If you were going to make a solid wood bottom (similar to a raised panel with the flat back as the visible side) you would have to let it float as it needs to expand and contract. Privacy Policy | It provides some protection for the sliding parts, and seals the wood in the storage area guarding against any potential picks or snags for synthetic clothing, etc. So I chose to move up to 12" plywood for added strength. 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. I have made legs out of ash hardwood and will make the sides out of 1/2 or 3/4 Baltic birch plywood. The first pass should be made at the end of the piece. When I build a drawer I do not want to have to perform regular maintainence on it to make it work. We recommend shooting brads through the sides into the rabbet. 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. Apply a uniform bead of wood glue to the recess on the detached back piece of the drawer. All this in repeated times will actually tear a drawer apart. Gluing the bottoms will add considerable strength. What about Luan (or is that what you used in your last project and didn't like)? For a heavier load, you can step up to plywood. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we The finished result. 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. I would use shellac or leave natural. I'd make the drawers from oak or birch vs fir/pine. Two critical accessories are required. Our staff offers simple, strong and fast ways to make this important furniture component. 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. 4. 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. Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. A perfect mating fit is shown. I have many times build a large drawer in the size range you are indicating but used plywood and full extension slides with 1/2" drawer bottom. Some woodworkers swear by the router. Once you have the bit, its critical to get it set correctly in your router table for a tight, accurate fit. Even then in the half blind dovetail the strongest joint is cut with the tails on the sides and the sockets are cut on the front and back. Make the groove width 1/2", (for 1/2" plywood bottom), and the groove depth 3/8", in 3/4" material. 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. This is due to the fact that plywood is easier to cut a single piece of plywood to fit a drawer box than to glue up a bunch of hardwood planks. It retains its shape better than most solid wood and it expands and contracts much less than solid wood. 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. However, this does not impact our recommendations. There have been very few times that I have resorted to using anything thicker that 1/2" material to build the drawer box. I have considerable experience with conventional, Posted by Robert Ringel on September 17, 2020 at 1:48pm 9 Comments, 2022 Created by KregRep. Drawer sides should generally be constructed of half-inch plywood, while the drawer bottom should be made of quarter-inch plywood. 7. 5. If you want to use shellac and then topcoat with something else get the Zinnser Sealcoat, it's dewaxed and won't give you any problems with other finishes. Use a backing block to stabilize the drawer side and avoid tear-out. With the lacquered sides & guides, a coat of wax makes the drawers slide like glass. 2. Finally, cut all your parts 116 wider than your finished size. You are using an out of date browser. The assembled joint. Routing MDF board this way eliminates the need for handles. There has been no failures. Far-reaching of super massage in our day-to-day schedule, How Cryptocurrency Can Change the Entertainment Industry, Enhancing your Cybersecurity as a Remote Worker, What To Do If Your House Is Damaged By An Act Of God. This specialty router bit allows you to cut all the corner joints with one router table setup. pw. Well I guess a trip to Lowes is in order. Also note the cabinetmakers triangle drawn on the edges. At 'Slowes" you can get Zinnser canned shellac in Blonde and Garnet, it works great as a stand alone coating. Shift the fence so only 764 of the bit protrudes from the fence. Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator. This was the case when I added some drawer storage under my workbench. 3. This reminds me of which way my parts will be oriented as I machine and assemble them. I am building a small trunk for a military friend to put some belongings in. I've been using my Adaptive Cutting System table for a few years now, and it's been really solid. 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. The #220-grit sandpaper keeps the work in place during the cut. While the following steps walk you through the setups for a simple inset drawer, the bit can also be used for overlay drawers and also allow clearance for mechanical drawer slides. The most common materials for drawer bottoms are 14" hardboard or plywood. The side pieces are left intact. Its only real downside is that its the weakest of the four joints. Use thinner stock for smaller drawers and thicker stock for big ones. This tricky technique uses only two setups on your router table to cut very strong drawers that are perfect for a project that uses drawer slides. One easily overlooked element of a drawer is the bottom. Why not use cedar??? Save up to 64% and get a free gift. Is Johnson's paste wax the same as Minwax? A dado or groove in the drawer bottom is much stronger than the nailed glued on bottom as you have a large amout of surface supporting the drawer bottom and the bottom is not locked to the drawer ends and bottoms thus getting rid of the threat of wood expansion. 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). A couple notes on this technique: You need the right-size bit for the joint. Cost depends on several factors including but not limited to the size of the kitchen, type of wood, and how many drawers needed. When you follow these instructions youll end up with an inset drawer that has a perfect 12-wide space for a drawer slide. To start, I wouldn't stain the inside of any drawer that might hold something. to 14. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality. Youre ready to cut. The drawers go together like a puzzle, and the interlocking nature of the joint ensures their longevity. Not the 1/4" stuff you can buy in packs for your closet lining. It is very easy to work with and has straight, uniform grain. Sliding dovetails arent just for building bookcases. Use thinner stock for smaller drawers and thicker stock for big ones. Oh your bottom should be 30 1/2"x 23"x 1/4". 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. A couple notes on this technique: There are entire books written about dovetailing, so we couldnt possibly cover everything thats involved. Note that your fence faces should be set as close to the bit as possible. 