32mm Cabinetmaking

All 32mm system components are located multiples of 32mm apart and sized in increments of 32mm. More often than not, increments are a multiple of 32mm plus or minus a constant (32m +/-). The constant provides needed/desired clearances between components.

Following are a number of example increment tables and formulas. Inch equivalents are rounded to the closest 1/16". Divisibles (/d) are handy when you want to divide a space equally.

All 32mm system hardware is located some multiple of 32mm apart and has mounting holes some multiple of 32mm apart. All modular cabinets have a height/width dimension that is a multiple of 32mm. The exterior dimensions of modular full overlay boxes are some multiple of 32mm tall and wide. The vertical and horizontal centerlines of all half overlay and railed inset box componets are some multiple of 32mm apart. The centerline of all full inset horizontal gaps are some multiple of 32mm apart. All components not sized in multiples of 32mm are sized in increments of 32mm (multiple +/- constant).

While 32ⁿ (32 x n) would probably be more correct, I've been using 32m (32mm multiple) to describe dimensions that are a multiple of 32mm.

m	32m	inch	/d	m	32m	inch	/d	m	32m	inch	/d
4	128	5-1/16	2	15	480	18-7/8	3,5	26	832	32-3/4	2,13
5	160	6-5/16		16	512	20-3/16	2,4,8	27	864	34	3,9
6	192	7-9/16	2,3	17	544	21-7/16		28	896	35-1/4	2,4,7,14
7	224	8-13/16		18	576	22-11/16	2,3,6,9	29	928	36-9/16
8	256	10-1/16	2,4	19	608	23-15/16		30	960	37-13/16	2,3,5,6,10,15
9	288	11-5/16	3	20	640	25-3/16	2,4,5,10	31	992	39-1/16
10	320	12-5/8	2,5	21	672	26-7/16	3,7	32	1024	40-5/16	2,4,8,16
11	352	13-7/8		22	704	27-11/16	2,11	33	1056	41-9/16	3,11
12	384	15-1/8	2,3,4,6	23	736	29		34	1088	42-13/16	2,17
13	416	16-3/8		24	768	30-1/4	2,3,4,6,8,12	35	1120	44-1/16	5,7
14	448	17-5/8	2,7	25	800	31-1/2	5	36	1152	45 3/8	2,3,4,6,9,12,18

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All overlay door and drawer front heights and widths (and full inset heights) are always some multiple of 32mm tall minus the gap you want between the faces. Neither the panel design (True32, System32, etc.), or the amount of overlay (half to full), change this. A 3mm (~1/8") gap is typical.

m	32m-3	inch	m	32m-3	inch
4	125mm	4-15/16"	15	477mm	18-3/4"
5	157mm	6-3/16"	16	509mm	20-1/16"
6	189mm	7-7/16"	17	541mm	21-5/16"
7	221mm	8-11/16"	18	573mm	22-9/16"
8	253mm	9-15/16"	19	605mm	23-13/16"
9	285mm	11-1/4"	20	637mm	25-1/16"
10	317mm	12-1/2"	21	669mm	26-5/16"
11	349mm	13-3/4"	22	701mm	27-5/8"
12	381mm	15"	23	733mm	28-7/8"
13	413mm	16-1/4"	24	765mm	30-1/8"
14	445mm	17-1/2"	25	797mm	31-3/8"

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Like overlay face height, this applies to full or half overlay and full inset cabinet styles. When using system registered faces, hinge cup holes are always a multiple of 32mm (32m) + 16mm - 1/2 gap from the top and bottom of the door. When using shifted registration, hinge holes are always 32m - 1/2 gap from the top and bottom of the door. The example uses a typical 3mm gap.

m	system	32m + 16 - 1/2g	shifted	32m - 1/2g
1	46.5	32 + (16 - 1.5)	30.5	32 - 1.5
2	78.5	64 + 14.5	62.5	64 - 1.5
3	110.5	96 + 14.5	94.5	96 - 1.5
5	142.5	128 + 14.5	126.5	128 - 1.5

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Railed inset door and drawer front heights/widths (and full inset widths) are always some multiple of 32mm tall minus a constant. The constant is two times the gap you want between the faces and the rails (and panels) plus your panel/rail thickness (PT). If the rails center on system holes (VS between/shifted), and we travel from system hole to system hole, its 1/2 PT + gap + face height + gap + 1/2 PT = a multiple of 32mm (32m). The math is 32m - ((2 x g) + PT) = face height

