Entry hall table for a niece: Part 12

[Derek Cohen]

This is the part where we begin building one-piece lipped drawers (as contrasted with applied fronts).

In preparing for this part of the build, my research uncovered exactly one article on dovetailing lipped drawer fronts. This is by Christian Becksvoort in Fine Woodworking magazine (#263-Sep/Oct 2017 Issue). Interesting that.

Why lipped drawer fronts? Simply because the three drawers must run continuously across the front, without a gap between them.

https://i.postimg.cc/hGcdKv6q/11a.jpg

The lipped sides will wrap around the drawer dividers, and these will double as drawer stops. This will be illustrated in a short while.

The lipped ends create a challenge to form the pins/sockets for the tailed drawer sides since it becomes difficult to saw. I have a novel solution :)

We begin by marking where the lipped sides will be. This is knifed in through from the rear of the case ...

https://i.postimg.cc/dtnRHz0B/Drawer2a.jpg

The marks are knifed with a cutting gauge.

The distance from the edge is exactly the same for each board - 6mm. The side spacers are 6mm wide and the two central drawer dividers are 12mm thick, of which each lip is half this thickness.

https://i.postimg.cc/bwJxK3Dj/Drawer5a.jpg

The drawer front is rebated with a moving filletster plane ...

https://i.postimg.cc/509LSySm/3a.jpg

With both sides rebated, the centre must fit snuggly between the drawer dividers ...

https://i.postimg.cc/Vvdt2hTr/4a.jpg

... and leave exactly half of the dividers remaining ...

https://i.postimg.cc/LXyfCSyF/5a.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/CMQkbFBj/6a.jpg

Side-by-side, perfect fit ...

https://i.postimg.cc/Nf2T4WmZ/7a.jpg

The rebates are fine-tuned with a cutting gauge, ensuring that they are even and square ...

https://i.postimg.cc/qMTJxLgp/1a.jpg

This measure is transferred to the drawer side ...

https://i.postimg.cc/0208WwJD/2a.jpg

I took the time to lay out the dovetails on a scrap as a template. This saves a lot of repeated layouts ...

https://i.postimg.cc/vZ8GpZWj/3a.jpg

Tails done ...

https://i.postimg.cc/DzHFJQtk/4a.jpg

The tail board with be placed here, but with the lip extending past ...

https://i.postimg.cc/9frCQggY/5a.jpg

This is what it would look like if dovetailed ...

https://i.postimg.cc/cLDdZGhJ/6a.jpg

[Derek Cohen]

To make it easier to see what I am sawing, I am using blue tape ...

https://i.postimg.cc/Y9F71GH4/7a.jpg

Transferring the tails to the pin board is made a little easier as the rebate is a handy stop ..

https://i.postimg.cc/sxRrKjjT/8a.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/KjryH64x/9a.jpg

Marked out produces this ...

https://i.postimg.cc/xTnQz1FC/11a.jpg

And that is where it stops being straight forward as this is as much as it is possible to saw inside the lines ...

https://i.postimg.cc/GhKCJnZj/12a.jpg

I decided that, if I could not saw it, I would chop it. This gives new meaning to "chopping dovetails" :)

The pin board is clamped (to avoid any splitting), and the kerfing chisel is used to deepen the existing half-kerf, and then extend it across the socket ...

https://i.postimg.cc/fRgQpjWt/14a.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/k4Wr20QK/15a.jpg

Now the waste is chopped out ...

https://i.postimg.cc/yNM4Y1Z7/16a.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/q7hHThgm/17a.jpg

This picture of a fishtail chisel cleaning the corner of the socket is for bill :)

https://i.postimg.cc/GtRWGXKN/18a.jpg

Does it fit? Oh, the suspense!

https://i.postimg.cc/mkS0w76r/19a.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/tCq0gmYn/20a.jpg

Two more to go.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Paul F Franklin]

Geez, Derek, you make a hard, tricky task look easy!

I know wood doesn't expand/contract much along its length, but will you be leaving any gap at all between the drawer fronts?

[Derek Cohen]

Paul, as small as I can, compromising only for the expected movement.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[steven c newman]

427136
Been doing them for a few decades...
427137
Got to be old hat.....these drawers were for a chest of drawers, to hold my son's work clothes...drawers needed to be a bit sturdier..
427138
As they would have to endure a beating...drawers slammed back and forth..
427139
YMMV..

[Derek Cohen]

.... Got to be old hat...

You’re the man, Steve. And stylish.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[David Eisenhauer]

Once again, nice work Derek. Personally, I'm not putting a freehand router anywhere near my dovetails, but I am somewhat surprised you did not break out your Elu to do the bulk of the waste clearing.


"The rebates are fine-tuned with a cutting gauge, ensuring that they are even and square …" Are you fine tuning the back (inside) side of the drawer front lip, both on the vertical and horizontal planes? I guess the wheeled marking gauge for that operation has to be set with a ruler, or was there something to register it off of?

I think maybe someone else has asked you this before, but I don't see that you made any additional "mid waste" saw cuts between the dovetails to help clear the waste out. Is that just a personal technique preference or is it somehow related to the use of Jarrah for the drawer front?

Stephan: Thanks for the additional photos on the same subject. I believe you are correct in planning for some drawer slamming on the son's work clothes chest of drawers. "Oh no, I never heard the alarm clock, I'm gonna be late (again). Why do these b#$&*(@s have to start so early anyway?"

[J. Greg Jones]

It’s looking great Derek, thanks for keeping us updated with the build.