I’m in the process of building a chest of drawers that will be painted for our soon-to-be baby so I’m looking for suggestions on simple but yet sturdy drawer joints. Note: there will not be a false drawer front. Currently, I don’t have a dovetailing jig nor have I attempted dovetails by hand so that’s out for now. I’ve thought about box joints but figured that it probably won’t be worth the time considering it’ll be painted. Another simple joint that comes to mind is a butt joint with biscuits. For the back of the drawers, I’ll probably use a rabbet on each drawer side to accept the drawer back.
Also, for the drawer bottom, should the drawer front have a dado to accept the drawer bottom or should the drawer bottom be flush with the edge of the drawer sides so the drawer front doesn’t have a dado? Should 1/4″ or 1/2″ ply be used for a ~20″ wide drawer? Remember, this will only be for baby clothes.
If anyone has any suggestions, I’d appreciate it. Also, any photos of the joints you’ve used and comments on making them, would be very helpful.
Thanks, Brett
Replies
Brett,
I've made a lot of plywood drawers using a lock mitre joint cutter and the router table. A plan chest disguised as a coffee table I made had 12 (as I remember) such drawers in it, for various sizes of paper used by it's artist owners.
The thinnest plywood you can use with the technique is 1/2 inch, for which you'll need a small size lockmitre cutter. Also, you must use birch or apple ply of high quality (lots of plys, no voids, even thickness).
You cut the bottoms with the plywood flat on the router table. The drawer fronts and backs have their vertical edges cut this way too. This means that the "tongues" cut by the lock mitre cutter are in the plane of the plywood.
The bottom edges of the fronts and backs have their tongues cut at right angles to the plane of the ply, by running the py vertically on the router table (edges on the table).
The sides have their vertical and bottom edge cut with the ply vertical on the router table too.
You need a tall fence for doing the vertical cuts. Use of a pressure spring or other hold down to keep the ply against the fence also helps. Also, a backer board at the trailing edge of the ply stops any breakout.
When you fit the pieces of the drawer together, you find that the bottom is held mechanically in the sides so that you cannot push the bottom out. Also, the fronts and backs cannot be pulled forward or back from the sides. (This mimics the mechanical strength of DTs).
Assuming you have set the lock mitre cutter up accurately, you will have drawers that have flush corners all round - ie none of the ply edges show except the top edge. The top edge can be given a solid wood lipping, should you desire to hide the ply altogether. If you are painting, no need for this.
Once the joints are glued, you have an immensely strong drawer. I made a test drwer once, from parts that I'd cutt too short for the intended drawer. I could not break this drawer at all, although it shows numerous vicious hammer dents. :-)
Lataxe
Thanks for this post. I mention using a lockmiter bit and some think I'm nuts or worse!I use it often but I never have for drawers. I have no reason why except my drawer sides are usually 3/8 inch ply and as I recall my Whiteside bit is limited to 1/2 to 3/4 inch material. I'll use it for the next project that needs a drawer.I find the key to using a lockmiter bit is SAVING a setup block with notes on it for what was made on it. Saves ALOT of time.I have made many large boxes (lockers?) for friends out of 1/2 and 3/4 inch ply for construction tools. Exterior ply with waterproof glue and as far as I know not one has come apart.
Hey will,
You mentioned a key to the lockmiter bit. I guess that means you don't have a combination lock miter set up?
I never got one of those lock miters, as I figured the locks would get in the way flopping around hanging off the corners like that. Do you like Master locks, or Yale?
Ray
Master locks, or Yale.. Good one... Had me going a bit tryin' to figgure out what you were talkin' about..
Will,
That Ray is an atavistic throwback. The world of router cutters is a mystery to the bloke and he (splutter, choke) still uses old wooden planes to make profiles on his edges! He don't like the biccies either, unless they are ginger snaps or have chocolate on them.
He does know what mechanical things are, as he has a motorbike. (I yam assuming it is a real one and not one he carved during idle moments at the back of the church, when the sermon was a bit dull or the vicar not to his liking). However, he probably believes all motors require 500cc pistons and a lot of gasoline. There may be no electricity where he lives.
