Finally figured out why my drawer faces kept shifting after install

Had a job in Columbus last month, 14 drawer banks, and the faces kept creeping out of alignment about a week after glue-up. I was blaming the Blum slides but my old timer friend watched me clamp one and said, "You're pinning the face to the box before the glue sets." Turns out I was using one clamp in the center and the weight of the drawer bottom pulled the face down a hair. Now I put two clamps, one at each end, and let it sit overnight before I even touch the alignment. Anyone else fight this same battle with full height drawer fronts? My next set is urns and I don't want to redo that again.

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mary_kelly2d ago

Aw man, that two clamp trick is solid, but I gotta say the problem might not be the clamps alone. If the glue is still wet and you're fighting gravity with the drawer bottom, even end clamps can let it sag if you don't shim the bottom edge square. I'd also check that your face is actually flush to the box front before you walk away, not just eyeballing it from the side.