Hey guys. I have been doing alot of drawers at the shop I work in and I still find it hard to get them square with out alot of fiddling.. My boss insist the only way is with a tape measure but with the tip moving and making sure it is at the right spot every time i think there is too much room for error. Any tips out there?
Edited 8/14/2007 10:12 pm by Zappa
Replies
make sure your tablesaw blade and miter gauge are square. I know that's burnt me in the past. I ended up making a bunch of rhombuses because they were off a degree or two.
Zappa ,
When you say a lot of fiddling do you mean corner to corner to get your diagonals equal ?
What drawer slide system are you using ?
Every now and then a bar clamp squeeze will bring it in to square .
dusty
The most important part is making sure all your different pieces, end cuts and edges are square. The drawer almost squares itself if the parts are correct. The drawer bottom should tell you all you need to know. Otherwise a framing square or other square is a lot more accurate than corner to corner measurements. If either of the perimeter measurements is not exactly the same, corner to corner won't tell you anything. If there is any difference, even 1/16" in the length of the sides, the back or where joints are placed, you have a problem. Getting all the cuts accurate will simplify the whole process. If a square doesn't register the same in the corners, the parts are wrong.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Zappy, can you at least make the bottom square? Because then the drawer just follows right along.
What Phillip Marcou said. (Which happens to be what Frank Klaus recommends as well -- and me, but I didn't make no stinkin' videos <G>).
Make sure the drawer bottom is square and fits snugly (but not too tight to slide easily). Glue up the drawer and then slide the bottom in, making sure it's all the way forward. Tack it down with a nail or screw at the back and you're done. The bottom automatically squares up the drawer with remarkable accuracy.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Edit: Oh, and skip the tape measure for squaring drawers. Use a thin cutoff as a story stick instead. Put in in corner 1 and extend it diagonally. Mark at the diagonal corner with a sharp pencil. Repeat with corner 2 and mark. Square is 1/2 way between the marks. Adjust as needed. No fuss, no muss.
Edited 8/15/2007 7:59 am ET by MikeHennessy
Z,
Why are you so hung up on square drawers?
Round is a nice shape.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,
Spongebob's drawers are square, that's why.
Ray
I can't add much to what has already been said, but you might want to have a look at these: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32585&cat=1,43513
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Thnaks for everyones input.. Isaw the Lee valley ones and I think that may be the way to go.. I am a bit of a perfetionist and my boss is the type that would rather do it quick and get on with it.. I have issues with alot of things he does but it is his business.. Z
Zappa,
The other comments relate to square pieces being the key to success. Those Lee Valley thangs won't correct that issue, but should aid in finding the culprit but will not correct it.
I'm looking very seriously at the Incra device and have been for some time now. All things considered, that's really not a bad price either, IMHO.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 8/15/2007 2:41 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Edited 8/15/2007 2:41 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Well I know that all the peices were square as I cut them myself and made sure the fence and Mitre were square before I started as well as cutting all peices a bit larger to ensure when I cut them too size they would be right.. My boss makes me cut the bottoms smaller then they need to be why I have no idea other then to make the final squaring before using a brad nail to lock it into place.. I few weeks ago I made the bases just a hiar smaller and they went together really nice but I did not cut the bases on the drawers on the last batch I made. so I had some trouble with a few .. I was thinking of getting a 1/2 inch peice of plastic that is square and putting a groove in it for the tape measure so I know it is in the same spot every time...Z
Zappy- mind that boss....
Another thought: provided the drawer front and the drawer back are the same shape as their respective openings, and the sides did slide in before you assembled the drawer, there is not a lot left to go wrong.
Anyway-I just speak theoretically because I don't know the whole story eg is this part of a production set up?Philip Marcou
Zappa,
Another thought.... Is the carcass square? Maybe your drawers are square but the carcass isn't. That's burnt me in the past as well.
mike
If you're using a jig to ensure the sides are exactly the same length as well as the front & back, there shouldn't be any trouble. Like everyone else says, the bottom will make it square.
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