Technical planning guide
Drawer Box Height & Dovetail Layout Guide
Drawer height affects the machining and appearance of the top dovetail. Timbercraft publishes preferred height endings plus two review bands that help a cabinetmaker anticipate a cut through the top edge or an additional machine setup.
Start with the finished height
Preferred height endings support the standard dovetail setup
Timbercraft’s published dovetail layout identifies 1/8, 1/4, or 3/8 inch as the preferred height endings. Specifying a finished drawer height with one of those endings avoids machine setup charges and helps preserve a clean relationship between the joint pattern and the top edge.
This is a manufacturing-layout rule, not a cabinet-opening deduction. Determine the required finished drawer-box height from the cabinet design and the slide manufacturer’s requirements first. Then compare that finished height with the published dovetail layout before placing it on the quote line.
Prepare finished drawer-box dimensions- 1/8 inch
- A preferred finished-height ending in Timbercraft’s published layout.
- 1/4 inch
- A preferred finished-height ending in Timbercraft’s published layout.
- 3/8 inch
- A preferred finished-height ending in Timbercraft’s published layout.
Read the height against the next whole inch
Two height bands require extra attention
In Timbercraft’s notation, X is the next whole inch above the requested drawer height. The layout uses that reference point to describe what happens near the top of the standard pattern. Review the exact finished height rather than assuming every fractional ending produces the same top edge.
- Identify the finished height
Use the height the drawer box must be built to, after the cabinet design and slide requirements have been resolved.
- Check the fractional ending
Compare the requested ending with the preferred 1/8, 1/4, and 3/8-inch positions in Timbercraft's published layout.
- Read the top-edge band
If the height sits near the next whole inch, determine whether the source diagram indicates a possible top-edge cut or a machine reconfiguration.
- Confirm before quoting
Ask Timbercraft about an unusual height instead of substituting an unverified measurement allowance, clearance rule, or assumed setup.
The printable source diagram remains useful beside the HTML explanation when a line falls near either band. Confirm an unusual height with Timbercraft before ordering.
Download the printable dovetail layout (PDF)Carry the decision into the request
Record the finished height with the rest of the drawer specification
A quote line needs more than height. Include quantity, finished width and depth, Maple or Birch, the slide model when it affects preparation, and any specialty option. Keep the Job Label ID or PO consistent across every line and any separate drawing or template.
Timbercraft’s published standard ranges also differ by species. Birch standard drawer boxes range from 2 1/8 to 12 1/8 inches high; Maple standard drawer boxes range from 2 1/8 to 11 3/8 inches high. Edge-glued construction can reach heights up to 22 3/8 inches. Confirm any size outside the relevant standard range before ordering.
The height-layout review does not replace the material range, construction specification, or specialty-option requirements. Treat it as one checkpoint inside the complete drawer line. A box can use a preferred dovetail ending and still require separate confirmation because its material range, slide preparation, shaped profile, insert, or overall configuration falls outside a standard request.
Review constructionSee the sides, joints, bottom, inset, finish, and material ranges together.Compare size rangesCheck the published Maple and Birch ranges before finalizing the line.Open the product referenceReturn to the primary drawer specification and its dovetail-layout summary.Review orderingUnderstand the request, acknowledgement, production, and delivery sequence.