Replies

1. 
   BG | Apr 20, 2005 01:52am | #1

   Dick,
   No gurus here, but I really like the Ian Kirby approach (tails proud of pins) for wo reasons: One, it leaves some material on the drawer side for fitting in the opening, and, two, when planed the dovetials tighten up nicely. For some reason, the edges on my tails tend to get rounded a bit, they get re-squared with the planing. Anyhow, my $.02

    

2. 
   Peter36 | Apr 20, 2005 01:59am | #2

   Hello Dick. There are reasons for doing it each way of course and it depends on what you are doing. If I am making a jewelery box I will leave both the pins and the tails proud. I do this so I can easily clean up the ends and leave the marking gauge lines intact. If I am making a inset drawer I will leave the pins below the level of the side tail piece, so I can plane the side to fit. There is no right or wrong way only the way that is most suitable for the task at hand.    Hope this is of some help. Peter

3. 
   joinerswork | Apr 20, 2005 03:49pm | #3

   dick,

   I like to end up with pins slightly proud of the stock.  I fit drawer fronts to be just a slip fit in length, when the pins are pared down this gives the right amount of slack in the fit for easy opening and closing of the drawer.  A lot of my drawers are lipped.  It's a lot easier to pare down a pin  than to try and plane a drawer side up to the lip.

   Regards,

   Ray

1. 
   Jon_Cummings | Apr 20, 2005 04:43pm | #4

   To Ray, Peter36, BG: Thanks for your comments. Hope we get a few more. This shows that we do the basics the same and make a few detailed differences. The final product is proof of our abilities.

                                                                  Dick

                                                                                

         

4. 
   CharlieD | Apr 20, 2005 08:23pm | #5

   I leave 'em proud, just a bit. That's my easiest path to a clean perfect-looking joint. The exception is in half-blinds, where of course if the tails are proud the joint won't close. But even there I leave the pins proud, just a tad, and clean 'em up with a shoulder plane.

   Charlie

   I tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut
5. 
   philip | Apr 21, 2005 10:39am | #6

   Hello Dick,
   Make lots of drawers and you will perfect your own system!
   With reference to flush-front/inset drawers I like to plane the drawer front to a very tight fit initially, then cut the joint so that the pins are slightly proud i.e the drawer sides are below the edge of the front. To close the joint one must then place clamping blocks just below- but only to close the joint. I then clamp till dry in the direction back to front i.e the clamps are in the same direction as the sides, which is not the accepted way....But I always get excellent results-you can see some on http://www.collectablefurniture.co.nz.
   When dry plane flush and you should have sufficient clearance.
   Oh boy, I have read this and hope you can follow!

1. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Apr 21, 2005 01:39pm | #7

   mookaroid,nothing wrong with what you're doing - fitting the drawer front to the opening is traditional trade practise.I set the cutting (not marking) gauge to board thickness - you haven't really got an option when you're working to tight toleranceCheers,eddie

   Edited 4/21/2005 6:48 am ET by eddie (aust)