The table is based on 19mm (3/4") PT and 3mm (~1/8") gaps. The math is 32m - ((2 x 3) + 19) = face height/width, i.e. 32m-25.

m	32m-25	inch	m	32m-25	inch
4	103mm	4-1/16"	15	455mm	17-15/16
5	135mm	5-5/16"	16	487mm	19-3/16
6	167mm	6-9/16"	17	519mm	20-7/16
7	199mm	7-13/16"	18	551mm	21-11/16
8	231mm	9-1/8"	19	583mm	22-15/16
9	263mm	10-3/8"	20	615mm	24-3/16
10	295mm	11-5/8"	21	647mm	25-1/2
11	327mm	12-7/8"	22	679mm	26-3/4
12	359mm	14-1/8	23	711mm	28
13	391mm	15-3/8	24	743mm	29-1/4
14	423mm	16-5/8	25	775mm	30-1/2

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The hinge cup hole location for system registered faces is a multiple of 32mm (32m) + 16 - (1/2PT + gap) from the top and bottom edge of the door. Shifted registration is 32m - (1/2PT + gap). The chart is based on 19mm (3/4") PT and 3mm (~1/8") gaps.

m	system	32m + 16 - (1/2PT + g)	shifted	32m - (1/2PT + g)
1	35.5	32 + 16 - (9.5 + 3)	19.5	32 - (9.5 + 3)
2	67.5	64 + (16 - 12.5)	51.5	64 - 12.5
3	99.5	96 + 3.5	83.5	96 - 12.5
4	131.5	128 + 3.5	115.5	128 - 12.5

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Drawer box heights can vary by panel design and slide/personal choice, but they are always sized in increments of 32mm. While many drawings show drawer height to the closest multiple of 32mm (32m) +/- a constant, this example shows drawer box height as the face multiple minus a constant. A number of the example drawings have these 32m - 51 (AKA 32m - 13) heights, they work with overlay (full and half) and railed inset layouts.

m	face 32m-3	inches	box 32m-51	inches	-12 bott*
4	125mm	4-15/16"	77mm	3-1/16"	65mm
5	157mm	6-3/16"	109mm	4-5/16"	97mm
6	189mm	7-7/16"	141mm	5-9/16"	129mm
7	221mm	8-11/16"	173mm	6-13/16"	161mm
8	253mm	9-15/16"	205mm	8-1/16"	193mm
9	285mm	11-1/4"	237mm	9-5/16"	225mm
10	317mm	12-1/2"	269mm	10-9/16"	257mm
11	349mm	13-3/4"	301mm	11-7/8"	289mm

*Minus 12 is a hack for undermount slides that allows better full overlay drawer layouts by making the bottom drawer boxes 12mm smaller.
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Balanced panel depth is when system rows are some multiple of 32mm apart and 37mm from the front and back of the panel. Balanced panel depth is optional, only the front 37mm row spacing is important. Balanced panel depth has drawbacks, e.g. neither 586 (23-1/16, too shallow for appliances) or 618 (24-5/16, too wide for efficient use of material) are ideal for kitchen base cabinets*.

37 + (n x 32) + 37, i.e. 32m + 74 or m+74, = balanced panel depth

m	panel m+74	inch	rows 32m	inch	m	panel m+74	inch	rows 32m	inch
2	138	5-7/16	64	2-1/2	13	490	19-15/16	416	16-3/8
3	170	6-11/16	96	3-3/4	14	522	20-9/16	448	17-5/8
4	202	7-15/16	128	5-1/16	15	554	21-13/16	480	18-7/8
5	234	9-3/16	160	5-5/16	16	586	23-1/16	512	20-3/16
6	266	10-1/2	192	7-9/16	17	618	24-5/16	544	21-7/16
7	298	11-3/4	224	8-13/16	18	650	25-9/16	576	22-11/16
8	330	13	256	10-1/16	19	682	26-7/8	608	23-15/16
9	362	14-1/4	288	11-5/16	20	714	28-1/8	640	25-3/16
10	394	15-1/2	320	12-5/8	21	746	29-3/8	672	28-7/16
11	426	16-3/4	352	13-7/8	22	778	30-5/8	704	27-11/16
12	458	18-1/16	384	15-1/8	23	810	31-7/8	736	29

*Using a 3/4" full overlay back would boost the 586mm/23-1/16 depth to ~23-13/16". Using a 1/4" FO back and external 3/4" nailer/spacer strips would put the overall depth real close to 24" (uppers would be 12" with a 1/4" FO back and internal nailers). Using 49" stock (e.g. melamine), 618mm/24-5/16" panels can be doable (depends on stock edge quality).
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While modular full-overlay boxes are always a multiple of 32mm tall/wide, half-overlay and railed-inset cabinets are always a multiple of 32mm plus panel thickness on the outside and a multiple of 32mm minus panel thickness on the inside, i.e. all panel (and rail) center-lines are a multiple of 32mm apart. The measurements apply to cabinet width and/or height (width only for full inset). Inside panel lengths apply to any panel that goes between through running/outside panels, either vertically or horizontally.

