Installing false drawer fronts can be one of those deceptively tricky cabinetmaking tasks. The goal is simple: Keep each drawer front square, centered, and evenly spaced from the fronts around it. The problem is that even a small shift while tightening the clamps can throw off the alignment and force you to loosen everything and try again.
The Kreg Drawer Front Mounting Jig is designed to make installing drawer fronts faster and more accurate. It holds the false front securely against the drawer box while a set of spacing shims establishes consistent gaps between adjacent fronts. Built-in rulers also make it easier to position the drawer front evenly from side to side before fastening it in place.
I first encountered Kreg’s drawer front jig when our shop manager, Marc Hopkins, was adding false fronts to a set of cabinet drawers. He’d come across the jig the previous week and decided to give it a try. Turns out, it’s pretty slick.
How the Kreg Drawer Front Mounting Jig Works
Using the jig is essentially a three-step process. It comes into play after the drawers have been installed in the cabinet but before the false drawer fronts are attached.
Start by securing the jig’s inner clamps to the sides of the drawer box. These clamps provide a solid mounting point for the outer clamps that will eventually hold the false front in position.
Next, select the appropriate shims to establish the spacing between the drawer fronts. The set includes seven shims: two at 3⁄32", two at 1⁄8", two at 1⁄4", and one 3⁄4"-thick shim. Used individually or in combination, they allow you to create drawer front spacing ranging from 3⁄32" to 27⁄32".
For the lowest drawer front, place the shims on the workbench beneath the front. For the drawers above it, the shims rest on the top edge of the previously installed drawer front. This makes it easy to maintain consistent spacing as you work your way up the cabinet.
Aligning and Clamping the Drawer Front
With the shims in position, set the false drawer front on top and secure it with the outer clamps. A built-in ruler on each clamp indicates the distance between the edge of the false front and the drawer box. Set both sides to the same measurement and you can quickly center the front and create even reveals.
Once everything looks right, tighten the outer clamps to hold the drawer front securely in position. You can then pull out the drawer and fasten the false front to the drawer box without worrying about it shifting out of alignment.
The jig’s inner clamp secures to the side of the drawer. After positioning the false front, the outer clamp tightens against it to hold everything securely in place.
Select the shim or combination of shims needed for the desired spacing between your drawer fronts. Set the front on the shims, clamp it in position, then pull out the drawer and fasten the false front in place.
Is the Kreg Drawer Front Mounting Jig Worth It?
You certainly don’t need a specialized jig to install false drawer fronts. Spacers, double-sided tape, clamps, and a careful eye can get the job done. But when you’re installing a bank of drawers, keeping every front aligned with consistent gaps can quickly become tedious.
That’s where the Kreg Drawer Front Mounting Jig earns its keep. It combines spacing, alignment, and clamping into a straightforward setup that helps eliminate one of the more frustrating parts of building cabinets and furniture with drawers.
If you install drawer fronts regularly — or simply want to take some of the trial and error out of your next cabinet project — this is a clever jig that can make the job faster, easier, and more consistent.
