Dear friends,
Would like to hear and would appreciate the sharing of techniques on this:
The front-piece of a typical drawer, say of solid 3/4″ thick wood, is given a 1/4″ slot cut with the table saw in 2 or 3 passes, to receive the bottom sheet, which slides into that slot.
After full assembly of the drawer, there is a small gap of that slot that is visible by looking at the drawer from either side.
How do you fill that gap? Or how do you avoid it, use router, or what?
The use of the table saw is nice because a very good fit can be achieved (in 2 or 3 passes), and, when the bottom sheet is glued throughout, it adds to the drawer’s strength at the front. Router bits at times do not match nominal-1/4″ thick bottom sheets.
But drawer strength is not the issue here. It’s simply about covering that gap, when a table saw is used, or if a router is used and the cut is not-stopped. Drawer sides and back are 1/2″ p.w. typically, not solid wood.
This relates to both overlapping or fully drawn drawer-fronts and to most drawer-front joints, when the gap is not-stopped.
Thanks for sharing.
-mbl-
Edited 3/6/2005 2:18 pm ET by mbl
Replies
mbl,
The way I build drawers, the sides cover the groove for the drawer's bottom. Place the groove above the half pin (dovetail) at the bottom edge of the drawer front. This may be anywhere from 1/4" to maybe 1/2" from the edge, depending on how big you cut the pins. Let the pins be thicker than the depth of the groove, and the drawer side will cover. For a drawer that overlaps the opening, the traditional lip size would be maybe 5/16" (overhang) X 5/16" (thickness) which will allow for a 7/16" pin/tail interface, plenty to cover your 1/4" deep groove.
Drawer fronts that overlap the opening by their full thickness will normally be attached as a false front to the true front of the drawer box itself, where the bottom is captured.
Regards,
Ray
mbl,
In the General Discussion setion, under Handcut Dovetails, post #13, Sgian posted a picture that illustrates what Joinerswork just described to you...the floor of the draw.
Thanks fellows,These drawers are not dovetailed. They can be most other simpler joints of the front parts, and no added on front cover.Would like to know hear some ideas.-mbl-
Use a stopped dado and finish it with a chisel.Leon Jester
Make up a router jig with about .020" more between the fences than the diameter of your router baseplace. That way you can use a .250" bit to cut a .270" slot, or whatever other size you like to provide a little clearance for the drawer bottoms. Put a fixed stop on one end and an adjustable stop on the other end so you can use it for different drawer widths. Square the ends of the dado with a chisel, as the previous poster suggested, or round the edges of the drawer bottom to match.
Friends,Thanks for all replies.It seems, though, that what am doing is not in fashion?Have been cutting-through with the t.s., and filling the gap with a small piece of wood which is glued and then trimmed, for it is such a small gap.-mbl-
It is not a question of fashion but one of use and intent. If this is a utility cabinet that is not intended to be furniture or even furniture that one simply doesn't care about the construction or appearance, then the drawer construction techniques you use are perfectly acceptable. If, on the other hand, the drawers are integral to a piece that represents your craftsmanship then technique does count towards being true to the piece as well as the craft. The difference is a question of do you spend the extra time so each element of the project reflects an effort to produce a quality finished project. "Quality" being the best that you can achieve rather than someone else's standard.
Doug
Dear Doug,The cut filled is on the back-side of the front piece. It is hard to see, and when viewed by pulling the drawer, it looks like and inlay ornament, actually.But the intent is not to add beauty, though. It's to do a practical thing, and the question was to hear about ways.This solution seems to work, if it is not used, it might be an original aproach, but seriously doubt it.-mbl-
I misunderstood: I though it was on the front and rear sides. Thanks for clarifying.
Doug
BG-
I can't find the Sgian posting you're talking about with a drawer bottom and dovetails; did a search on Sgian and dovetail, to no avail. Can you help?
tanks
Johnny
achome,
Try 22308.13 in advanced search
any time I'm making ply drawers, I typically join the sides to the front with lock rebates; the joint covers the ends of the slots...
Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
There are numerous books detailing drawer construction but I found one web site that shows a traditional method of constructing drawers that addresses you question: http://www.charm.net/~jriley/drawer.html.
The bottom panel slides under the back piece and then is held in place by screws or brads. This technique avoids the visible dado slot for the drawer bottom, permits the drawer to be assembled inserting the bottom as the last step and you can use the bottom panel to adjust from a slight out-of-square condition.
Doug
Dear Doug,Thanks for your kind reply and link.Have been here experimenting with drawer design and construction.In particular, using buiscuits joints in the back and front, upheld by a good fit of the bottom piece into slots all-around.The reason for buiscuits is that have been getting excellent fits (piston-type) with p.w. sides and back due to the fact that when buiscuits are used, all pieces can be cut to accuracy and there is no worry about compensating for joint-take in size.Gluing the bottom in the groove adds a lot of strength, and the front piece is held back by the glued insertion of the bottom piece. That's why have been making a cut-through slot in the back of the front piece, rather than router and chissel, because the table saw cut is fast and very consistent, but it needs some way of plugging the part of the through cut in the back of the drawer.Don't want to slap a front piece, because it adds cost and weight to the drawer, and because other issues arise as well.So far, will plug the slot with strips cut from the same bottom, which will match exactly the uncovered groove. Have been using 1/4 MDFB for bottoms. When plywood bottoms are used, then use a small strip of solid wood.When the drawer front does not overlap, then the covering need is even smaller, as only a 1/4"x1/4" square hole shows from the bottom edge of each drawer front, and it is even easier to plug.Best of all.-mbl-
Edited 3/10/2005 1:00 pm ET by mbl
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