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Custom Dovetail Drawer Boxes in Solid Wood and Plywood

Dovetailed drawer boxes for kitchen cabinets, vanities, closets and case furniture, machined to your sizes, notched for your slides and shipped assembled or flat.

Send an RFQWhat to send
Drawer boxes for a dovetail drawer box order: an open wooden drawer with a finger pull slot
Dovetail drawer boxesAt a glance
Joints
English dovetail, French dovetail, doweled
Side thickness
1/2 in or 5/8 in (12 to 16 mm), typical
Common materials
Hard maple, birch, white oak, birch plywood, walnut
Bottoms
1/4 in plywood captured in a groove, 1/2 in for heavy drawers, typical
Supplied as
Assembled and finished, assembled raw or flat
Typical valuesConfirm on the quote

A dovetail drawer box is the four sides and bottom behind a drawer front. Cabinet shops buy them by the hundred because making them in-house ties up a dovetail machine, a finishing line and floor space for work the customer sees only when the drawer opens. Drawer box factories cut the sides, machine the joints, groove for the bottom, notch for the slides and finish the boxes to an order list of sizes.

Price depends less on the box count than on the mix: how many different sizes, which species and side thickness, whether the boxes are finished and whether they are notched and bored for undermount slides. A list of 400 boxes in 60 sizes costs more per box than 400 boxes in four sizes, because each size is a setup.

Species and panels

  • Hard mapleHard, fine grained and light in color. The standard solid wood drawer box species in North America.
  • Yellow birchClose to maple in look and strength, often at a lower price. Takes a clear finish evenly.
  • White oakOpen grain and a warmer tone. Chosen to match oak cabinets and case goods.
  • PlywoodMulti-ply birch plywood for stable sides and all bottoms. Ask for the face grade and the formaldehyde class.
  • Black walnutDark and costly. Used for high end furniture and boxes that match walnut fronts.
  • PoplarLower cost hardwood for paint grade or utility drawers.

Types of dovetail drawer boxes

Name the type on the RFQ. Factories that make one type well do not always make the others.

TypeWhat it isFits
English dovetail boxesSides joined with interlocking dovetails at all four corners, usually visible from the side of the box. The bottom sits in a groove on all four sides.Kitchen and bath cabinets, case goods and any drawer where the joint is a selling point.
French dovetail boxesThe sides slide into a dovetail groove cut across the back of the drawer front or sub-front, with the back joined to the sides.Furniture drawers and inset fronts where the front is part of the box.
Doweled boxesButt joints with glued dowels and a captured bottom. Lower cost and faster to make.Value cabinet lines and utility drawers where the joint does not show.
Plywood boxesSides cut from multi-ply birch plywood, dovetailed or doweled, with the edge left showing or banded.Modern cabinet lines that show the ply edge, and wide drawers where stability matters.
Pull-outs and roll-outsLow sided trays that mount inside a base cabinet behind a door, often with a scooped front.Pantry and base cabinet storage. Height and side shape vary by job.

Typical specifications

Starting points used across the trade. Your drawing sets the real values, and each factory confirms what it can hold on the quote.

SpecTypical valueNote
Side thickness1/2 in or 5/8 in (12 to 16 mm), typicalSome undermount slides set a maximum side thickness. Check the slide maker spec.
Box heightAbout 2 1/2 to 10 in (64 to 254 mm), typicalGive the side height, not the drawer front height.
Size toleranceAbout ±1/32 in (0.8 mm) on width, depth and height, typicalWidth matters most because slide clearance is fixed. State how you give width: box outside or opening.
SquareDiagonals within about 1/32 in (0.8 mm), typicalA racked box binds on its slides. Ask for diagonal checks per batch.
Bottom1/4 in plywood in a groove, 1/2 in for wide or heavy drawers, typicalUndermount slides need the bottom raised to a set height. Give it on the drawing.
Moisture content6 to 9 percent for indoor cabinets, typicalDry sides keep the dovetails tight after the boxes reach a heated home.

Typical values, not a guarantee. Confirm every value that matters to you on the quote and the approved sample.

How it is built

  • Solid wood sidesSides cut from kiln-dried lumber, often edge-glued from narrower boards for tall boxes. Ask whether glued sides are allowed and whether color is matched across a box.
  • Plywood sidesMulti-ply birch plywood, stable in wide boxes and less prone to cupping. The ply edge shows at the top of the side unless it is banded.
  • Captured bottomThe bottom slides into a groove cut in all four sides before glue up. It does not need nails and stiffens the box.
  • Slide preparationUndermount slide notches and bore holes per slide maker spec, cut at the back of each side. Ask the plant to work from the slide drawing you use.

