Drawers aren’t built to take punishment. If they’re slammed or bind and are then pressured, they may break. It’s not so bad if they simply come apart — you can paste them back — however if you break the dado from the underside, which is rather typical, or divide the sides of the drawer, it ought to be replaced.You can replace any broken drawer using just basic carpenter tools and skills. Make sure your built-in dividers are working, if you are updating your house for resale. You can rebuild the drawer with all the outdated hardware and drawer front.
Remove the drawer from the cabinet and place it. Use a screwdriver to loosen two screws which hold the front of the drawer. Remove the drawer and place it aside.
Turn the drawer box upside down. If it falls apart, then simply place the base of the drawer onto the table face down. Use a screwdriver to remove the steel runners.
Tap on all four sides of the drawer with a hammer to disassemble it. You ought to have pieces to your sides five pieces, two thick pieces for the front and rear, two, and a 1/4-inch thick piece of plywood for the bottom.
Measure the width of the rear and front piece. Using a table saw, tear a strip of plywood long for the two pieces. Measure the side pieces. Use the table saw to rip a strip of plywood to that width. Measure the length of back and the sides. Use a miter saw to cut them to length.
Install a 1/4-inch dado blade. Raise the blade. Set the fence in 1/4-inch. Turn on the saw and run the sides, rear and then front over the blade to make a 1/4-inch dado, 1/4-inch out of one edge on all four pieces.
Place all four pieces together as though the drawer were previously assembled. Back and Front needs to be between the side pieces. The dado ought to be in the base. Measure width and the length and add 1/2 inch. Use the table saw to reduce on the 1/4-inch plywood to that dimension.
Run a bead of adhesive inside the dado on all four pieces. Smear some glue and rear. Place the plywood at the dado on the side pieces. Set the front and rear on, fitting the dado over the edge. Bring all four pieces together to lock the plywood to the dado. Take four 1 1/4-inch pin nails through every corner.
Drill two 3/16-inch holes through the front of this new drawer. Using the screw gun and 1 1/4-inch screws, screw the drawer on the drawer. Set the steel runners back on the sides and then screw them on utilizing 3/4-inch screws. Place the new drawer back.