Tools of a pro, skills of a rookie...need advice on how to cut our this drawer.

[Silas Smith]

My wife wanted me to actually build her something after my latest tool buying frenzy. She wanted a simple hall table. I have dry fitted what I want togeather but now she wants to add a drawer in the front. I think I can just cut the drawer out of the front apron with a bandsaw. 4 cuts and then glue it all back togeather with the kerf being the clearance around the drawer. Is this the best way? BTW, I am going to shorten the front apron about 1" to allow for more table clearance. I also want to do wenge feet, but I know I made the job much harder by deciding that after I tapered the legs. Any suggestions other than trial and error?

[Chris Dodge]

I would cut the short widths first and then cut the lengths. That would look best to me when you glue everything back up again. Obviously, if using the bandsaw to cut, you will need do a little sanding first before you glue it up again. You will probably need to trim the sides of the drawer front a little too or it may fit too tight.

Provo, UT? I went to school there. Great place!

[John Miliunas]

Silas, you hit the nail right on the head for the drawer! That's the best way I know when trying to really match up the grain surrounding the entire drawer front. Sorry, can't help you on the leg thing...:o :) :cool:

[Dennis McDonaugh]

You got the drawer figured out, except I use the TS, an 1/8" isn't that noticable and there's no sanding. About the feet--I think I'd veneer wenge to the existing feet. Its pretty difficult to add feet to the legs after you've tapered them.

[Lee Schierer]

With a template and plunge router, you can add the drawer opeing in the front apron, with out changing the width and having that glue up to deal with. I would advise against a band saw as they don't cut all that straight and the cut is pretty rough to try to glue back together. If you are going to make the apron narrower, then use your TS to make the two rip cuts first, then the crosscuts to remove the middle section for the drawer opeing. If your TS is well aligned, the glued up pieces should have any noticeable grain change as long as you put the pieces together in the correct orientation to each other.

To add your wenge to the legs, have you considered making wenge veneer and setting it into the surface of the legs. This would leave your legs at the current length and provide the strongest finished piece.

[Tom Jones III]

I helped a friend with his first project, a table much like yours. His SWMBO did the same thing, except she wanted 2 drawers. We ripped the apron twice on the TS to define the top and bottom of the drawer. Next, we crosscut the middle piece of the apron to make the 2 drawer fronts. Then we glued the apron back up, crosscutting a little off the apron to make up for saw kerfs. It was a ton of work, but the grain is perfect and it looks good.

[Jim Becker]

Please read the article on my web site about the "Shaker Style Student Desk". It has a detailed explanation about how to make an apron with an integral drawer without interrupting the grain of the wood.

[Anthony Anderson]

I would make a template of the size of the drawer front (allowing for the template guide collar), Use a 1/8" spiral bit in a trim router (or plunge router) to make the cut. You are left with nice clean edges, if the gap is a little to wide, you can add cockbeading to accent the edges of the drawer, and lessen the gap. I like the table, very nice work. Good Luck, Bill

BTW, be careful not to overheat the 1/8" router bit. Make the cut in at least three passes.

[Steve Wargo]

I always add my veneered feet after the taper is cut. There should be no problem.

[Frank Chaffee]

Silas,
I would use a Japanese Azebiki saw to pierce the front apron. After planning and scraping the saw cut edges, the loss of material to the kerf will be well within the range you want it for a nicely fitted drawer front.
Silas, you know this is what it is all about.
Frank