by its diagonals, and fit the back.
  5. Mount the slides to the sides, following the slide maker's spacing.
  6. Cut the box corners and the bottom groove, then glue up the boxes with their bottoms in.
  7. Fit the boxes on the slides, then attach the fronts with an even 1/8" reveal.

Make it yours

Choose Edit design and change the width, the drawer count or the slide length.

Open this example