Finish options

  • Prefinished UV lacquerClear UV cured lacquer applied on a flat line before or after assembly. Hard, dry on arrival and ready to install. Ask for the sheen.
  • Assembled, unfinishedSanded boxes glued and squared, for shops that finish in their own booth to match the cabinet finish.
  • Flat, machined partsSides, fronts, backs and bottoms cut, dovetailed and grooved, then packed flat for glue up at your shop. Lower freight cost per box.

How dovetail drawer boxes are made

The usual process chain, from dried lumber or panels to packed goods. Ask which steps happen in-house and which go out to another plant.

  • 01Kiln dryingFinal moisture content, internal stress and how much the part moves after delivery.
  • 02Rough millingHow much clear wood you pay for, which defects reach your parts and how evenly the color runs.
  • 03Finger jointing and edge gluingJoint strength, water resistance, how visible the joints are and whether panels stay flat.
  • 04Planing and mouldingFinal thickness and width, how square and straight the part is and how much sanding the surface needs.
  • 05CNC routingShape accuracy, hole positions for hardware and how well parts from different batches fit together.
  • 09Joinery and assemblyHow strong and rigid the product is, how square it stands and how it ships.
  • 10Sanding and finishingColor, sheen, smoothness and how well the surface resists heat, water and wear.
  • 11Inspection and packingWhether the goods that leave the factory match the order, and whether they arrive in the same condition.

Who orders dovetail drawer boxes

Cabinet shops often order per job, from a few boxes to a few hundred in mixed sizes. Kitchen and closet brands order standard sizes by the pallet or container. Many plants price per box by size band and set a minimum per order rather than per size.

Cabinet shops

Order boxes by job, often in many sizes per order. They care about lead time, size accuracy and slide fit.

Kitchen and closet brands

Buy repeat sizes in volume for standard cabinet and closet lines, finished and notched for one slide type.

Furniture makers

Need boxes for dressers, nightstands and desks, often with French dovetails or a matching species.

Rules that may apply

  • TSCA Title VI applies to plywood sides and bottoms in boxes sold in the US, with labels or invoices showing compliance
  • CARB Phase 2 limits for composite wood apply in California and match the TSCA Title VI limits
  • FSC chain of custody if you sell the boxes or the cabinets as FSC certified
  • EUDR due diligence for wood placed on the EU market

What to send for a quote

With these points stated, every matched factory quotes the same product.

  1. A cut list with width, depth and height for each box, stating whether width is the box or the opening
  2. Joint type: English dovetail, French dovetail or doweled
  3. Species, side thickness and bottom thickness
  4. Slide type and the slide maker drawing for notches and bore holes
  5. Finish: UV lacquer with sheen, unfinished assembled or flat parts
  6. Quantity per order, how often you order and the delivery packing you want
Send an RFQ for dovetail drawer boxes

What to check on samples

Approve one sample in writing and keep it as the reference for every shipment.

  1. Width, depth and height on several boxes per size against the cut list
  2. Diagonal check for square on every batch
  3. Slide notches and bore holes against the slide drawing, with a test fit on a real slide
  4. Dovetail fit: no gaps, no glue squeeze out on show faces
  5. Finish: even sheen, no runs or dry spots, cured before packing

Where orders go wrong

The problems that cost buyers of dovetail drawer boxes the most time and money, and how to head them off in the RFQ.

  • Opening size sent as box sizeShops often send the cabinet opening and expect the plant to deduct slide clearance. Say clearly whether each size is the opening or the outside of the box, and which slide it is for.
  • Bottom groove at the wrong heightUndermount slides need the bottom set at a fixed height from the lower edge of the side. A groove cut for side mount slides does not fit them.
  • Wet sides in dry homesSides made at high moisture shrink in a heated home and the dovetails open. Ask for a moisture reading at packing.

Questions about dovetail drawer boxes

Related guides:

Reference: Wikipedia: Dovetail joint

Should I order 1/2 in or 5/8 in sides?

1/2 in sides are common for standard kitchen drawers and save weight. 5/8 in sides are stiffer and common on wide or heavy drawers. Check the side thickness your slide allows before you choose.

Can the boxes come notched for undermount slides?

Yes. Most drawer box plants notch and bore the back of each side for undermount slides. Send the slide maker drawing so notches, bore holes and bottom height match the slide you use.

English or French dovetail: what is the difference?

An English dovetail joins the four sides at the corners with interlocking pins and tails. A French dovetail is a sliding joint where the side slides into a groove in the front. Cabinets mostly use English dovetails.

Is it cheaper to buy flat boxes and assemble them?

Flat parts cost less to ship and pack, but your shop does the glue up, squaring and finishing. Shops with a finishing line often buy flat. Shops without one usually buy assembled and finished.

What is the minimum order for drawer boxes?

It depends on the plant. Some take small mixed jobs, others want standard sizes by the pallet. Give your order pattern in the RFQ and we match factories that work that way.

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