Even with the parfine wax and fancy slick liners for wooden tracks have there problems as they depend on the wood that they are mounted to. Cut a small hardwood block about X X 2 inches long. The heavier the contents the heavier material you will be required to use . At 'Slowes" you can get Zinnser canned shellac in Blonde and Garnet, it works great as a stand alone coating. Plywood for most drawers is 1/4 inch thick but can be 1/2 inch thick on large drawers. One of the best reasons to use shellac is it is totally non-toxic and does give off any odors once dried (about 1/2 hour). I've been using the 1/4" birch or oak from Slowes, not the best quality plywood but it seems good enough for drawer bottoms- I haven't had any failures (yet). The solid wood sides have only minor expansion and contraction along their lengths. The common 12-diameter dovetail bit is too big when using 12-thick drawer sides. In fact, this can be a stylistic advantage. 2. Especially without the use of a structural joint to keep the box together. Why use the shellac if it doesn't give the protection. The downside to this method is that you need to make several test cuts to get the settings perfect, and you need to purchase a fairly pricey router bit, 2020 Active Interest Media. Because of the metal slides they have an ability to work well even when wood expands and changes shape. The answer to this question is dependent on the application you are intending to use it in. 1. I like a spear-point knife as shown here because you can work on the left and right sides of a tail with just one tool. Unless the drawer box is made of plywood then it should not be nailed or glued as the wood expansions will also destroy a drawer box. For larger assemblies, I recommend backing up the joint with a piece of scrap to distribute the hammer blows evenly. This technique allows you to cut through-dovetails at all four joints (which is easier) and to stretch your supply of good drawer-front material. Finally, cut all your parts 116 wider than your finished size. https://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/popwood_logos-01.png, https://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/drawer-18-2-e1637167248889.jpg. Thanks for the reply. Some wood slide drawers get to the to the point that the require a swift kick to close and a truck and chain to pull open. Simple frameless doors can be made by simply cutting sanded or cabinet grade plywood to the required dimension. The #220-grit sandpaper keeps the work in place during the cut. In woodworking magazines, books and plans theres almost always an omission thats big enough to drive a truck through: How to build the drawers for the project. We may receive a commission when you use our affiliate links. If you were making an overlay drawer, the front would need to be rabbeted for the necessary offset and the fence reset to run the drawer fronts. Our favorite technique is to make the drawer sides, front and bottom using 12-thick stock and then glue on a 14 -thick piece of veneer for the front. with mechanical the small screws going into softwood would not be very strong. Thats because it automatically creates a 12 space for side-mount drawer slides. If you are pocket-hole drilling the sides, you need to use the "micro" jig and put your pocket holes on the outside of the drawer boxes for the screws to have better holding power. The size you have mentioned is still with in the range of what I would use!/2" materialif building something like a kitchen or bath cabient drawer. I've been using my Adaptive Cutting System table for a few years now, and it's been really solid. 1. Maybe the plywood from Slowes would work if I put shellac on it and left it unfinished. Iwould start by asking what type of slides you areintending to use, mechanical slides, or wood sliding on wood. It also can be used as a sealer between dis-similar finishes like an oil based stain and water based poly. Make a test cut to confirm your settings. They come in both the 1/4"and 1/2" shank. We feel more than confident that when you hire The Drawer Dude, youll be able to enjoy the inclusion of your new drawers as youre added to his growing list of satisfied customers. If you think about it 3/4 inche material is pretty heavy stuff and if you are not using a good slide you will again have to resort to the truck and chain method of opening and a big foot to close. You guys aren't making this easy are you? One easily overlooked element of a drawer is the bottom. Set it up once and forget it how simple. On a big project like a full-wall entertainment center, the added cost of building solid-cherry drawers could add up to hundreds of extra dollars. Stuff looks good, and smells good too. For Technical Support, please call 800-447-8638 or send a message. Also, you need to take some care when making the test cuts on the male portion of the joint. Baltic birch plywood is a great choice. Its made up of more veneers to make it stronger than most cabinet-grade plywood. Apply the veneer before planing or sanding your dovetail joints. The sides and back of the drawer should be. What about Luan (or is that what you used in your last project and didn't like)? This isa point that you will have to determine is what are you intending the drawer to hold. In general, the drawer front should be 34 thick unless its a drawer with a false front. False-front drawers are a simple drawer box with the front screwed to the box. You asked about using 1/2" pine. Of course there is solid wood if your drawer is small enough, and you can mill it down to the correct thickness. Or you could do like dave said and veneer whatever you use with walnut Lots of good ideas. 