Chad Bender
01-19-2013, 10:53 PM
I'm part way through building a Stickly 732 sideboard (see diagram below), and am trying to solve a dilemma regarding installing mortise locks in the stack of four middle drawers. I've installed mortise locks in cabinets before, but never in places with tight clearances. The bulk of the cabinet is constructed and glued up. The horizontal pieces separating each of the middle drawers are full frames that sit in stopped dados in the vertical frames, and have currently been dry fitted but not glued in place. The four small drawers are also constructed. They will ride on traditional 3-point wooden slides (one on each side, one down the bottom middle).
Mortising the pockets for the locks in the drawer fronts is obviously no problem. But I'm having trouble figuring out how to make the small holes in the frame dividers that will capture the locking bolt when the lock is locked.
My original plan was to mark and cut these in the frames before I glue them in place (so that I can do it on my bench). However, now I'm concerned that getting the drawer fronts and the divider fronts all perfectly flush with the cabinet front will be nearly impossible unless I physically glue these frames in now.
Option one is to mount the locks in the drawers, precisely measure the bolt position, transfer said measurement to the frames, cut the holes, and hope for teh best.
Option two is to glue in the frames now and then use the locks themselves to mark the location of the holes. This option has the advantage that I can precisely tweak the drawer front positions before cutting the lock bolt holes. But I'm concerned about how to actually cut these (now upside down) holes. Each drawer is only 4" tall, so I'd need a tool (drill, chisel, etc) that can fit in that space.
Any ideas from someone who's done this before would be highly appreciated. Thanks!
Chad
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=226396&d=1331082248
Mortising the pockets for the locks in the drawer fronts is obviously no problem. But I'm having trouble figuring out how to make the small holes in the frame dividers that will capture the locking bolt when the lock is locked.
My original plan was to mark and cut these in the frames before I glue them in place (so that I can do it on my bench). However, now I'm concerned that getting the drawer fronts and the divider fronts all perfectly flush with the cabinet front will be nearly impossible unless I physically glue these frames in now.
Option one is to mount the locks in the drawers, precisely measure the bolt position, transfer said measurement to the frames, cut the holes, and hope for teh best.
Option two is to glue in the frames now and then use the locks themselves to mark the location of the holes. This option has the advantage that I can precisely tweak the drawer front positions before cutting the lock bolt holes. But I'm concerned about how to actually cut these (now upside down) holes. Each drawer is only 4" tall, so I'd need a tool (drill, chisel, etc) that can fit in that space.
Any ideas from someone who's done this before would be highly appreciated. Thanks!
Chad
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=226396&d=1331082248