3 Ways to Build Professional Quality Drawers

Plans for the Alm Fab Workbench are now available on my website www.almfab.com...
In this weeks video I'm covering the basics of how to make drawers. I make 3 different kinds of drawers. Ones with wood slides, ones with side mounted metal slides, and ones with undermount drawer slides.
You can purchase Blum TANDEM undermount drawer slides from long time supporter of my channel, Rockler. www.rockler.co...
Additional Rockler tools used in this video:
Rockler Deluxe Brass Setup Bars www.rockler.co...
Rockler JIG IT Undermount Drilling Guide www.rockler.co...
Rockler Marking and Measuring Pouch www.rockler.co...
Rockler Pro Lift Router Lift www.rockler.co...
Rockler Glue Brush www.rockler.co...
Affiliate link to other tools used in this video
Kreg Cabinet Hardware Jig amzn.to/3cq25lQ
Kreg Pocket Hole Jig amzn.to/3b2ixaW
Handi Shims amzn.to/3pySA7B
Milwaukee M12 drill and driver amzn.to/3csLRbt
Self Centering drill bit amzn.to/3afGOsd
Sawstop 3hp Cabinet Saw amzn.to/3aebYQR
Moleskine notebook Moleskine Classic 7.5” x 9.5” amzn.to/2L9A2eF
GVS Half Mask Respirator amzn.to/33R9x4b
Irwin Quickgrip Clamps amzn.to/3r1UmhK
Bostich 18ga Brad Nailer amzn.to/2MHuSar
California Air Tools 8gal Compressor amzn.to/2MCW2iO
IsoTunes Pro 2.0 Noise Cancelling Ear Buds bit.ly/almfabiso
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Music: www.epidemicsou...

[@CharlesRattray]

Omg that imperial chart thingy 😂 Priceless. I can’t believe the things you subject yourself to with imperial. I barely even remember how fractions work lol

[@Flying_Spaghetti_Monster]

The thing on top is divided by the thing on the bottom. 2/4 means that the 2 is is divided into 4 equal portions. You can multiply or divide both sides by the same number. 5/7 = (5x5)/(5x7) = 25/35 10/5 = (5x2)/(5x1) = 1/2 If you want 1/2 of 10 you multiply the number by the fraction. When you try to divide 1/2 by 4 you can just multiply the 4 by the bottom thing. - > 1/8 When you multiply 1/2 by 4 you get 4/2 = 2 English is my second language so please don't quote me on terminology, but that's the concept.

[@brianlawrence9959]

Its actually pretty easy. Half of 9 and 3/8 is just 4.5 and 3/16. Add 1/2 and 3/16 and you get 4 and 11/16.

[@darrylpayment2365]

Fractions are precisely why imperial is easier to work with for building... anything.

[@pmp2559]

The school system to teach basic math really failed horribly. Fractions is just numbers why does everyone seem so freaked out is not difficult. Same with decimals just keep your unit of measure straight jeez

[@jintarokensei3308]

You really need to learn how to divide...hard to build anything without that.

[@Hizzlesticks]

This is like a MasterClass on drawer making. I’ve gone from not wanting to screw with drawers, to wanting to make a bunch in 24 minutes. Great vid!

[@garyorlando4982]

1u777777777hh777777777k

[@preshitamalhotra1267]

Upon unboxing, I was immediately upset at how the rails were very noticeably bent. But I kept going, all tools needed to assemble were included kzbin.infoUgkxqtX4Dxs6aecAZEuz6GY5-d81YecKCshn and I had it set up in about 30 minutes. Honestly I love this thing, make sure to read the measurements and measure your space so you know if it'll work for you. I bought this to put inside my closet, underneath where I hang my clothes and it is absolutely perfect! It is VERY sturdy and all drawers glide easily and mine are stuffed, and they are still flush when closed.

[@oatmeal63]

I installed three Blum under drawer slides for the first time last year. Yes, the instructions are a little complicated. Great idea installing the slides first and then measure for the drawer itself. Much easier, Appreciate your video.

[@kevinhodder3823]

Came for cabinets - learned the straw trick for glue.

[@GeeksWoodShop]

The false back on the basic drawer is something I haven't tried, oh ya, learning something new. Thanks Michael

[@MichaelAlm]

Nice! Yeah it’s a good way to go👍

[@carlosarredondo2589]

This is probably the best tutorial for intimidating drawer building and installation I have come across. Thank you for sharing

[@thomlipiczky9021]

I've been building cabinets, etc. for 35 years, but your technique for installing slides on the drawer boxes was one I've not seen. I'll use it from now on. Thanks!

