Draw Opennings/Drawer Heights

[Carl Eyman]

I am in the early pre construction phase of building an 18th century style secretary desk, The "plans" (really measured drawings) specify drawer openings of 5 5/16", 6 3/16", 7 1/16", etc. These are typical drawers sliding on wooden drawer guides. Should I make the draqwer sides 1/16" less than the opennings? I was thinking of laying in some 'slick tape' for them to slide on . Perhaps teflon or hdpe tape.

[Alan Turner]

Carl,
I have considered this modernization also, but always rejected if after much thought. I think it would last a long time, but it is applied with adhesive, which I doubt would last the hundreds of eyars that your piece is likely to survive. But, the real reason that I ahve rejected this approach is that a wood on wood drawer, made carefully, is such a delight in and of itself that any additions would to me be overkill.

One approach is to make the drawer sides of a tough wood, like hard maple or while oak (hard maple is my preference), and to use a slip drawer construction. On the interior drawer rails, you can also use a tough wood, such as hard maple or white oak. The slips can be a softer wood, and thus they would wear before the drawer rails, and are replaceable. Or, use a hard wood for the slips, and they will probably last forever anyway.

From what I have seen, on American pieces of the 18th C., the secondary wood is either Eastern white pine, or poplar, both of which are quite soft. I generally switch these out for hard maple for longevity, and the results have been to my liking, even though not strictly periord accurate. This never bothers me, but it does bother some people.

Tell us more about the drawings you are using. Are they by Lynch? If so, they are not for the faint of heart, or the inexperienced. Keep us posted on your progress.

[Carl Eyman]

No, Alan, not Lynch. The inspiration is the 1790 piece Jeff Headley reproduced for the Working Wood in 18th Century at Williamsburg this year. But he was restricted in how much he could do by way of providing plans by wishes of the owner that let mim measure it. So, since my modest skills need all the help they can get from plans, videos, etc., etc. I decided to use the 3 articles Lonnie Bird did for FWW back is 2002 (I think) on doing a Pennsylvania Secretary as a guide, and adapt with a few features of Jeff's piece.

Armed with the FWW articles, two Dover books, and some pictures of what Jeff did I am in the process of drawing up sketches to help me get started. I am working on the lower carcase now - hence my question.

I understand your attitude completely on keeping close to the authentic but fudging when it will produce better results. I probably go a good deal further. I have no guilt if I use a dovetail jig instead of handcut dovetails if the former will produce a better result. My "public" are the family members I make furniture for and their friends and relatives that admire it. Believe me the latter. by and large, wouldn't be shocked
if I used Formica laminate on a table top, but there is no chance of that. Thanks for your input. I'll consider maple sides and poplar slides. The slides are screwed onto the case sides so could be replaced if worn out. ( but I won't be around to see it)

PS. What about the clearance question. 1/16" too much slop?

[Rob Millard]

Carl,

For drawers under 8" in height, I shoot for a 1/32" vertical clearance, and 1/16" for those over that size. Sometimes this is too tight and I have to go back a remove a little more. Actually more vertical clearance won't hurt anything, and many period pieces show a decided step from the drawer front to the drawer side. A detail photo I have of a much vaunted Edmund Townsend kneehole desk, has the drawer side nearly 1/8" shorter than the front. As for the anti friction tape, I'm too much a purist for that,( I use wax) but it certainly would make for a smooth running drawer.
Rob Millard

[Earl Kelly]

Carl, I'm like Alan, the only difference is I would use the same wood in the case as the drawer side. I've seen many pieces with drawer sides patched and still have deep grooves in the case pieces. My favorite is white oak, but hard maple is close second. I don't think I would use Poplar for any of the slide parts, cause it's really quite soft.

As to the fit of the drawer, I would hand plane till they just barely slide in and out smoothly. Then do any finish fitting after assembling the drawer. Remember, you can always take more off, it don't go back on near as easy.

[John Timberlake]

Carl,

I just completed a five drawer walnut chest. The drawers are inset with cock beading. I am not a hand tool purist (yet), so I milled the drawer parts using a planer, table saw and jointer. Then I fit the parts to the openings using a hand plane. The dovetails were cut by hand. Before glue up, I did additional fitting. After assembly, I planed the faces and edges to give about 1/32" all around. The cock beading was installed and fit again. The drawer sides were made of poplar and the runners of maple. The sides were coated with blond shellac and then the runners and sides were waxed with paste wax. After two months, they still slide like they are on drawer slides. Time will tell if this works long terms.
John Timberlake

[lou sansone]

Carl,

For drawers under 8" in height, I shoot for a 1/32" vertical clearance, and 1/16" for those over that size. Sometimes this is too tight and I have to go back a remove a little more. Actually more vertical clearance won't hurt anything, and many period pieces show a decided step from the drawer front to the drawer side. A detail photo I have of a much vaunted Edmund Townsend kneehole desk, has the drawer side nearly 1/8" shorter than the front. As for the anti friction tape, I'm too much a purist for that,( I use wax) but it certainly would make for a smooth running drawer.
Rob Millard

Hi rob and others

I agree with all of the commenst about not over modernizing. I have a question for rob or alan ( or the rest ) ... Do you try to keep track of the moisture in your wood when you are sizing to 1/32. I have gotten burned a few times when using material in the 10 to 12% range and then bringing it into a heated home. Conversly, I have gotten burned when using super dry @ 6% and then in the summer having the opening close up ( my W/M low boy is an example ). What do you folks do ?

lou

[Alan Turner]

Lou,
I check the MC of the wood I am using, and like it to be consistent with the season. Drier in winter than summer. I cut my drawer parts long before I use them, weeks or more if poss., so that they come to shop EMC before final dimensioning. (Whenever I have scrap wood around that would make good drawer parts, I mill it up and just let it hang around till needed.) I then fit the drawer tight on the height, but a total of about 1/32 or maybe a little more total, side to side. I then cut the DT's, glue it up, and fit the drawer front as a unit with a plane once I see how it sits in the opening. Note that to me it is important that the drawer sides extend below the front just a drop so that the bottom front edge of the drawer front does not contact the drawer divider. This makes the action smoother, and prevents tearout on the divider from the constant dragging. It also allows you to equalize the reveal, top and bottom.
Nickel in the winter, dime in the summer, is the old saying, and it is about right for me.

[Jim Becker]

All add that the gap you leave when you build may be different depending on what season you are building. When it's hot and humid, you can leave it slightly tighter as the gap will expand a bit when it gets colder and dryer. Even though the whole piece moves, the drawers "may" move slightly more than the carcass due to construction, etc.

[lou sansone]

thanks alan

I will remember that one
nickel in the winter and dime in the summer
thanks to all the other posters
lou

[Tim Leo]

I built a dresser from plans in Woodsmith about 15 years ago that used an HDPE tape for the drawer glides. The tape works OK, but I won't ever do it again. For some reason I need to re-apply wax to the drawer bottoms every other year or so to keep the drawers sliding smoothly. I've also built several projects with drawers that allow the drawer to slide directly wood-on-wood. It works great and the feel of the slide is gratifying.

I would put some time into selecting a nice drawer slide arrangement, and not bother with the 'slick tape' shortcut.

[jack duren]

Carl i tell you what. everything ive built to date that ive given a 1/16 gap now has a 3/32 or better. i no longer play by the rules but better use my gut feelings on wood movement. but... i would consider my materials as a guide for gaps.....jack