3. By using a drawer lock bit in a router table its a simple process to quickly create dozens of hardwood drawers (plywood isnt advised) and end up with strong, attractive joints. thick. Its better to do all the trimming at once. The back is 12 narrower and has no bottom groove. -thick material for bigger drawers, or drawers that will hold heavy objects. Reps are available Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm CST. Drawer slides are the better way to go if you are wanting a drawer that will function well year after year and not become a problem with swelling of drawer guides that give you a tight drawer the refused to retrack or close in and out of the case. Use thinner stock for smaller drawers and thicker stock for big ones. Subscribe to our newsletter and get FREE videos and tips every week! Apply a uniform bead of wood glue to the recess on the detached back piece of the drawer. This can be done by gluing a hardwood strip down the center from front to back. The bottom should slide into the drawer in 14 x 14 grooves milled in the sides and drawer front. thick unless its a drawer with a false front. False-front drawers are a simple drawer box with the front screwed to the box. We recommend shooting brads through the sides into the rabbet. Drawer-lock joints are easy to assemble and attractive. While the drawer is plenty strong for most applications, its not in the same league as a traditional dovetailed drawer. Website Design and Marketing by 561 Media. I'd install the bottom in a groove---allowing the bottom to float in the grooves---no glue. You also need a zero-clearance insert for your saw, which supports your work during the cut. It retains its shape better than most solid wood and it expands and contracts much less than solid wood. Cheap, inaccurate or dull tools will make the learning curve much steeper. Powered by, Badges | Before you try this technique on a drawer for a project, try it out on some scraps first. How do you navigate with the Southern Cross? Remove the remainder of the waste with a bench chisel. For small and medium-size drawers, hardboard will stand up to a moderate amount of weight. CS. Use your miter gauge to guide the cut to remove the waste. Even experts need to warm up with a test joint or two when dovetailing. To start, I wouldn't stain the inside of any drawer that might hold something. The second setup step is to align the rear cutting flute flush to the fence face. Oil based stains off-gas forever in an enclosed space. First the docking station is extremely cheap. Once the finish is applied and the cherry drawer front ages a bit you will barely be able to tell the front is applied. When you want the absolute best drawers in all of Palm Beach County, you can best believe that The Drawer Dude is the go-to choice. The sides and back of the drawer should be 12 or 58 thick. However, this does not impact our recommendations. It is stable, durable, and much less expensive than most hardwoods. And why not? If a groove, do you glue inside the groove or leave it dray for expansion/contraction? To glue the 14-thick veneer front to the assembled drawer box, use your workbench as a giant clamping caul as shown. For example, combining a dark hardwood front with a lighter-colored wood like poplar for the drawer box can really highlight the joinery and workmanship. 13. Note that your fence faces should be set as close to the bit as possible. 5. Good luck and happy building. Run two pieces of scrap material (the thickness of the scrap doesnt need to match your workpieces) flat against the table supporting the cut with your miter gauge. By first rabbeting the necessary clearance on the backside of the drawer fronts, the same bit will once again do all the joints for any of these drawers. I am getting ready to assemble drawer bottoms for a walnut nightstand. Transfer the lines marked on the end grain down the face of the board. If you look at a dove tail the configeration of the joint uses wood that is inserted into sockets and are not ina straight plane and therefore resists the pulling apart of the joint. Once you have the bit, its critical to get it set correctly in your router table for a tight, accurate fit. The solution is install a stop block at the rear of the drawer. Inserted drawer bottoms are the better method to go and actually will perform much better that a nailed on or glued on bottom. The back of the drawer should be 12 narrower than the sides to allow the bottom to slide into place at the rear. When we need to make drawers fast, this is the way we go. This is the traditional, and many would argue, the strongest way to make a drawer. Youll use it all the time. Mark out your tails on the end grain and the outside face of the drawer side. But based on your skill level and your particular set of