How to Keep a Drawer Square

For many people, furniture-making is an extremely satisfying hobby. This may be due to the fact that it has, perhaps, some of the most appreciable results. Once you are well practiced, you can display your work with pride for visitors, or even customers interested in purchasing your creations. One detail, however, that will ruin the professional look of a completed piece is a drawer that is not quite square. These drawers will never sit quite right, and will always detract from the furniture’s beauty. There are simple things you can do when creating drawers to ensure that they remain square.

Lumber
Padded clamps
Saw
Measuring tape
Screws
Screwdriver
Nails
Hammer
Carpenter's square

Instructions

- 1
  Cut all identical pieces of wood at once. For example, parallel sides of your drawer will be the exact same size. Rather than trying to make the perfect cuts twice, stack two pieces of wood together, clamp them in place using padded clamps, and cut out the two matching pieces at the same time.
- 2
  Measure your drawer bottom twice and cut once. Mark the dimensions of your planned bottom onto the wood itself, then measure the distances between the marks to guarantee precision. Cut out the drawer bottom only when you are positive your markings are correct.
- 3
  Use correctly sized screws or nails when assembling your drawer. If you use fasteners that are too short for the thickness of your lumber, the drawer may not be secure and may move easily. This allows the drawer to shift and warp, and it will not be square.
- 4
  Check the corners of your completed drawer using a carpenter’s square. This tool will confirm whether or not your drawer is square, since it may be difficult to tell with the naked eye. Make adjustments where necessary to perfect your drawer.

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