Hi
I am working on my first furniture project, a set of bedside end tables made of cherry. Going reasonably well so far despite all my newbie mistakes :). The tables are about 22x16x22 (WxDxH) and include a small drawer (16x12x4). The drawers are full dove-tailed in the back and half-blind in the front, and slide on wooden rails. The drawers were planed to fit within the front table frame on all 4 sides. My question, is there a rule of thumb for how much space there should be between the drawer sides/top/bottom and the edge of the frame? Right now they are planed so that they move smoothly in and out, with very little gap. My main concern is if the wood should expand/contract such that the drawers start to jamb over time or with the seasons and whether I should allow more space for this.
Mike
Replies
The answer to this depends on how well conditioned your shop is. If it is more humid than your home, then you are probably seeing the drawer at, or close to at its widest, and a close, but easy sliding fit is appropriate. If not you might want a little bit of extra leeway. But only a little extra is needed especially since if you do have a problem down the road you can correct it easily.
mike,
What Steve said. Drawers built thisa time of year will shrink more than they will swell.
For a 4" tall drawer,I'd allow a "strong" sixteenth or so in height (width) of the front. I generally make the sides a sixteenth less in width than the front, the difference coming at the top of the drawer. About a sixteenth of endplay at the front, regardless of the size, and I like to make the drawer back a sixteenth less in length than the front. The slight taper makes fitting less of an issue.
This is perhaps more slop than a perfectionist would want, but it is an embarrassment to get a call back because a piston-fit drawer has swollen in a spell of humid weather and is stuck shut.
Regards,
Ray Pine
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