Question about a drawer mistake

[Yang Lu]

Hi,

I am a novice woodworker - very new to this hobby. I am making 3 drawers. After I cut all the plywood, I started to realize I made a mistake. All the Youtube videos indicated that if using butt joint, front board should covers end of two side boards. But when I cut the board, I did it on the opposite that the two side boards actually covers the left and right end of the front board.

How bad this will be? I am planning to put Dominos on those ends.

I can also slightly change the design and make the drawer shorter so that the two side boards to cover the two end of front board.

Any advise?

Thanks.

[Greg Quenneville]

Are you planning an overlay drawer front, or is your current front going to show?

[Dave Sabo]

Strictly speaking , the YTers gave you poor advice.

Wooden drawers have always been constructed in the manner you have because it provides the most strength. It doesn’t really matter if you’re using dominos, nails, dowels, biscuits , or dovetails - the sides capture the front an backs.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi,

I am a novice woodworker - very new to this hobby. I am making 3 drawers. After I cut all the plywood, I started to realize I made a mistake. All the Youtube videos indicated that if using butt joint, front board should covers end of two side boards. But when I cut the board, I did it on the opposite that the two side boards actually covers the left and right end of the front board.

How bad this will be? I am planning to put Dominos on those ends.

I can also slightly change the design and make the drawer shorter so that the two side boards to cover the two end of front board.

Any advise?

Thanks.

Just screw on a (new) drawer front, one that stretches the full width. It can be 1/8" thick (thickness does not matter).

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Stan Calow]

think of it this way. If you pull on the front drawer (sooner or later, they get jammed), you want the front pulling perpendicular to the joint, not in the same direction as the dominoes, in your case.

[Yang Lu]

Thanks everyone for the help. Let me shorten the drawer. 1 to 1.5 inch shorter is not a big deal. This hobby is so much and and so much to learn.

One more question: It is 18mm birch plywood. The drawers are for a drill press stand. Drawer size is about 23x23". I can use either Domino or Drawer Lock router bit. Which one is better? Or it does not matter?

Answer to Greg: yes, I am going to put a overlay hardwood front.

[glenn bradley]

Thanks everyone for the help. Let me shorten the drawer. 1 to 1.5 inch shorter is not a big deal. This hobby is so much and and so much to learn.

One more question: It is 18mm birch plywood. The drawers are for a drill press stand. Drawer size is about 23x23". I can use either Domino or Drawer Lock router bit. Which one is better? Or it does not matter?

Answer to Greg: yes, I am going to put a overlay hardwood front.

The drawer-lock joint is my go-to for drawers but I have developed a process that works well for me. It took a bit of practice. Dominoes are fine. I have even bored the Domino mortise through the side into the end of the front piece and let the Dominoes show as a 'decorative' feature for shop cabinets. Building shop fixtures is a great place to try new techniques and develop your own go-to's.

[Yang Lu]

Thanks for the fast reply. Let me try the drawer-lock joint and play the Domino in next project. I remember I saw a Festool demo video doing the exposed Domino. It was very cool.

[Richard Coers]

If you want to build for strength, the front and back go inside the sides and then a false front is added for appearance.

[Derek Meyer]

If the drawers are 23 x 23", then can't you just rotate them 90 degrees and make the side the new front?