So I eventually found time to do some work! I decided to reattach the front of the drawer as the plastic corner blocks didn't give the fit I was hoping for, and since I'm planing to spray the cabinet the impact of screws through the front face should be minimal (time will tell if it was a wise decision!). I lined up everything by putting the drawer and runners into the cabinet, making sure everything was straight and clamped it up before drilling the pilot holes:
I had to clamp up the board to prevent it from splitting as the short crews for the old bracket already did some damage.
I had to do some sanding to get the clearances just right so that the drawer could slide easily. I cut small rectangular holes in the back of the drawer cavity so the (slightly too long 250 mm drawer slides) could fit through, I will make end caps for this a bit later.
Lastly I attached the handle, just to get a real feel for what the end product will look like.
Now it was time to start on the top, it has a lid to allow access to the compartment that will contain the USB ports. I wanted to get the lid to fit as perfectly and flush as possible. I started making the lid so I could mark the hole needed perfectly. I beveled the edges of the lid at 45º and marked it on the top. I then cut the hole in the top to size. Next job was to also make a 45º bevel on the inside closing surface of the top. All and all it was a difficult job and not as neat as I had hoped,but lessons were learned and next time I will probably make some design changes so as to make things a bit simpler.
The rounded edge left by the router had to be chiseled, filed and sanded away by hand.
I made a hinge at the back using 5 mm aluminium rod I had lying around, I did not have the appropriate sized dowel lying around and wasn't in the mood for spending time to go to the store. I think the aluminium works well, so I'm happy with using it. I will cut it down and fill the holes once I'm done adjusting the lid. After a lot of fitting, and adjusting I was happy with the fit and finish of the lid. Not 100% perfect, but not too shabby IMO.
Here you can see the holes I cut in the back of the drawer void for the slides.
A slightly less aggressive edging on the top.
All thing considered I think it was a fairly productive day with a lot of small fiddly jobs, I have learned some lessons, which is always a good thing!