[@charliecampbell9212]

I have been a carpenter for 50 years in Ireland. We have been doing this for years even as a young boy in the workshop all them years ago.

[@thatguythatdoesstuff7448]

I discovered those shims a few years ago and have a BUNCH of them in my shop. They have a tremendous number of uses. First time I've seen a KZbinr using them.

[@warpeace8891]

Your video and dialogue are excellent and you are giving good information. Well done. Whats that music? Are we in an elevator?

[@vinkelto]

It’s just great to watch and listen to you. No fuss or funniness. Just plain and straightforward. Thanks man!

[@reyesfamilydental696]

Love the straw to clean up excess wood glue. Have never seen this. So easy, so useful

[@md.merajkhan1462]

Just because of you I learned today how to install draw sliding. Thank bro, from INDIA

[@richardclarke9966]

What I love about your videos is that I actaully learn something in each and every one. Great stuff Michael 👌

[@MichaelAlm]

Glad to hear it! Thanks Richard

[@acolburn23]

Watching your videos is so soothing. Thank you, sir!

[@Sthera10Pro]

You're my HERO... Thank you so much for all your efforts on creating this video... Thank you.... 👏🏾

[@LS-fm2zt]

Excellent tutorial! You are a natural educator.

[@crystyanys]

@Michael Alm I do cabinet design and installs in the US (I use Imperial System) and what I do to get fractions out of a decimal result is : I take away the full number and then multiply whats left by 16. So for examples: you had 4.6875. Take away the 4. You get .6875. Multiply that by 16 and the result is 11(aka 11/16). So now you add back the 4 and you get 4 and 11/16.

[@emilolguin3087]

Just a comment on the Rockler jig for Blum clips / under-mount glides. I tried to drill the pilot holes for the clips at the appropriate angle and no matter how careful I was- they didn't sit right and the drawer was wonky. I purchased the clip jig from Rockler and the clips worked perfectly. The jig also properly aligns the pinhole at the rear of the drawer. Money well spent. Keep up the good work.

[@r1ca4d013]

i never wanted to touch cabinets, but this... This changed the game. you made it look simple! thanks for the great vid!

[@peroyhav]

Really nice walkhrough, really wish i had thought about watching something like this when I was restoring the drawers in the kitchen two years ago.

[@SaintFredrocks]

The straw trick for excess glue got you another sub.

[@TuanBui-yp7oz]

that chart is awesome -u kidding me, I want one!! lol.

[@canitood1458]

You're a wonderful teacher. Lovely project. Thanks for sharing

[@jray1429]

You truly did give me more confidence and incite in drawer building. Thank You.

[@Kees_Klotsnek]

thanks for your great video. I struggled with making drawers by starting of the wrong way. And offering plans in metric dimensions is super. Thanks a lot.

[@benmooreman]

I just feel like from your videos you have to be the most chill dude and we'd have a great time getting a beer and talking wood

[@leftykelly3944]

Great video. It was good to see the comparison of several methods side by side.

[@christinaforakis1024]

What a beautiful design and build. You're instructions are easy to follow and the illustrations of the cut & assembly are clear. Your voice is smooth and even, making your instruction delivery easy to listen to. Thank you. cmf

[@SOz-uf5yq]

I have all my tools and am so ready to build one, Your instructions have helped me in every detail, step by step, not like the other channels, what can I say, young man, thank you so much. Keep up the great work. 👍 👍👍

[@cookin1965]

Excellent tutorial, thanks!

[@donolliff2630]

This has been so helpful! Thank you for detailed descriptions of your process.

[@SomeTechGuy666]

Wow. I am not a carpenter. This was extremely helpful.

[@timheenan5655]

Genius!! Straight forward, great techniques!!

[@carolburkhart-lyons6720]

This is a very detailed tutorial on all tools needed and what you do with them. Great for someone learning for the first time.😄

[@MrSpitfireMustang]

That chamfered edge just makes it!

[@gilbertrivera2835]

God i have learn soo much from this guy thank you for going step by step on how to /////

[@Murpie2u]

Thank you for your help on all the measurements!!!