When I am rich (a long-lost rich and generous auntie may appear, you never know) I yam going to buy Ray a router, a router table, a woodrat and one o' them boxes of 50 router cutters. He will be a changed bloke (hopefully not in the finger area, though but).
For Christmas he will be gettin' a Lamello; or even a Domino!
Lataxe, Ray-moderniser.
PS Lock mitre setup templates are the way to go, as you say.
Lataxe, old chum,
Trying to get a rise out of the throwback, are we? I have not one, but two routers. Well, three, if you count (I know you will) the one whose motor is in the Vega tenon cutting doohickey. Another is a 50's era Porter-Cable, with howling bearings, that fits the sliding dovetail jigs I made. The third is a big ol' Bosch whose switch gave up the ghost a couple years ago, and I never have repaired. Pity Robert Bosch doesn't make routers the way Indian and Brough Superior made motorsickles, mebbe they'd last more'n a couple years.
Never had a need for a lock-miter, being able to spline the slippery little rascals is good enough for the likes of me. And drawers, I either dovetail together, or just butt join, bang a few 10d nails in, and put yer name on the label!
Ta, laddie,
Ray, atavistic, anachronistic, and apathet-istic, too
The easiest I've used is pocket holes. I think a false front is an attached front to the box. Run the sides full length w/ the front & back in between. Run the front screws on the face side so when you attach the front over them they'll be hidden. On the back place them on the back side where you can't see them unless they're removed.trimjim
Cut and install splines similar to a faux dove tail. Lock miters are horrible. Biscuits are better, and safe, and less frustrating.
K,
"Lock miters are horrible".
Because..........?
Lataxe, unhorrified lockmitre user.
PS I like biscuits too.
Brett, I have some pictures of drawer construction using French dovetails, also called dovetail dadoes or sliding dovetails. This makes a very strong drawer and is commonly used in architectural cabinet shops for commercial cabinetry. You can use metal slides either on the sides or bottom. In the pictures, I used a dovetailed wooden center slide. These are stopped dadoes, so you have to back out when making the female cuts. It's tricky at first and requires a left and right hand set up. This construction works well for full overlay drawer fronts but it can be used for inset drawers, especially when using side mounted slides. The joinery mechanically locks the parts together.
The most common failure I see on drawers is the bottom. 1/4" bottoms are OK on large drawers if they are supported, otherwise, I'd use 3/8". I use glue blocks liberally on much of my work. They can add a lot of support and are easy to do.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Nice work!!
Dave
Hammer,Nice drawers. I like the glue block construction. What type of clamps are you using to hold the blocks in place?Glaucon
If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...
When you say "false drawer front", I assume that you mean that the visible drawer front is part of the actual drawer box and not a separate piece attached to the box. If so, would you consider an alternate plan?
Construct your drawer box (front, back and sides) from 1/2" birch ply. The sides and front are dadoed for whatever thickness ply you're using for the bottom. Most of the time, I dado the back too, then rip the dado away when I assemble the drawer. For a 20" wide drawer, I would probably use 1/2" since the drawer may be used for something heavier in the future.
Fancy joinery isn't really necessary if you design and build your drawers to minimize the force you need to open them. Ball bearing drawer glides are inexpensive and easy to use. I have some fairly sizable drawers in the shop that just use wood runners. The contacting surfaces get rubbed with an old candle about once a year and they operate as smooth as glass.
I made this drawer about 10 years ago using the same technique I've used for at least 20 years now. This will probably get me drummed out of here in disgrace, but it's always worked for me. I've NEVER had a drawer failure.
