Derek Cohen
03-15-2021, 1:21 PM
One of the least pleasurable areas of drawer making is fitting drawer bottoms. Why? Because there always seems more to do than anticipated - there are more panels to machine to thickness and area, and this feels like it is endless. Mindless.
Before starting on the bottoms, the drawer fronts are planed, chipped dovetails repaired, and fine-tuning of the bottom-less drawer is completed ...
https://i.postimg.cc/nrjKbZgg/Bottoms20.jpg
Link to the fixture here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...ngFixture.html (http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/DrawerPlaningFixture.html)
One of the rules I set for myself at the start of this project was that, being a just for the workshop, I would use as much scrap or cheap wood as I could scrounge up. The Jarrah drawer fronts are the exception. The case is Merbau stained to match the Jarrah drawer fronts.
Over various projects, I save bits which I think may be used ... don't we all https://www.woodworkforums.com/images/smilies/smile.gif For now, offcuts of Tasmanian Oak, which make great drawer sides and drawer bottoms.
Modern machines, such as jointers and thicknesser/planers, enable the redesign of cabinet parts. In this case, drawer bottoms. One can use the minimum thickness, saving weight and wood.
I am very fortunate to own a Hammer A3-31, which turns the scrap into usable boards ...
https://i.postimg.cc/Y0sXYdBK/Bottoms1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/vH42bw5Q/Bottoms2.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/bwb6S06W/Bottoms3.jpg
These boards ended up a smidgeon over 5mm thick. The grooves in the drawer sides are 5mm wide and 3mm deep. The drawer sides are 6-7mm thick.
Joining such thin boards is quite easy - no clamps used. Just blue tape https://www.woodworkforums.com/images/smilies/smile.gif
Butt two boards, and stretch the tape across the join. The blue tape has some flex to it, and the stretch contracts and pulls the joint tight ...
https://i.postimg.cc/BvBMMSfC/Bottoms4.jpg
Do this with all the joins, and then lay a strip down the seam (which is to prevent glue squeezing out ...
https://i.postimg.cc/sDb62HJ5/Bottoms5.jpg
Flip the boards and insert glue into the seam. Wiggle the boards open-and-closed to spread it evenly.
https://i.postimg.cc/nLJ34sgz/Bottoms6.jpg
Lay flat and wipe away the glue (Titebond II) squeeze out with a wet rag. Freshen this for each join.
https://i.postimg.cc/d1Qnfbqc/Bottoms7.jpg
Yes, I know many warn against this practice, but I have not experienced any problem with finishes. Once clean, tape the side to hold the joins tightly together ...
https://i.postimg.cc/sXnKCTXQ/Bottoms8.jpg
The machining and glueing takes all day, and finally ...
https://i.postimg.cc/y6QpM8gQ/Bottoms-9.jpg
Of course - Murphy's Law - the next day I discover that I am going to be one drawer short, and more offcuts are found and glued together. Smaller pieces this time ...
https://i.postimg.cc/tJYkqFZr/Bottoms10.jpg
Then it is time to unwrap the presents and make a blue tape Christmas tree ...
https://i.postimg.cc/tJw5Y7F9/Bottoms11.jpg
Before starting on the bottoms, the drawer fronts are planed, chipped dovetails repaired, and fine-tuning of the bottom-less drawer is completed ...
https://i.postimg.cc/nrjKbZgg/Bottoms20.jpg
Link to the fixture here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...ngFixture.html (http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/DrawerPlaningFixture.html)
One of the rules I set for myself at the start of this project was that, being a just for the workshop, I would use as much scrap or cheap wood as I could scrounge up. The Jarrah drawer fronts are the exception. The case is Merbau stained to match the Jarrah drawer fronts.
Over various projects, I save bits which I think may be used ... don't we all https://www.woodworkforums.com/images/smilies/smile.gif For now, offcuts of Tasmanian Oak, which make great drawer sides and drawer bottoms.
Modern machines, such as jointers and thicknesser/planers, enable the redesign of cabinet parts. In this case, drawer bottoms. One can use the minimum thickness, saving weight and wood.
I am very fortunate to own a Hammer A3-31, which turns the scrap into usable boards ...
https://i.postimg.cc/Y0sXYdBK/Bottoms1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/vH42bw5Q/Bottoms2.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/bwb6S06W/Bottoms3.jpg
These boards ended up a smidgeon over 5mm thick. The grooves in the drawer sides are 5mm wide and 3mm deep. The drawer sides are 6-7mm thick.
Joining such thin boards is quite easy - no clamps used. Just blue tape https://www.woodworkforums.com/images/smilies/smile.gif
Butt two boards, and stretch the tape across the join. The blue tape has some flex to it, and the stretch contracts and pulls the joint tight ...
https://i.postimg.cc/BvBMMSfC/Bottoms4.jpg
Do this with all the joins, and then lay a strip down the seam (which is to prevent glue squeezing out ...
https://i.postimg.cc/sDb62HJ5/Bottoms5.jpg
Flip the boards and insert glue into the seam. Wiggle the boards open-and-closed to spread it evenly.
https://i.postimg.cc/nLJ34sgz/Bottoms6.jpg
Lay flat and wipe away the glue (Titebond II) squeeze out with a wet rag. Freshen this for each join.
https://i.postimg.cc/d1Qnfbqc/Bottoms7.jpg
Yes, I know many warn against this practice, but I have not experienced any problem with finishes. Once clean, tape the side to hold the joins tightly together ...
https://i.postimg.cc/sXnKCTXQ/Bottoms8.jpg
The machining and glueing takes all day, and finally ...
https://i.postimg.cc/y6QpM8gQ/Bottoms-9.jpg
Of course - Murphy's Law - the next day I discover that I am going to be one drawer short, and more offcuts are found and glued together. Smaller pieces this time ...
https://i.postimg.cc/tJYkqFZr/Bottoms10.jpg
Then it is time to unwrap the presents and make a blue tape Christmas tree ...
https://i.postimg.cc/tJw5Y7F9/Bottoms11.jpg