[@woodworkingindustrialdesig4464]

Thanks for all the tool list in description. This is what im looking for 💯👏👏🙏🙏

[@coreyevans1979]

This is awesome. I have done custom closets and cabinets for the last 6 years, and I appreciate your breakdown of the work, so regular people can do it. 👍🏻

[@StephenTimperley]

The left side of the shot at 7:50 totally made me think I scratched the heck out of my phone screen for a second. Haha. Thanks for the awesome information!

[@davesclarow4646]

VEEEERRRRYYYYY GOOOD examples and explanation! Thank you!!!🔥🔥🔥

[@jamesredgrove6141]

Nice one mate, thanks for the video 👍🏻

[@PGore9894]

Very good demonstration and explanation!!

[@madeleineturner2198]

You're such a great teacher, thank you for defining the jargon and breaking down all the steps! Really helpful!

[@chadbarton4966]

Excellent instruction on basic drawer making skills. As someone who is/was also intimated by the thought of attempting to build a drawer, I found your video to be very motivating:)

[@terrymccusker9882]

A really excellent video that was presented well and was not patronising. I am confident I could copy that. Thanks.

[@stevenduyck5204]

Planning on to convert my van (again) :) this video is a great help!!!

[@AGlimpseInside]

Michael my favorite tip in this video was to not make the drawer a compression fit when using those mechanicals your slides. I have been frustrated with that I know so many people who have built it so close to tolerance that the drawer slide didn’t operate properly. Definitely a great tip thanks for Sharing brother great video

[@jeremyspecce]

I agree. I always have to fight my tendency to want to make it like a piston fit.

[@necrojoe]

In the video, is it my imagination, or did he talk about how the slides have some built-in flexibility, but then didn't use those tabbed holes on the cabinet sides?

[@leifdaddow]

I am horrible about tight tolerances. Its even worse when you start dealing with expansion and contraction of solid woods.

[@chriskeeble]

Agreed. I ended up planing down plywood drawer sides to achieve a better motion on one build. Not fun, and easily avoidable. Thanks for the tips, Michael! Adam Savage has a great tip for avoiding "too tight tolerances" - add some paper or thin card shims. Can be easily tack glued in place while measuring.

[@bertharuiz1225]

Wow! Very nice work

[@joshualevine5779]

So good. Clear videos and explanations as you went. Excellent editing. Enought time was spent showing how it all worked without bogging down with too much repitition. I'm using your info, but one small change. I used a drawer slide to make a metal jig for the slide hole layout (I'm also a metal worker) and predrilled the slide holes in the case side. It seemed less awkward than doing that in the case after is was assembled.

[@fredzaspel7350]

One of the most helpful drawer install videos I've seen. Many thanks. Liked & subscribed!

[@cristofacar]

Well done - a simple and clear instructional video - thank you.

[@Simphome]

I love that you can remake old drawers into new ones. And make it look better. Very professional!

[@LifeSurfingDude]

I love you man, so pleasant to watch. it is like meditation, just beautiful work, very nice

[@Mike-rk2tj]

Had to grab me some of those handy shims, thanks

[@danielzamora7713]

Ive been wood working for about 6 months and have avoided anything involving drawers like the plague lol. Thank you for this video.

[@HGAviator]

Absolutely the best drawer build video I've seen so far. Thank you for post it...!

[@nikcrosina]

I love Blum, The underside drawerslides. I think all drawers should be like that.

[@manulepereira6563]

Thanks , great working drawers and build very well. again Thankyou for sharing

[@dgb5820]

I have lost count of how many draw making videos that I have viewed. Your video is a cut above the rest from the video through to the plans. I have made draws and they look shit. Now I’m going to make them again with your added Help. Thank you from down under mate.

[@schm4704]

I was biting my tongue so hard not to blurt out a metric comment 😀, but you pointed out the obvious yourself. Thanks!

[@WayneRigley]

You Sir have allowed me to think I can build a drawer, as long as it slides my wife will be proud of building it! SUBBED

[@TheEricSchubert]

I made some drawers and a cabinet, but really didn't know what I was doing. This was SOOOOOOOO much simpler, easier, and faster than the "total noob" versions I built. Definitely bookmarking this for future reference! (Also... watch those fingers with the nail gun!)

[@ItsNotInventedYet]

Epic video on making perfect drawers. A nail gun I've been bitten by before and I did fine with band-aid and some kool-aid. You want to be 10 times more careful with your fingers when you use a table saw -- one of the most useful but also a dangerous power tool. I like the table saw jig Michael's got but IMHO future epic carpentry would be with plunge saws and routers, not table saws.