Example panel thickness (PT) is 19mm (~3/4").
9.5 + (n x 32) + 9.5, i.e. 32m + 19 or m+19, = box height (and width)

m	outside m+19	inch	inside m-19	inch	/d	m	outside m+19	inch	inside m-19	inch	/d
12	403	16-7/8	365	14-3/8	2,3,4,6	23	755	29-3/4	717	28-1/4
13	435	17-1/8	397	15-5/8		24	787	31	749	29-1/2	2,3,4,6,8,12
14	467	18-3/8	429	16-7/8	2,7	25	819	32-1/4	781	30-3/4	5
15	499	19-5/8	461	18-1/8	3,5	26	851	33-1/2	813	32	2,13
16	531	20-7/8	493	19-7/16	2,4,8	27	883	34-3/4	845	33-1/4	3,9
17	563	23-3/16	525	20-11/16		28	915	36	877	34-1/2	2,4,7,14
18	595	23-7/16	557	21-15/16	2,3,6,9	29	947	37-5/16	909	35-13/16
19	627	24-11/16	589	23-3/16		30	979	38-9/16	941	37-1/16	2,3,5,6,10,15
20	659	25-15/16	621	24-7/16	2,4,5,10	31	1011	39-13/16	973	38-5/16
21	691	27-3/16	653	25-11/16	3,7	32	1043	41-1/16	1005	39-9/16	2,4,8,16
22	723	28-7/16	685	26-15/16	2,11	33	1075	42-5/16	1037	40-13/16	3,11

1-78 increment table for 19mm panels (32.6KB)
1-78 increment table for 16mm panels (32.6KB)
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Full inset (shared panel) cabinet heights are always a multiple of 32mm plus gap plus 2 x panel thickness on the outside and a multiple of 32mm plus gap on the inside, i.e. the center of all gaps is a multiple of 32mm apart. Cabinet widths (and all interior components) are the same as half overlay and railed inset cabinets.

If we travel from the top to the bottom of the box (or vice versa), its PT + 1/2 gap + (n x 32) + 1/2 gap + PT (PT + gap + face + gap + PT).

Example panel thickness (PT) is 19mm (~3/4") and gap (g) is 3mm (~1/8).
Outside panel length / box exterior height is 19 + 1.5 + (n x 32) + 1.5 + 19, i.e. 32m + 41 or m+41
Inside panel length / box interior height is (n x 32) + g, e.g. m+3
.

m	outside m+41	inch	inside m+3	inch	/d	m	outside m+41	inch	inside m+3	inch	/d
12	425	16-3/4	387		2,3,4,6	23	777	30-9/16	739
13	457	18	419			24	809	31	771		2,3,4,6,8,12
14	489	19-1/4	451		2,7	25	841	33-1/8	803		5
15	521	20-1/2	483		3,5	26	873	34-3/8	835		2,13
16	553	21-3/4	515		2,4,8	905	883	35-5/8	867		3,9
17	585	23-1/16	547			28	937	36	899		2,4,7,14
18	617	24-5/16	579		2,3,6,9	29	969	38-1/8	931
19	649	26-9/16	611			30	1001	39-7/16	963		2,3,5,6,10,15
20	681	26-13/16	643		2,4,5,10	31	1033	40-11/16	995
21	713	28-1/16	675		3,7	32	1065	41-15/16	1027		2,4,8,16
22	745	29-5/16	707		2,11	33	1097	43-3/16	1059		3,11

Example image is a 20 increment box (20 x 32 + 41 = 681) with four five increment faces (20 / 4 = 5, one of the /d options in the chart). While not evenly divisible, 23 increments (777mm/30-9/16") is as close as you'll get (w/o tweaking reveals/breaking modularity) to a standard American base cabinet box height (30.5") and 5,6,6,6 / 5,9,9 increment drawer layouts are nice.

1-78 increment table (30.7KB)
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