Gallery drawers

[woody dixon]

I am working on gallery drawers for a slant top desk and am getting hung up on how to attach the bottoms. The pictures of these I have seen show the sides,, back and front all having the same width rather than have the back extend only to the top of the bottom. Through dovetails are used and the drawers are about 7x6 inches and 7x3 inches. Would you use a stopped rabbet on the bottom? Would the rabbet extend all the way around or just be on the front and back? I had also thought about just friction fitting the bottom inside the drawer, with or without glue but that doesn't sound sound stable if the bottom expands and contr

[Lee Schierer]

If the bottom is plywood don't worry about expansion. Make a dado all the way around on the sides.

[glenn bradley]

Could you share the pictures you are trying to emulate please? I would be tempted to make a typical period drawer where the bottom slides in from the rear unless there were a compelling reason not to.

[Richard Coers]

I thought that traditionally, a dry fit dado on three sides, with the solid wood bottom extending under the back to allow expansion in the bottom to go out the back. Most had a single nail through the bottom into the back, or a screw in a slot. Never seen a traditional drawer bottom set in a rabbet.

[Derek Cohen]

I am working on gallery drawers for a slant top desk and am getting hung up on how to attach the bottoms. The pictures of these I have seen show the sides,, back and front all having the same width rather than have the back extend only to the top of the bottom. Through dovetails are used and the drawers are about 7x6 inches and 7x3 inches. Would you use a stopped rabbet on the bottom? Would the rabbet extend all the way around or just be on the front and back? I had also thought about just friction fitting the bottom inside the drawer, with or without glue but that doesn't sound sound stable if the bottom expands and contr

Woody, post pictures if the desk and intended drawers. There can be a number of styles and construction methods. Also, one might need to match the drawers to the style of the build.

Personally, I favour traditional dovetailed drawers with sliding bottoms. Further, since the sides are generally thin (for elegance ... well, my opinion :) ), they often require slips for reinforcement.

https://i.postimg.cc/XqRmjv54/23-C4-EF01-CE3-C-4-F9-A-8-B2-C-8-BE74489511-C.png

https://i.postimg.cc/3Nfpmy1Q/65699-F70-39-BE-4661-A9-C2-A6-C9-D63-CEEA4.png

A more common practice is to build slightly thicker drawer sides and run the drawer bottom in a groove ...

https://i.postimg.cc/tJ4Wsdhz/C7263853-93-C8-4-B22-A9-AE-173-E80-CFC979.png

https://i.postimg.cc/26wnj9B6/6-F99-E8-B2-BDCD-4334-8939-ED9-E933-BE18-F.png

Regards from Perth

Derek

[woody dixon]

443392


443393443394 Here are pictures of the drawers , the front of the desk, and the back of the prospect box. The desk is a 1798 virginia plantation desk with chippendale elements. The larger drawers I did make with dadoes on both sides and the front, with the bottom sliding under the shorter back.

As you can see the sides, front and back of these small drawers are the same width. What you cant see from the picture is that the bottom of the small drawer was just pushed up into the drawer box. I am reluctant to do that even with glue. One other problem is hiding the dadoes or rabbets as these are through dovetails and the dado will show on the front although I could cut stopped dadoes. Hope this is clearer. Thanks.

Woody

[glenn bradley]

I would say they are just counting on the dimensions of the material. Wood moves by percentages to some extent. A piece that small is going to move very little.

[Derek Cohen]

....The desk is a 1798 virginia plantation desk with chippendale elements. The larger drawers I did make with dadoes on both sides and the front, with the bottom sliding under the shorter back.

Woody

Woody, it is quite possible that the drawer bottoms were simply nailed on the bottom. You, however, can do what you want. The second set of drawers I showed are closer to your piece in size, but made as you did the larger drawers.

One word of warning: drawers, where the width is greater than their depth, are more vulnerable to racking. Ensure that the fit is as close as you can get it.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Bill Dufour]

What does gallery drawer mean? never heard the term. something in art gallery to store?
Bill D.

[woody dixon]

Bill a gallery is the structure behind the writing surface of a desk. Most have some sort of pigeonhole dividers along the top and small drawers on the left and right side. In the middle you might find a prospect box which is behind a door. On either side there would be slots where document boxes would slide in and out. Most boxes are attached permanently but the one I am making slides out. In the pictures I sent you can part of the front and all of the back of the prospect box.

I did find another idea in Norman Vandal's book on Queen Ann furniture. He says these smaller drawers were rabbeted in to the front and nailed flush to the sides and back. They are so small there should not be a problem with expansion and contraction. He doesn't say so, but I assume because of their small size there is little concern for this method being sturdy enough. This would result in a similar look to the drawers in the pictures I posted.

Thanks everyone for your input.

Woody

[Bill Dufour]

Like pigeon holes but with drawers instead of empty holes?
Bil lD

[woody dixon]

Yes, empty holes on top row, drawers on bottom row

Woody