Blood, Sweat, and Sawdust

One of the most frustrating things I discovered while building my shop cabinets was getting the drawer faces aligned correctly.  Every time I got the drawer front aligned side-to-side, I’d discover that the vertical alignment had shifted.  It was a humbling exercise in patience building.  Who would have guessed that the solution to my problem could have been a handful of nickels?  

It turns out that the thickness of a nickel provides aesthetically pleasing drawer gaps.  Simply place a couple below the drawer face, one on each side (trim if necessary), then clamp and nail your front in place.  Don’t forget to retrieve your change afterwards.