Frame&Panel Chest Design Strategy
Will Neptune’s article in the May 2003 (#163) issue of FWW on a basic design strategy for a chest of drawers has been very helpful to me. For the current proposal, however, the client wants frame and panel sides for a chest of drawers, and I’m struggling with the connection between the sub-top and sides.
The simplest approach, since the frame and panel sides shouldn’t change in width significantly, would be to rabbet the inner face of the top of each side 3/8″ x 3/4″ and glue a solid plywood subtop between them. This joint wouldn’t have too much long-grain to long-grain contact, however.
I thought of making a web frame for the sub-top using hardwood for the front and back pieces and plywood for the side pieces. If the front and back hardwood web pieces were the same width (2″) as the styles in the side frame and panel assemblies there would be uniform wood movement where they meet and dovetails would seem to be in order. However, the (side) styles are weakened by tenons for the (side) rails so this approach would seem even weaker than the first. The same would seem to be true for tenoning the web front and back into the side’s styles.
There will be a face frame on the front of the chest, also with 2″ wide styles and rails. I could run a horizontal divider flush with the bottom edge of the (front) top rail and stub tenon it into the (side) styles. This would also keep grain direction consistent, but there wouldn’t be that much gluing surface on a pair of stub tenons. And the mortises for the stub tenons would be very close to the mortise for the (side) rail.
In theory, a client could even ask for a chest of drawers with frame and panel sides and NO front face frame, so that there would not be a face frame to help hold the two sides of the chest together. I’d appreciate hearing how others have designed a chest like this so that the piece would have as much strength as possible.
Thanks.
Replies
Don, this isn't too difficult. You could do much as is shown in the sketch attached. Use a carcass dovetail at the ends of upper horizontal frame's front and back rail. These shouldn't interfere with the tenons that join the top rail to the legs in the carcass side. Similar carcass dovetails are shown used for top rails to carcase joints in the attached snap.
Put a short tenon at either end of the front to back rail in the horizontal framing. These tenons could have a shoulder as sketched, or not. Screw this rail to the top rail of your side panel. Do something similar at the bottom, but perhaps use stub tenons on the end of the horizontal frame's front and back rail.
Now, away to it, and stop thinking too much about a simple standard joinery job, ha, ha. Slainte. Slainte.
Richard Jones Furniture
Here's some stuff about drawer front and back rails, and their runners and kickers, but bear in mind that this style has an allowance for width expansion of the side panel in a non-frame and panel construction.
In frame and panel work you won't need to allow for expansion and contration of the side panel as the front and back rail are tenoned into the front and back leg. You may need to dog leg the runner/kicker around the front and back leg so that it sits neatly against the side panel. You won't need a housing as seen worked into the side panel here to prevent the runner/kicker sagging in use.You might need to add instead a vertical wooden guide glued to the top face of the runner/kicker to create a suitable track for the drawer to run in and be guided by. This also stiffens the runner/kicker (hence not needing the housing in the side panel mentioned earlier.)
I forgot to mention in my previous post that I'm assuming that you have some means of including a back panel into the back leg and up into the underside of the top rail-- a groove or rebate or similar. In the sketch in that post, neither leg shows such a provision, but it's quite easily incorporated. Slainte.
Richard Jones Furniture
Don,
Traditionally, the stiles of a frame-and-panel-end chest of drawers are about 2" square. This gives you enough meat to dovetail/ mortise the drawer blades (rails separating the drawers) directly into the stiles, and eliminates the need for a face frame. The back is typically frame and panel also, with top, bottom, and center rails mortised into the stiles, (or sometimes one or two intermediate stiles tenoned into the top and bottom rails,) and flat or bevel edge panels between.
Drawer guides (fillers) may be mortise and tenoned front to back, between the stiles, flush with the inside of the stiles, in line with the drawer blades, and drawer bearers attached to these guides with glue and nails (traditional), or screws (easily replaceable).
Most often the top is screwed on from underneath with the screws captured in pockets in the top rails. Make allowance (slop in the screw holes) for movement, as the top, if solid wood, will move, and the framed case will not.
The stiles usually extend to the floor, and are lathe-turned as feet, or tapered if left square. But a separate base frame with your choice of feet is an option, of course.
Regards,
Ray Pine
Thanks Richard and Ray for helping me out.
Richard's sketch is exactly what I wanted to do, just too locked into thinking about frame and panel cabinet doors where the styles and rails are 3/4" thick and 1.5" or 2" wide. That was really dull of me. You two hit the head smack dab on the nail, here. I'll crimp my hand in the vise for 10 minutes as punishment and then get on with the design and estimate.
Don
"I'll crimp my hand in the vise for 10 minutes as punishment".
Be careful, the vises you guys use are at a height that is morely likely to crimp something other than your hand.Philip Marcou
Be careful, the vises you guys use are at a height that is morely likely to crimp something other than your hand.
Philip,
Isn't that how you make it longer?
Jeff
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