Drawers are one of the units of cabinets and they play an important role in the storage space. The drawers are made of solid wood and have framed or flat slab fronts and held together with dovetail, mortise and tenon, or butt joints. The drawer dividers are cutlery compartments, spice drawers, utensil drawers and linen drawers. Before choosing the materials you need to have an idea of what to store in the drawers.

Drawer slide options

The drawer should open and shut with ease. For that the drawer slides should be smooth and not chipped. The options are used according the contents that one plans to put in the drawer.

1. Ball-bearing slides are attached to the bottom of the drawer sides and allow wider drawer box with wide interior space.
2. Full-extension slides attach to the bottom or the sides of the drawer. The ball bearing of these drawers provides stability and strength and can be used to store heavy items like files or cookware.
3. The sides of the drawers can be attached to the track and roller slides. These steel tracks offer quiet operation but are fewer stables compared o ball-bearing drawers.

Types of drawer's joints

Dovetails drawer boxes include scoop fronts, pullout ears for concealing side mounts. They are available finished or pre-finished. These drawers are specifically made to meet the demands of the high-end kitchen cabinets and other cabinets. Dovetail drawers are made from solid aspen, oak, maple wood. The means of joining two pieced of wood at right angle is known as the mortise and tenon joint. This joint is the staple in the construction of chairs, tables, cabinets, and paneling. This is the most commonly used joint. Though the basic joint is simple it may vary according to the type of furniture made and designs used. Butt joint is the easiest and simplest way to join two pieces of wood together. The drawer made using this joint cannot hold heavy items as the holding power depends on nails or screws.

Install Drawer Latches

To prevent opening of drawers install latches like childproof locks, safety hasps or barrel bolts. These latches can be easily installed and will interfere with opening and shutting of the drawers. While installing latches follow the instructions in the manual and use the right kind of screws and hardware.

Tips to repair a sliding drawer

Remove the contents of the drawer. Then lift drawer above the track or press the lever to release the drawer. Locate the drawer guide underneath and examine its condition. Replace the staples with screws. Position the new drawer guide in place, matching the existing screw holes in the wood. Tighten the screws to secure the guide firmly in place.