The purists can now begin throwing their stones. - lol
Dave is in conguence with my suggestion.I use 1/2" baltic birch for front/back/side and Bottom....One material, not two, results in economy of material and greater strength..What I do is take my opening size and deduct 1" for drawer slides.easy to do, that gives total drawer widthnext, deduct 3/4" from that and you have yer width of bottom front and back piecesLength, say 22" gives you the length of the sides ( you gotta figure out the depth you want yer doors.You rabbet out the sides on bottom and two ends , leaving 3/8" of material (even though it's 1/2" nominal, it's typically minus of that dimension, but if you leave 3/8 of material, you will see that 2 times 3/8 gives you the 3/4" that you cut the bottom and back pieces to...You set the width of yer rabbet to match the thickness of the ply, and that will also give you a moderately flush joint, Front and back pieces only need a rabbet on the bottom, And if yer measurements are 99.9% accurate, you end up with 5 pieces which you can dry-fit together, and see how the rabbet aids in registration and maintaining squareness. Sometimes clamps gotta be used as persuasion.My typical assembly is to presand all pieces, and sand the tops of the sides and front on a pneumatic sander (which gives them a nice subtle radius, then attach front and back to the bottom with 1 3/16 brads and glue ,then attach the sides same way, Then sand flush either on a stationary sander or with a belt sander on a carpet on the floor (depending on size)One drawback with baltic birch ply is that is occasionally comes out of square, so you gotta constantly check for that and adjust accordingly. The trick to this methodology is that the depths of yer rabbets is variable, you gotta be measuring to see what you got left, not how much you cut away....it's kinda anatheme to populist wwing dogmatism, but ain't unknown to machinists, and when you stop and think about it, makes perfect sense. The 1/2" bottom takes up no more room than a traditional 1/4" ply set into a 1/4" rabbet 1/4" from the bottom, and is more than twice as strong (Oh boy that do make a difference when you got a 34" wide drawer holding cast iron pots.....) and if cut square, holds the drawer square. Again, one material, not two. But further, only one saw set up, not two; Front, back and sides all same height, not two; square materials into the task, square drawers come out, eliminating checks for squareness in assembly. Time is saved, the rabbets hold everything in registration during assembly(maybe requiring clamps) ,one material instead of two, simple one time saw set up; easily sanded, results in rigid strong and square drawers. I has racked my brains to find any drawbacks to this methodolgy, to no avail other than it ain't traditional...(but the only way you can tell is if you look underneath the drawers and see that the bottom ain't 1/4" ) or if yu notice the brads on the sides...which only look 1/2 as bad as all the traditionally made drawers I've had to repair when the wimpy 1/4" bottom sags and drops out of it's dados, forcing the sides apart, causing the drawer to bind insitu, thus percipitating all kinds of other miscellaneous damage. maybe some xpurt can set me straight and prevent you from being led down the garden path, but in the meantime, it works for me, and has worked for me for over 10+ years without a single call back for a "bad drawer" Just my two bits.Eric in Calgary
bb. Hammer's dovetails would be my choice or as my old secretary's three drawer chest has-since the 1870's - just a simple rabbat at least 5/8 into the drawer front and deep across to satisfy where your drawer side must wind up and it is doweled every 7/8 or so down the side with 1/4 " dowels. It's been around a long time and full of heavy papers, still solid as a rock. Paddy
I just made my first set of drawers, so take that into account.
22 1/2" wide x 21" deep. All sides and bottom were 1/2" ply, but these were for tools. I believe 1/4" would be plenty for baby clothes.
Being a newbie, with no experts around to tutor me, I went with simple joinery.
I routed a 1/4" deep x 1/2" wide rabbet on each end of the drawer front, stopped 1/2" shy of the top edge because my drawer fronts were 1/2" taller than the sides. Since the rabbet was the same width as my drawer sides, I fully seated the sides in the rabbets, glued and brad nailed them from the side into the rabbet wall of the drawer front.
The back was butt-jointed to the sides, glued and brad nailed.
I set the drawer bottom in a 1/4" deep x 1/2" wide rabbet cut in the bottom edge of the front, sides, and back. Glued and brad nailed from the bottom into the rabbet walls every 4-6". (Note: To cut down on sawdust I did these rabbets on the table saw, prior to assembly.)
Best of luck,
Danny
Edited 10/12/2007 1:55 pm by GettinTher
Hi Brett,
Sounds like you want to keep it simple. I would rabbet the drawer front to accept the sides. With good fitting joints and modern glues you shouldn't have any problems. Groove the front and sides for the bottom( if it's plywood, glue it in place ). Then use a simple butt joint at the rear ( between the sides ) and narrower in width so the bottom goes through.
Paul
Well, at least they take a nice picture...
Glaucon
If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...
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