tools, there is likely something here you can use for your woodworking. Make the groove width 1/2", (for 1/2" plywood bottom), and the groove depth 3/8", in 3/4" material. The most important thing to note here is you should stand so you can see when the chisel is perfectly perpendicular to the work, as shown here. Thanks for your reply last night. While there are no hard and fast rules for the type and thickness of drawer bottoms, there are some guidelines you can use to help you make a decision. For sale Festool Edge Bander Conturo KA 65 set, Almost new SawStop for sale -SALE PENDING, For sale - Festool TS55 Plunge Cut Track Saw. 7. I lacquer the drawers inside and out and the drawer guides too. So I chose to move up to 12" plywood for added strength. I do however feel that the best and strongest drawer material to use is a multi core plywood such as baltic birch. The sides and back of the drawer should be 12 or 58 thick. Seems to be awfully quiet about Kreg's Adaptive Cutting System, How to Build a Shaker Fireplace Surround - Woodworking. These brads will add some strength and reduce the clamping necessary to build these drawers. 4. In your case of the drawer bottoms and sides shellac is best used 'cause it doesn't smell like poly or other oil based finishes would. Theres always a trade-off, and with drawer lock bits its price and set-up. Use thinner stock for smaller drawers and thicker stock for big ones. For small and medium-size drawers, hardboard will stand up to a moderate amount of weight. Oh your bottom should be 30 1/2"x 23"x 1/4". if you go with the Kreg way you well have to go 3/4" 0n 3/4" that meins your side's and your fronts well have to be made of 3/4" plywood and that make's a havey drawer but you can use pine to that is up to you. Also I have never used shellac. This method is the most time-consuming of the four in this article. Make a sample drawer of 3/4" material with a 1/2" bottom. Chris is the former editor of Popular Woodworking Magazine. It's been a fun project and i've learned alot thanks in large part to this discussion! The drawer box is 1/2 baltic birch and the ride on full extension 150 lb rated ball bearing slides. 5. -thick piece of veneer for the front. Contrasting wood colors look particularly good with joints like half-blind dovetails. But with sliding dovetails, even small amounts matter. 7. Unplug the router, then use one of the sides to adjust the fence to set the protruding flute of the bit flush to the outside edge of the side piece. Youll only use the two outer blades of the dado set to cut 14 rabbets. Make a test run before cutting the groove in the sides and front for the drawers bottom. MDF always has to be painted, but you can choose a color that blends with the cabinet material, even if it is stained or unstained wood. 11. Its one of those few techniques that is both fast and strong. It is not that expensive and pays off in the long run as you can make a strong joint with little effort. Use a backing block to stabilize the drawer side and avoid tear-out. The finished result. It might just be .002 difference or so on each side of the joint. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. With that look in mind I have to have something that will look nice. There have been very few times that I have resorted to using anything thicker that 1/2" material to build the drawer box. Then simply run both ends of the fronts and backs with the workpiece flat on the router table. Is Johnson's paste wax the same as Minwax? Shift the fence so only 764 of the bit protrudes from the fence. After you mill all the joints, run each long edge over your jointer to remove the inevitable tear-out. I hope this is of some help to you and if you still have questions please contact me for help. The also are easier on the drawer as they are constant in how hard and or how soft they close. So since Im drilling pockets inContinue. For large, deep drawers, though, the potential for sagging is greater. I've seen drawers, of the size you intend to make, that were loaded with books, and came apart at the joints. He continues to blog and publish woodworking books at Lost Art Press. A small rule or straightedge makes this quick. Facebook. Drawers are critical in any chest or any type of cabinet and when not built correctly the lenght of time of satisfactory use is short lived. The problem is that when opening a drawer is is done in many cases with a yank on the front and then a slamb when closed. Make a sample drawer of 1/2" material with a 1/4" bottom. The rabbets are made only on the drawer fronts and backs. A box joint is another strong joint but gets it strength from the friction of the wood between one another in the joint and as from the extra amount of glue surface. However, not all wood species are available in veneer plywood. 10. The most common materials for drawer bottoms are 14 hardboard or plywood. Discuss the shellac and wax please. Well Bryan with all these great answer's here's my 2 cents. Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. The drawers are 36" wide and 20" deep. Laminate is typically applied to the door panel, although it is also possible to paint it or in the case of finer cabinet-grade plywood, to stain and varnish it. with wood sliding on wood, the pine would wear quickly. The use of a dado in the sides are one that is easily made using a table saw and even using a normal 1/8" wide kerf if you do not have a dado set. Dimensions: L- 31" w- 24" d- 9". What is The Best Wood for Making Drawers? 