Drawer glued up with slight twist

_mj_ | Posted in Joinery on January 12, 2020 08:12pm

I glued up 4 side-hanging drawers today, one came out of the clamps with a slight twist..between 1/16 & 1/8 up off the bench when you hold the diagonal corner down. Drawers are half blinds up front, through DTs in back and open in back to accept a solid wood bottom. Glue is TB liquid hide glue.
The side slots are already cut and runners already installed in the case. The fronts are nicely matched sappele and while I have more of the same board these were resawn from the sweetest grain and I want to save it. Secondary wood is poplar.
Before I start I’d like some brainstorming on possible approaches. I need to wind up with the drawer front sitting where it belongs, if I just plane out the twist my gaps will be screwed.

Replies

user-6480500 | Jan 13, 2020 08:41am | #1
If I were you and had used hide glue, I would take it back apart and glue back up. I don't see this would be a problem?
bilyo | Jan 13, 2020 10:01am | #2
I agree with user. However, once you get it apart, check carefully for something out of square. Either one or more of your joints are not cut square or one or more of the pieces have a twist.
Rob_Sp | Jan 13, 2020 11:16am | #3
You should be able steam the joints to get them apart. Maybe clean everything up and re-assemble. I would think that you would have jointed faces and edges of all parts, knocked them together and set the drawer on a flat surface as a check before gluing up. If that was the case then the clamps could have pulled them into a twist. Another approach, which maybe the best, is to simply saw off the sides at the drawer face, re-cut the half blind tails and thus salvage the Sapele Face, then remake the body.
As far as clamping up dovetailed drawers, I typically don't bother. I found long ago that if the parts are milled flat and square and the dovetails are accurately cut, when knocked together it will all pull up tight and stay that way, the excess glue can be easily cleaned up with a wet rag, the assembly checked for square and then left on a flat surface to dry. More often than not after cleaning off all the glue I will simply shove them in their respective opening in the case to let them cure there.
Good Luck
Rob
_mj_ | Jan 13, 2020 01:06pm | #4
Was about to turn in last night when steam entered my brain. I biult a quick box and hooked it to my steamer. After 20 min I was able to flatten it to the bench and weight it down. All good this morning. Thanks to all for the advice.

My problem was impatience, I ran out of bench space and moved that drawer to another table so I could finish #4. Lesson learned.
DRBWWing | Jan 14, 2020 10:14am | #5
I'm not surprised if its is one board causing the whole issue. First thing I would check is a twisted board. This can be done easily with winding sticks.

Skewed clamping pressure can cause this, but normally with a drawer not an issue if the wood is true.