Replies

1. 
   RMillard | Nov 20, 2004 03:27pm | #1

   I fit the drawers and then rip off an amount equal to the thickness of the bead, on the top edge. The sides and bottom edges get a rabbet. On the period pieces, with which I am familiar with, the rabbet is about 5/16" wide, and the drawer fronts are around an inch thick ( except for very small drawers) If the dovetails are cut with very thin necks, they look better, in fact I make mine only the thickness of the kerf on my Lie-Nielsen saw.

   I'm not sure I follow the last part of your question, but you must take in to account the thickness of the bead when laying out the dovetails.
   Rob Millard

1. 
   JayS | Nov 21, 2004 02:29pm | #3

   Rob, Thanks.  I have veneered poplar with crotch walnut. There are two layers of veneer on the front and back (one crossgrain).  The substrate (poplar) and the veneers together come to about 7/8 inch thick.  The second part of my question in hte original posting, was that if my dovetails are 1/2 inch wide, that leaves 3/8 thickness to work width for the cock bead rabbet.  Should the rabbet come right up to the points of the tails, or should the rabbet be say 5/16 wide abd leave1/16 of wood between the tails and the cock bead?  I guess either way would work.  By the way, do you vary the thickness of the cock bead with the size of the drawers?  In this case piece, the drawers are progressively larger toward the bottom.  I was going to use 5/32 for all of them.  1/8 looked a little thin.  What do you usually do?

   Jay

1. 
   RMillard | Nov 23, 2004 04:33am | #7

   When applying a cock bead to a drawer, I cut the dovetails so they come within about 1/8" to 3/16" of the face of the drawer. This way when the cock bead is applied, it extends onto the side grain of the tails on the drawer sides. This gives a better glue joint than just applying it to the endgrain. That is why I make the necks of the pins as narrow as possible, because they will be partially covered by the bead. Having said that, this applies to the federal furniture I make. Earlier periods often have dovetails that are more coarse. I tend to look at all woodworking through the prizm of federal furniture, so I often forget this isn't what everybody wants to build. If there is a large difference in drawer sizes, I think it would be a good idea to vary the thickness of the bead, although I've ever done it. Rob Millard

2. 
   joinerswork | Nov 21, 2004 01:59am | #2

   Jay,

   I'll agree with Rob.  Most of the old work I've seen has the top bead, and often the bottom as well, wide enough to cover the whole edge of the drawer front.  This is especially the case when the fronts are veneered.  Apparently the intent is to conceal the veneer, not just protect the edge.  It may also be argued that it's easier to make a drawer narrower, than to work a rabbet in its edges.  Typically the cockbead applied to the ends is wide enough to just meet the ends of the drawer's sides.  This allows for disassembly of the drawer without the removal of the bead, but I've worked on pieces that had cockbead covering part of the pins. Occasionally a maker will make the beads the same width all around, covering the pins completely. 

   On drawers with solid (not veneered) fronts, you'll sometimes see a rabbet all round, so the same width bead can be used.  An argument for rabbetting the bead in all round, is that it is less likely to be caught on the corner of the case, and knocked loose.

   Long story short, suit yourself.

   Regards,

   Ray

    

    

1. 
   ian | Nov 22, 2004 01:26pm | #4

   Ray

   to further the debate ...

   I suggest that the primary purpose of a cock bead is to conceal and protect the edge of the veneer.  Whether the beading is applied in a rebate or covers the the entire width of the drawer most probably comes down to the maker's preference and whether originally there was a need to adjust the thickness of the beading to achieve an equal reveal all arround the drawer.

   Ian

1. 
   joinerswork | Nov 22, 2004 04:47pm | #5

   ian,

   Yeah, as I suggested to Jay, there are many reasons and justifications for applying cockbead, in many ways.  Yet another purpose for using cockbead is to hide discrepancies in matching a drawer that has a shaped front (serpentine or bowed, for instance) to the shape of its opening. 

   Jay was concerned about protecting the inside edges of his drawer fronts, so he'll probably want to cover at least the top edge of his fronts.  If the front were not veneered on the inside, perhaps there'd be less of a reason to use a full width bead.

   Could you expand on how the need for fitting a drawer to its opening might dictate whether or not to rebate? I'm having trouble figuring how it would matter.   

   Regards,

   Ray

1. 
   ian | Nov 23, 2004 01:57pm | #8

   Ray

   I'm thinking that if the drawer was not quite tall enough for its opening then a full width bead would conceal the sloppiness.  If in this situation if the bead were placed in a rebate, it would be obvious from the step down to the rest of the drawer front, that the bead was there to make up the height deficiency.

   Ian

1. 
   joinerswork | Nov 23, 2004 09:46pm | #9

   ian,

   Thanks for the explanation.

   Regards,

   Ray

3. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Nov 23, 2004 04:23am | #6

   Jay,

   I was trained to do them as Rob does.

   Cheers,

   eddie