[@moudavis5830]

Michael thanks for the tip on the Handi-shims, they are great! when cutting wood I use the 1/8 shim to prevent the wood from pinching the blade. The shims also beat using coins when spacing drawers. Love your videos!!

[@mikecalhoun8497]

Backtail Studio will not be happy LOL Great video

[@carlosnievesm.5590]

Un excelente maestro y nada egoista.

[@violet2048]

The straw trick was genius,

[@miamor3712]

wow nice cabinet thank you ..lots of idea iwanto order for my dream house in the Philippines

[@Thebeardedviking865]

This was extremely satisfying

[@richard.hart.]

Great video. I wish I saw this sooner. I just finished putting draws into my workbench and made so many mistakes that I could have avoided after watching this. Thanks for the great content

[@jordan.newsom]

That's so clean! Great work man.

[@chm1701]

Great tips, Michael. Thanks 👍

[@GL-xf3dj]

You are the only woodworker who has pronounced the name of the German company properly, thank you! Ten stars for Michale! For the rest of you: The name is German and is not pronounced "bloom" it is pronounced "blum" phonetically, bluhm Get it right!

[@SIE44TAR]

1:58 "I know this is barbaric..." lol. I got a good chuckle out of this because I do PLENTY of things like this, down and dirty, with the limited workspace and tools I have. All the while the optimist thinking "maybe someday I'll have..."

[@ToxicMetropolis]

Awesome video. Thanks!

[@williamlott7612]

Nice job Michael. Darlington, South Carolina

[@pas0003]

Amazing video! Thank you!

[@pimkevnkids]

Thank you so much Michael- I was searching steel fab shop drawer designs but this is so much easier! Thank you for the plans- now I can build my perfect shop.

[@liamivens1682]

Dude you're amazing, this is a great video. Subscribed. Liam

[@jessinabreez3576]

Perfect work sir

[@oldstudbuck3583]

Thumbs up and new subscriber. Excellent design and craftsmanship. Good content production and editing too. No fluff, no BS.

[@davidbourland8080]

Nice tutorial but the highlight for me is the cameo by your dog at the end!

[@SuperNova-Steve]

Super efficient editing which made for a really concise video. Thanks, lots of good info in this one.

[@daveyJ213]

Nice work sir. I am planning a small miter saw work bench with drawers; your tutorial came in handy. Thanks for posting.

[@charleselkins4546]

Great description of your thought process and technique. Nice design and craftsmanship for more or less a novice like me. Thanks.

[@kgucmen]

Totally an inspirational video… Makes me feel to run to my workshop and build some drawers… Thank you Mr. Alm

[@byLokie]

You are a clever fella. The 3 x 2" top draws. I like the idea of extended rails to stop draw falling out. You could put Spring loaded locator pins on side railings which you can reach and release if you need to take draw out fully. When you pronounce "Rebate" though it sounds like "Rabbit".... Australia here we say ....Re Bait.

[@KorraTheFrenchie]

Thanks for making this video! Super simple design!

[@TolgaOzisik]

He is stunning! I love him so much. He is the legend!

[@MichaelAlm]

😊

[@jensvanhoof]

Great video, thanks a lot! I'm noticing that you don't wait for your miter saw to stop spinning when lifting the blade up. You are of course a pro, but for any less experienced builder out there, it would be highly recommended to wait for the blade to come to a full stop before raising it again - this is especially true when using a stopblock, since you could get a pretty scary kickback.

[@felixfromnebraska8648]

Excellent video, Michael. I, too, "have a fear of the drawer" in me. I am getting ready to build out my garage cabinets and miter station. Your teaching method is really helpful and enjoyable. Thanks, you! Felix

[@MichaelAlm]

Glad to hear it! Good luck with the cabinets 👍

[@phoenix2441]

Plain and simple comment just like your video. Great video!

[@williamlewis8741]

nicely done sir bravo

[@The_Real_Evets]

Excellent Video - Greetings from switzerland 👍🏼

[@MichaelAlm]

Thank you very much!

[@FrankTuk]

Imperial and it's fractions... still looks like black magic ;D

[@madmikemakes3056]

Great video thanks Michael.

[@oniechambers3522]

Dude you're awesome lol my life is better now !!!!!

[@TokyoLlama]

Thanks very much! This is going to help me a lot when I do the drawers for my kids' room.

[@piyush3549]

Amazing build Michael. You are a pro. We did the same with metal slides in the past since then we have learnt if you over drill the hole on the drawer box you can have some adjustability while fixing drawer fronts.