# Cabinet build steps. Carcass or Drawers first?



## MistakeMagnet (Jan 10, 2012)

I'm about to start building my first cabinet with drawers. It's going to be for the shop, that way, I learn a lot and don't have to worry about others seeing the errors. I was about to start on the carcass first, then build the drawers to fit, but then I read about someone building the drawers first and the carcass to fit. Which way is better?


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

Short of some mass produced piece; Carcass first, then adjust drawers to fit.

I've never seen different. I'd be interested to hear from others why you would do it the other way, sounds fraught with the possibility for errors.


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## Viking (Aug 26, 2009)

I know that if your drawers will use side mounted slides, Build the cabinet, install the slides, then measure for drawer width.

Don't ask me why I know that.

Good luck!


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## jusfine (May 22, 2010)

I suppose if it was the first time you were working on bow front drawers with exotic wood, you may want to build your drawers first if you were not confident about the skill required, but I have never done it that way either.

I always build the carcass first, then the drawers to fit.

As John says, will be interesting to hear the other side of the discussion.


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## BLarge (Aug 29, 2011)

jmos, perhaps he is thinking do the faceframe first then, carcass, then drawers?

If you are going to do a bunch of cabinets at some point, which you will because these will probably turnout great, you can do all your facemframes then build the rest to fit them….


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## Viking (Aug 26, 2009)

Randy;

This is kinda like the "which comes first? ...... The mortise ….. Or the tenon?"


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Carcase first. I can't think of a good reason to make the
drawers first and to do so would be looking for trouble, imo.

If doing a lot of cabinets, it is smart to assemble the carcases
last because they consume a lot of space. So in small shop
fact frame building it would be face frames, then doors and 
drawers, then assemble the carcases.

However in fine furniture with piston-fit drawers you build
the carcase first, drawers oversize by a hair, and plane to fit.


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## MistakeMagnet (Jan 10, 2012)

Thanks for your input folks. I read about it the other day and it didn't explain why it would be done that way. But, my failed search of the internet for such information probably revealed why it isn't done regularly. And your comments reflect that. On to the build…..


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## Sawkerf (Dec 31, 2009)

Carcass first unless the drawers have a very specific purpose that dictates their size. Last year, I built a huge entertainment center that needed to store over 800 DVD's, and have a pull out tray for a turntable. For that job, the drawers & pullout got built first.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

It's best to build the cabinet first and then build the drawers to fit. If you are using drawer slides you can mount your slides and then measure. I always use just a little bit more room than the drawer slide maker recommends - maybe 1mm. It's never caused me any problems to do it. To be extra sure you can usually cut a piece of drop the right length and mount the appropriate parts on the edges and test for the actual feel of the drawer slides if you want to go that far.

helluvawreck
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com/


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

Yep Carcase to fit the space you plan, then build the drawers to fit it.

Though often if you were making a bunch of cabinets - you would make all the carcase parts and stack them so that you aren't trying to navigate around a bunch of bulky wood boxes and trying not to ding corners


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

I always go carcass first.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

Back when we manufactured cabinets with all of the European hardware we always allowed 1 more millimeter in the length between the sides than what the slide manufacturer specified. We usually tried to use the same slide from order to order so there were no surprises. We had programmable panel saws where we cut all of the parts. We cut the cabinet parts and drawer parts and assembled each and everything usually fit fine. In other words you didn't fit the drawers to the cabinets. You made a batch of drawers and a batch of cabinets, assemble both , and slid the drawers into the cabinets. One drawer would fit just as good as another. This is obviously slightly different than making one or a few cabinets.

Obviously, if you build really nice furniture you fit each drawer to the case.

helluvawreck
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com/


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## ChrisForthofer (Jan 1, 2010)

Another vote for Carcas first. My reasoning is this, any mistakes in the carcas can likely be compensated for by altering the dimensions slightly in the offending area. If the drawers were built already this could be a much bigger issue. I also look at it from a materials standpoint, there is a lot more wood tied up in the carcas of cabinet than in the drawers making a "do over" on the carcas due to a mistake much more expensive than a drawer or two. Remeber, measure 5 times, cut once! Cheers.

Chris.


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## casual1carpenter (Aug 16, 2011)

I vote for the face frame first, after all is said and done it is the face frame that defines the cabinet in my little world. I layout and measure by hand and eye, and the eyes are not as good as they once were. When trying to face frame a carcass even small errors in measurement or cut are right out front for me to see every time.

That said, the face frame (if face frame), the carcass, the doors and drawers (adjusted to fit).

That allowing that silly millimeter extra is a very good piece of advice. Let's just leave it that I know about tight drawers.


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## DLCW (Feb 18, 2011)

It depends.

If the drawers HAVE to be a certain size (to fit specific objects) then build the drawers first then the carcass to fit around the drawers.

If the carcass has to be an exact size to fit in a specific space, then build it first and size the drawers to fit the carcass.


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