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. The second setup step is to align the rear cutting flute flush to the fence face. The answer to this question is dependent on the application you are intending to use it in. This same setup will create the bottom grooves in the front and sides. A small rule or straightedge makes this quick. Now that you got all of that done you well need to countersink 4 hole's along the egde of your 1/2". 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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. Even experts need to warm up with a test joint or two when dovetailing. The drawer box is 1/2 baltic birch and the ride on full extension 150 lb rated ball bearing slides. Compare the two---select which one is most suitable for its intended end use. This socket holds the back in place. What some do not take into consideration is that when a drawer if opened and closed, the contents of that drawer is exherted against the front and the back. If the bottom is thicker than, youll need to cut a bevel or rabbet on its edges. 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. Or you could do like dave said and veneer whatever you use with walnut Lots of good ideas. 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. Thanks for the reply. The drawer that is built using butt joints are the weakes of all. If the tongues fit all the way into the socket, great; but if the fit is loose, raise the bit. To remedy this problem, weve come up with four good techniques for building drawers that our editors have refined after years of shop work. When you close the drawer it is just the reverse of the above. Of course there is solid wood if your drawer is small enough, and you can mill it down to the correct thickness. There is no stronger, beautiful or individual technique than cutting dovetails by hand. 2. In the end, this technique produces a wicked-tight mechanical joint with just a couple tool setups. Dave,why not just use poly and come back with the wax? The interlocking design is strong and offers significant gluing surface. Position the screws so the points of the screws are directed "inward", so they're away from the outside edge. Drawer-lock joints are easy to assemble and attractive. You can often find hardboard with a white surface that would look good and be easy to clean. The solid wood sides have only minor expansion and contraction along their lengths. Use good tools. It is not that expensive and pays off in the long run as you can make a strong joint with little effort. Any thoughts would be appreciated. It might just be .002 difference or so on each side of the joint. This minimizes tear-out when the bit exits the work. What size plywood should I use for furniture? You also need a zero-clearance insert for your saw, which supports your work during the cut. Just brush it on, a couple coats and sand smooth, then a final coat. Baltic birch plywood is a great choice. Before you try this technique on a drawer for a project, try it out on some scraps first. 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. How do you navigate with the Southern Cross? Usually the woodworking author (always well-intended, I can assure you) writes instructions such as: Build the drawers using your method of choice.. 1. Youre better off with a 38-diameter dovetail bit, which is commonly available. And what do you mean by top coat? Theres nothing wrong with using a contrasting wood for the drawer sides. There are otherjoint construction methods that serve better and not that hard to build. Like all good things, it requires practice. Otherwise youll just make more work for yourself. Why use the shellac if it doesn't give the protection. 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. Iwould start by asking what type of slides you areintending to use, mechanical slides, or wood sliding on wood. 16. Good luck and happy building. After you mill all the joints, run each long edge over your jointer to remove the inevitable tear-out. 2. Contrasting wood colors look particularly good with joints like half-blind dovetails. Shellac can add color to the wood similar to a stain. 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. Now its time to adjust the final bit height. thick unless its a drawer with a false front. False-front drawers are a simple drawer box with the front screwed to the box. This clamping setup allows you to focus on marking accurate lines. I say you just do the bottom with 1/2" poplar. How do you fix the bottom of a dresser drawer? First set the bit to 12 high. Subscribe to our newsletter and get FREE videos and tips every week! So since Im drilling pockets inContinue. I hope this is of some help to you and if you still have questions please contact me for help. 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. If a groove, do you glue inside the groove or leave it dray for expansion/contraction? You asked about using 1/2" pine. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Remove the waste outside of the tails with a backsaw, which cuts straighter than the fretsaw. With one table saw setup and a dado stack you can build drawers all day long. 1. But with sliding dovetails, even small amounts matter. 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. I want to build dresser drawers with Kreg joints. Technology has developed a router bit that is called a "lock joint bit" and makes a drawer joint similiar to the dado. 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. The closer to the bottom of the tail you get, the less clean-up work youll have with a chisel. thick. 11. This will increase your accuracy. Maybe the plywood from Slowes would work if I put shellac on it and left it unfinished. Make a sample drawer of 1/2" material with a 1/4" bottom. 14. If your drawer uses a different species of wood for the sides than for the front, check the fit of the male portion of the joint in a socket in both species. Using a less expensive, but equally suitable, wood wont affect the look of the finished piece and it also wont affect the structural integrity of the piece. It also can be used as a sealer between dis-similar finishes like an oil based stain and water based poly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 1. You guys aren't making this easy are you? 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 construction of the drawers were not suitable for storing a drawer full of books. The back of the drawer should be 12 narrower than the sides to allow the bottom to slide into place at the rear. Report an Issue | Thats because it automatically creates a 12 space for side-mount drawer slides.