I live in Helena MT and build log furniture and I’am wondering for my drawers fronts is 1/8 inch between them okay if i do it out of 1 by 12 pine. I just don’t know if the drawer fornts will expand and then rub on each other causing a bad drawer function. If you could help me i would greatly appreciate it.
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Howdy,
I figure you'll be using flat sawn pine. And maybe with a handle like genecoder you might be a scientist. So you can figure out your shrinkage potential by using my book Router Joinery, Taunton Press, or Bruce Hoadley's Understanding Wood. Both books have charts on shrinkage. Or go to the USFS site and check things out there. If you figure a normal moisture content of 8%, ask yourself how wet will the drawers get. Is 12% MC possible or is 10% going to be it? Also figure the driest it might get. Take this range, say 4-6% and do the math to figure out the movement for this type of pine.
All that being said, I think 1/8" should be fine. Take a sample board of your 1x12 pine and measure it on June 21 and write down the number. Remeasure the same stick come December 21 and notice the difference. This is roughly how much you have to worry about. Finishing both sides of the drawer with shellac will of course help. Good luck. Gary
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