Replies

1. 
   Ricky_Yu | May 06, 2003 10:21am | #1

   You don't need much, about 1/32" or even 1/64". If it is too tight, you can always plane it down for a better fit. However, too large a gap can be unsightly and difficult to fix. It's probably best to test the drawer for fit before you move on to the cockbeading.

1. 
   perio | May 06, 2003 01:31pm | #2

   The drawers in my cabinet are 5,6,7&8 inches in height by 31 inches wide. My concern is that I fit the drawer with a 1/32 or 1/64 th gap ,then with any expansion of wood ,after construction ,will cause the drawers to bind. I certainly would like to keep the gap small, but am worried about the wood movement problem.

1. 
   prman | May 06, 2003 02:58pm | #3

   I think it is a matter of perspective of what looks good in your eyes. The larger the drawer, you can get away with a larger gap. I just made a changing table with drawers that are 5" X 15" and I left a 1/16th gap all around them. I think it looks fine, while others may feel it is to large a gap.

2. 
   JohnWW | May 07, 2003 04:37pm | #7

   Perio,

   Cock beading a drawer is difficult to do well, the skill involved is easily on a level of difficulty with dovetailing but it is rarely described in any detail.  If I were teaching this, I'd need at least half a day to go through the whole process of building the drawer, fitting it and attaching the molding.  That said, the information below should get you started in the right direction.

   For cock beaded drawers I build the drawer box out of cabinet grade plywood to avoid the problem of the drawer changing size with changes in humidity.  This also avoids the problem of the beading on the drawer ends running crosswise the the grain of the face.  I use 3/4 in. plywood for the front of the drawer and 1/2 in. or 3/4 in. for the sides, bigger drawers getting the thicker sides.  I put a solid wood edging on the top edge of the sides to hide the plies. 

   To match the drawer face to the rest of the piece, I glue shop sawn veneer to the front face.  I cut the veneer around a quarter inch thick on the bandsaw, clean it up with the planer and glue it to the plywood drawer front.  After the glue is dry, I run the front through the jointer to bring the veneer's thickness down to about 1/16th of an inch.  Leaving the veneer thicker risks it developing small cracks in dry weather. 

   If you want a precise gap around the cock beading, there must be very little play in the position of the drawer's face when the drawer is closed.  Fit the drawer with the beading off and trim the face to get an even gap all around.  The gap should be the width of the beading plus a bit of clearance, around 1/32 to 1/16 inch.  Either use a caliper or a scrap of the beading with a bit of cardboard glued onto it to measure the fit.   The face of the drawer, without the beading, should be flush with the front of the carcass.  Don't plan on planing the cock beading after it is attached to the drawer, even a slight change in it's thickness will be obvious.

   Once the clearance is right, use small brads and a very thin line of glue to attach the beading. Try very hard to avoid any glue squeeze out because it is very difficult to clean up properly.

   Hope this helps, John   

   Edited 5/7/2003 6:27:26 PM ET by JohnW

1. 
   DaveHeinlein | May 08, 2003 02:59am | #8

   Cockbeading is a comon feature on a lot of cabinetry I do, and I have found the best way to do it is to fit it into the face frames after they are assembled. I believe beading the draw front is inviting failure when the draw front expands and contracts, and opens the joints on the beading. Even laminations move a bit.

   As fas as the reveals(gaps) around draw fronts, it depends on the width of the board. The 'weak sixteenth' is a good ROT, but even then, depending on where you live, could be a little slim.

1. 
   flagship | Jul 26, 2009 03:27am | #9

   I am doing a cabinet,that has doors and drawers,my quistion is , do you use cock beading just on drawers ,not sure if using cock beading on doors .Thanks

2. 
   DougF | May 06, 2003 04:34pm | #4

   All,

   I am constructing 2 chest of drawers and was considering "cockbeading" but at the time I didn't know the technical term until this thread.  Can someone give me some references regarding contruction techniques.

   Thanks

   Doug

1. 
   Ricky_Yu | May 07, 2003 10:25am | #5

   I built a pair of end tables with veneered and cockbeaded drawer fronts based on Mike Dunbar's article in Fine Woodworking No. 142 (June 2000). I believe cockbeading was developed to hide the edges of the veneer. It's basically a straightforward operation. Material is removed from all four edges of a drawer front. It is then replaced with the cockbeading which is mitered at the corners. Also, the beading project beyond the surface of the drawer front, and the profile is typically a half-round. Beware: cockbeading will hide or at least obscure the beautiful hand-cut half-blind dovetail joints of your drawers.

2. 
   ChasStanford | May 07, 2003 01:37pm | #6

   Well... 1/64th is too small in my opinion as suggested by another poster. 

   A 'weak' sixteenth is more realistic.