Keeping Peace!

[Bill Arnold]

LOML had requested a long time ago that I build pullouts (drawers) for the kitchen lower cabinets. I had begun to do a layout for our house in Florida, then we decided to move. I adjusted the layout for our house in Georgia and started on the drawers several weeks ago. During that project, I also completed a few things for my shop (see earlier threads). After much discussion about the height of the pullouts and materials to use, we're finally seeing the fruits of my labor.

I used 1/2" birch plywood for the sides of the drawers. The joints between the front and sides are half-blind dovetails; rear joints are lock rabbets. I topped the sides with 1/2"x1/2" red oak trim which I rounded over. All drawers are about 5" tall with the exception of one that is designed to hold things like baking sheets. I used Euro slides for all drawers to keep the cost down.

Here are a few photos of the results.

[Ben Hatcher]

Nice job, Bill. I bet half the people on SMC have this very same project on their honey do list. You're ahead of the curve!

Do you have an estimate of about what you spent per drawer?

[Bill Arnold]

Nice job, Bill. I bet half the people on SMC have this very same project on their honey do list. You're ahead of the curve!

Do you have an estimate of about what you spent per drawer?
Thanks, Ben.

Total cost per drawer is somewhere in the $10 range. I saved a lot on the slides by buying in bulk from a distributor. They cost me less than $2/set. I was able to cut all of the oak trim from cutoffs from other projects, so saved there also. The $10 estimate is if I had to buy all new material -- slides being the biggest variable depending on source.

[John Thompson]

Excellent job Bill... you have more guts than me doing DT's on ply as they turned out very well. Did you have a problem with chip-out on the DT's with the ply? The cabinets look great over-all at this point.

[Bill Arnold]

Excellent job Bill... you have more guts than me doing DT's on ply as they turned out very well. Did you have a problem with chip-out on the DT's with the ply? The cabinets look great over-all at this point.
I had a little problem with chip-out on some test cuts. Then, I tried using a piece of MDF as a backer and that helped a lot. The best solution I found was also a time-saver. I simply took two side pieces, placed the outside faces together and ran them past the bit. I used my Incra LS system for the DTs.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Bill,

I like the your pullout drawers.

Was the plywood you used pre-finished?

[Bill Arnold]

Bill,

I like the your pullout drawers.

Was the plywood you used pre-finished?
Thanks, Ken.

I used unfinished birch plywood. After assembly, I applied several coats of shellac.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks Bill,

Like John I wondered about plywood tearout and I also wondered if prefinished plywood would reduce the problem.

[Bill Arnold]

Tear-out could be reduced with pre-finished plywood, I believe. The bad thing about having moved to a small town is going to the local suppliers and getting a blank stare when I ask about pre-finished ply! :confused:

[Ken Fitzgerald]

You won't find it here either. I have to order cabinet grade plywood or rely on HD which I prefer not to do.

[John Thompson]

Hey Bill.. I been doing this for pushing 39 years and I just found out there was such a thing as pre-finished ply the other day. :) I build solid and use maybe 3 sheets a year for drawer bottoms and chest backs so... how was an old man to know? ha..ha..

BTW... thanks for the answer on the ply tear-out. You know.. I really never considered a machine with a bit even though I know most cut DT's with jigs... etc.. I have always cut them by hand and and never gave the machine a thought really.. my bad. The only time I have attempted a DT on a piece of ply I had NO major promblem using a fine tooth Japanese pull saw cutting them.

But... I had a major problem on tear-out while chopping the waste with my Marples Blue Beaters. Even more tear-put trying to fit them. So... the reason I ask as I was suspect. I imagine the machine cuts would eliminate the chopping and those came out really well IMO.

Again.. nice job as I am back to the shop after coffee....

[Rich Fletcher]

Thanks, Ben.

Total cost per drawer is somewhere in the $10 range. I saved a lot on the slides by buying in bulk from a distributor. They cost me less than $2/set.

Do you have a name for this distributor? I would *love* to buy slides in bulk, they're killing me! [Anyone else, feel free to chime in with a favorite!]

[Don Bullock]

That's a great project Bill and well executed! I'm in the same predicament in our new home, but my list of projects ahead of doing these is still quite long. Thanks for the pictures. They will be helpful when I tackle our cabinets in the kitchen and master bath. Wow, $2/set of slides sounds fantastic. I'd love to find a deal like that.

Instead of using pre-finished ply would it be helpful to put a finish on before cutting the dovetails?

[Rick Stewart]

Bill,

You did a great job on those drawers. That is one of the projects on my list. Do you happen to have a pic of how you attached the slides behind the center stile.

[Bill Arnold]

Bill,

You did a great job on those drawers. That is one of the projects on my list. Do you happen to have a pic of how you attached the slides behind the center stile.
Thanks, Rick.

Here are some photos of the slide mounts I used on the cabinets. I used a piece of clear pine cut to 1.5" by .75" by 22" long. I added pieces of 1/2" ply to space the assembly up to clear the bottom of the face frame.

The shelf in these cabinets is fixed in position. In this case, I used a piece of pine 1.5" by .75" by 22" long with a narrow piece of 3/4" pine butted to it and attached with glue and brads.

In the locations where two drawers are adjacent, I simply attached two slide mounts to common bases.

All assemblies are attached to the cabinet with #8 by 1.25" square-drive screws.

[Bill Arnold]

... Instead of using pre-finished ply would it be helpful to put a finish on before cutting the dovetails?
I don't think pre-finishing the ply would make a difference in the potential for tearout since the finish is mainly in the top veneer anyway. I reduced the tearout using my Incra LS system by cutting the tails on two side pieces at one time, placing the outside faces together.

[Rick Stewart]

Bill,

Thanks for the explanation. After looking at the pics closer I can see the fixed shelf. Again.... nice work.