Drawer guide method

[Mark Singer]

Using modern slides like Blumotion drawers slide effortlessly and even retract in the carcass. Hand made dovetail drawers require great precision to attain as good a feel. So starting with the carcass dimension and allowing for over scribe etc. is difficult. A sloppy drawer "racks " in its carcass . If the fit is tight , but not too tight and the contact surfaces are small in contact area the piston fit that we all hope for can be achieved . I have used NK style drawers to accomplish this and there are some draw backs.
With the system I use here the drawer is made to the carcass and 3/16" hardwood glides are set in dados. I used Paduk for the bottom and maple for the sides to avoid marking due to wood coloration. The guides are planned untill the drawer just slides nicely in the cavity. It is easy to fine tune by hand planing using a block plane. A little Renaissance Wax and you won't believe the feel! A friend came by and tried it... "Well its not Blumotion, I think its "Jewmotion". :rolleyes:Regardless of your preferences, you may want to try this technique and my patents are not pending:rolleyes:
These will be night stands . The wood is walnut and currently is not final planed or finished. The dovetails are right off the saw so I apologize , I will post it when its done. In the first photo you can see the close tolerances since the carcass back is removed

[Mark Singer]

I also use a plumbing washer as a drawer stop as seen here

[John Keeton]

Mark, talk about timing! I was just thinking about posting a thread to get ideas on how others do their drawers without mechanical slides. This is great information, and I appreciate the post.

[Jim Koepke]

This is timely.
In between projects, I have been working on making some small drawers
for storage in the shop. Making the guides has me wondering what to do.

jim

[Dewey Torres]

Nice work mike. If I could figure a way to do this RETRO wise I would use it on my shoe cubby. I used a center slide and I don't like the fit. It works fine it is just not "guide easy" like I would prefer it.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=87725&highlight=shoe+cubby

[Eric Wong]

The dovetails are right off the saw so I apologize...

If you think you have to apologize for those dovetails, you've never seen mine. Mine usually look like they were made by a beaver.

[Steve Clardy]

Looks nice Mark!

[Jim Becker]

That's a slick (SIC) method for this, Mark! I can see how these "guides" can be easily fine tuned just from the pictures. 'Gonna have to try that out on the buffet project I have planned!

[Bill Houghton]

If you think you have to apologize for those dovetails, you've never seen mine. Mine usually look like they were made by a beaver.

You misunderstand...he's apologizing for making the rest of us look bad.

Clever slide idea. One of my chests of drawers is oak, from my grandmother's house, and, even with one drawer side split at the bottom, it's smooth as can be.

[Mark Singer]

Half blindes can hide lots of things since only the face shows. and I have been doing this a while so the results are pretty consistent. It has been about 6 months since I made the coffee table bench with the thru dovetails and I do think those were a little better. I took my time because it was the important detail since its always exposed to view on the coffee table.

[Mac Cambra]

The drawer stop, i.e. washer, I assume that catches the back of the drawer on the top edge? How do you get the drawer out, remover the washer?

Thanks

[Mark Singer]

Mike,
Yes a stubby phillips screwdriver ... pretty simple. Another way is a wood latch with small spring. When pushed in the drawer can be removed. Viola!

[Mac Cambra]

I like simple.

BTW: I know I am not saying anything that everyone else doesn't already know but your joinery skills are incredible. Inspires me to put down the router and take a whack at it, literally. There has to be a certain pride of craftsmanship that comes from it.

Do you ever break away from the modern style furniture that you seem to make? I know most of the pieces you do are in keeping with the architecture of the houses you design but I know I would be interested in seeing your interpretations or execution of other furniture styles as well.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[Mark Singer]

Mac,
Thank you.
I have an appreciation of many traditional styles of furniture and architecture as well. The modern aesthetic allows me to use traditional techniques like joinery and invent details such as the drawer guides to solve the problems of smoothly sliding a drawer 30" wide and only 15" deep. For me the wood itself has sufficient beauty without added adornment of carving or appliques. I seek out the subtleties of the design. In the case of these bed tables the separation of the book holding base and the table formed by the drawer unit in the photos. There is a language of organization in the parti of these elements that defines its use while it establishes a clarity that transcends style . Once seen no other solutions seem equal or as clear.
I have made many chairs and other shaped and organic pieces. I can do this and I actually love this work as well.
For me it is about being deliberate . Make it what it wants to be and always recognize its own essence.
The best traditional pieces are already built. If I were to attempt one , it would not be as good as what has already been done and at best it would be a form of replication. The fresh approach would not be there. The challenge of new forms and applying what I know would remain idle.
This is the beauty of a blank piece of paper and the morning light that inspires me before the day begins.
Then the routers and saws... I use them too! Yes a few hand tools that I know well....Take the stage.. to play out their roles in my latest play.... a bed table...a chair....a tray for a friends home...

[Mac Cambra]

I understand completely, you are at a different point in this journey than I am, but your choices are all for the same reasons I can't stand building things from patterns. When it comes down to it the point is expressing creativity the piece itself is just a vehicle. And yes I agree the wood speaks for itself.

[Roger Myers]

Mark,
Clever and simple... Thanks for sharing. I always look forward to your posts, and while my work leans much more to 18th century in style, I'm always learning some new tips and techniques from your posts...

[Don Dorn]

I'm going to go ahead and ask the dumb question - I understand this method and plan on using it, however in a chest of drawers, the bottom rail isn't solid. Do you simply use a rail against the side of the chest and dado the vertical guide into that? That said - I understand how the side guides are a real problem solver, but why is necessary to use the ones at the bottom as you need minor clearance at the top anyway - can this not be done with a plane? I'm not being critical in the least - just want to understand the logic of the bottom ones.

[Mark Singer]

I'm going to go ahead and ask the dumb question - I understand this method and plan on using it, however in a chest of drawers, the bottom rail isn't solid. Do you simply use a rail against the side of the chest and dado the vertical guide into that? That said - I understand how the side guides are a real problem solver, but why is necessary to use the ones at the bottom as you need minor clearance at the top anyway - can this not be done with a plane? I'm not being critical in the least - just want to understand the logic of the bottom ones.
Don,
If you have a stack of drawers and frame construction the rails that guide the drawer will do the same thing and they can be reduced with a dado to reduce the contact area. Then if you plane to fit you should have a nice fitting drawer. Sometimes I have even made the drawers before finishing the cabinet to insur my dimension will yeild a close tolerance... There are many ways:rolleyes:

[Ted Calver]

Looks like a good system and as usual, a very appealing piece. Have you considered trying to stop the dado for the side piece so it's not visible from the front?

[Don Dorn]

Thanks Mark - I'm going to incorporate this into the next drawer project. I understand what you are saying about reduced contact and it makes perfect sense, especially when combined with a tailored fit.

[Mark Singer]

Looks like a good system and as usual, a very appealing piece. Have you considered trying to stop the dado for the side piece so it's not visible from the front?

Ted, you are correct. I should have used a stopped dado. It was a mistake. i was just working quickly at the tablesaw and it slipped by. So now I have an inlay:confused: When you have lemons make lemonade:rolleyes: It actually looks fine and I considered the "brand or symbol" for the drawer guide system...

[Jim Dunn]

Mark, nice (no make that beautiful) job as usual.