4. 16. I say you just do the bottom with 1/2" poplar. It may be necessary to make a third pass to clean out the center of the rabbets cheek. Its made by running the two sides and front piece (shown) flat on the saw, guiding the bottom edge against the fence. Cut the sockets on both ends of the drawer front. The color of poplar heartwood ranges from a creamy white to a yellowish tan or brown. Post will be coming soon. Started by Adam in General Woodworking May 6. n woodworking magazines, books and plans theres almost always an omission thats big enough to drive a truck through: How to build the drawers for the project. The drawers go together like a puzzle, and the interlocking nature of the joint ensures their longevity. With one table saw setup and a dado stack you can build drawers all day long. The last cut is for the 14 x 14 groove to accept the bottom. If the tongues fit all the way into the socket, great; but if the fit is loose, raise the bit. This part of the joint is never seen and it allows you to easily slide the parts together. Waxing would help the action of the drawers if they are on runners. Here's how I do it frist I cut your drawers height for you its 9" tall the side's 24"x1/2" and your fronts will be30"x3/4"and now cut a1/4" dado 1/2" from the buttom on all peice's. Fit the back edge of the drawer bottom into the recess on the back piece and push the piece into place. Shellac can add color to the wood similar to a stain. Apply wood glue to the sides of the drawer at the ends where the back will attach. If the bottom is thicker than 14 youll need to cut a bevel or rabbet on its edges. Each method has its pros and cons. Mark the waste portions of the joint with an X and then make your cuts. You can find these materials in many different types of hardwood so that one or both of the outer veneers can match your drawer boxes and/or fronts. Its a fairly forgiving technique that beginners master quickly. I would in no way use butt joint with either nails staples or screws as there is just to much demand on the a drawer joint. This same setup will create the bottom grooves in the front and sides. Make the first cuts on both ends of the sides, with the inside surface against the fence. Your bit may vary. Cost depends on several factors including but not limited to the size of the kitchen, type of wood, and how many drawers needed. To cut the socket, set your 38 dovetail bit so it protrudes 516 above the top of your router table. I would use shellac or leave natural. that said, I have done a lot of drawers with 1/2" bass using nylon glides sliding on the wood casement. 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When it comes to Conestogas cabinets, the only place you may need to consider using MDF is in the cabinet door/drawer fronts when you are planning on painted cabinetry. https://www.woodsmith.com/article/secrets-for-better-drawers/. Thanks again to everyone who helped me in this. Well thats all well and good unless youre like a lot of woodworkers who have never actually chosen a method of drawer-making. The bottom should slide into the drawer in, grooves milled in the sides and drawer front. A couple notes on this technique: There are entire books written about dovetailing, so we couldnt possibly cover everything thats involved. The closer to the bottom of the tail you get, the less clean-up work youll have with a chisel. First time I really had a need for the ACS miter guide. This will increase your accuracy. I want to build dresser drawers with Kreg joints. Glue does bond in an open joint; ie, when there is a gap between the two surfaces. The Drawer Dude has provided his quality work to many residents of South Florida, and through each job hes taken on, hes only ever guaranteed complete satisfaction. This is a time-consuming but rewarding way to make a drawer. However there are a few basic principles and tricks that make the process easier. While choosing a material for drawer bottoms isnt rocket science, making the right selection will result in a better drawer. Get some denatured alcohol and cut it 50/50 for easier application. For drawers the size you describe, I'd make them from 3/4" stock, and with a 1/2" bottom. Remove the waste outside of the tails with a backsaw, which cuts straighter than the fretsaw. Now that you got all of that done you well need to countersink 4 hole's along the egde of your 1/2". The bottom is usually 14-thick plywood for small drawers or 12-thick material for bigger drawers, or drawers that will hold heavy objects. In the end, I'm going with a 3/4" maple for the sides and a 1/2" sandeply for the bottom. Though youll need only one bit, it can cost as much as $55. I saw the video Kreg put out for this new jig and had high hopes for it. Use a miter gauge to guide the cut. Locate the groove 1/2" from the bottom edge. The construction of the drawers were not suitable for storing a drawer full of books. Baltic Birch ply is great for drawer bottoms, as is hardboard.