"a squared + b squared = c squared"?

[eddie bee]

is this how you guys figure out how to square drawer boxes? i tried this method and the math lied, or the calculator got it wrong, i was lucky enough to cut a piece of wood that fit into the diagonal of the drawer box that worked well.

I bought a square tool that doesn't do jack... as soon i square it up, which is not easy because it always looks square with the tool, it just goes back to being unsquare before i can secure the back.

how important is it if a drawer box is off square by a 1/16th, or if its a hair off level when put in?

it still seems very functional

[Albert Wagner]

is this how you guys figure out how to square drawer boxes?
Only if 'a' and 'b' meet in a perfect right angle. Imagine that 'a' and 'b' are hinged where they connect, then move the hinge back and forth and notice that 'c' changes.

[glenn bradley]

Measure from the front right corner to the back left corner. Now measure from the front left corner to the back right corner. When those numbers are the same, those corners are square. Easier yet; Bessy K-Body clamps get me pretty well square within 'my' tolerances.

[Lee DeRaud]

Measure from the front right corner to the back left corner. Now measure from the front left corner to the back right corner. When those numbers are the same, those corners are square.Assuming the two sides are the same length and the front and back are the same length...DAMHIKT. :eek: :p

[eddie bee]

i do measure the diagonal, the only trouble is when it is off i dont have a good way of fixing it... this time i happen to cut a nice piece of wood that fit perfectly in the diagonal and happened to square it, but the tool i bought to measure the right angle sucks... does anyone suggest a better way?

also, like i said i did the whole theoretical "a squared + b squared" and the math was not right

eg i know that the length of the drawer is 34 inchs and i know the width is 12
so (34*34)+(12*12)= 1300
square root of that is = 36.055... the problem is that when i get one diagonal to be 36.055 then the other diagonal is waaay off....

i just thought this was weird

[Julio Navarro]

mark a 3" length on the side of the box and a 4" measure along the back of the box, the dimension between each mark should be 5"

In other words lets take the left back corner of the box: fromn the corner measure towards the front 4" then from the same corner measure along the back 3" then put a ruler (not a tape) from those two marks and you should get 5" if its square.

you can use 6", 8" and 10" or 9", 12", 15"

to keep it square clamp the ruler, straight edge to the side and back then glue or nail or how ever you afix the sides and backs.

[Monte Milanuk]

3/4/5 is basic math that most everybody should have been exposed to in school, several times. Whether or not we all remember it... depends on how much 'fun' we were having! :D

Your comment about happening to get a stick that fit this time, but maybe not next tiem, brought these to mind:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32585&cat=1,43513

I think they are about exactly what you'd want for measuring inside diagonals to make sure the box is square. I've seen people do similar w/ a set of spring clamps, so it's not like you need to order something special to try it out.

HTH,

Monte

[tod evans]

eddie, put the calculator away! cut your parts correctly and use the bottom to square a drawer........02 tod

[Julio Navarro]

3/4/5 is basic math that most everybody should have been exposed to in school, several times. Whether or not we all remember it... depends on how much 'fun' we were having! :D



And I thought I had hit on something unique!:(

[Michael Stafford]

I believe they refer to the use of a A squared + B squared = C squared as the Pythagorean theorem....;)

[Mark Rios]

eddie, put the calculator away! cut your parts correctly and use the bottom to square a drawer........02 tod


Ditto what Tod says. I find that if I go to great pains to get the ends of my rails/stile or sides/ends absolutely square then, during glue up, the piece comes out square; No muss, no fuss. It's great pains for me because of the trouble that im having with my miter saw right now but I can still, eventually, get square ends. Makes my job must nicer and easier.

And like Glenn mentioned, my K-bodies seem to really help in keeping the piece square. peice

I also cut my sides/stiles together, two at a time, on the miter saw and also cut the ends/rails together. This assures that they are the exactly same length. This might help as well.

hth

[eddie bee]

i didnt like making cuts in my apt (NYC) so i go with my measurements and let my local hardware store cut the birch ply pieces, then i just line them up and pre-drill and screw them together. i do this squaring up process before i put the bottom on... it has proven to be difficult. i will post more pictures.

if you do a search under my name i'm sure you can find pictures of my shotty work

[John Hulett]

Is there anything to the "self squaring" joint that is the dovetail?

Drawers have probably been my biggest problem thusfar. I go to install them and they don't close properly - either top is flush and bottom sticks out 1/16th or the same problem left to right. I'm told that's because my drawers are not square. I used the Kreg Jig - how could they not be square???:eek: I guess I was relying on the bottom to square it up, but evidetnly that didn't work. Next time, I though I'd dry dovetails using the Incra Joinery package..

Will I - or Eddie - have more success that way?

- John

[Steve Clardy]

Ok. How I square a drawer if the framing square isn't doing the trick.

Assemble the complete drawer, but do NOT nail, staple the back of the drawer bottom to the back.
Leave it loose.
Install drawer side slides, insert drawer into cab opening.
Measure, check distance that drawer is to the face of cabinet, both sides.
I usually eyeball it.
You can shift the drawer square to the carcass by pushing it, or hitting with palm, the side that sticks out the farthest.
Get the distance the same, carefully remove drawer, [if you can reach in and hold the bottom to the drawer back] and then staple or nail the bottom to the drawer back.

[Don Baer]

I just use a couple of these.

http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/HDUS/EN_US/asset/images/eplus/044295916608_3.jpg (javascript:openFeatureFlex()

Never had a problem since I picked em up several years ago.

[eddie bee]

I just use a couple of these.

http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/HDUS/EN_US/asset/images/eplus/044295916608_3.jpg (http://javascript<b></b>:openFeatureFlex()

Never had a problem since I picked em up several years ago.


hopefully it wont be to hard to re-do my drawers, right now i think the tolerance is livable to be functional, but i am a perfectionist and it bugs me to know i am a 1/16th off

[Don Baer]

The Blue and Orange Borgs both carry them.

Buy them in sets and use 2 on each corner. Top and bottom of the drawers in case your wood is not perfect. I clamp em in place and for cheapo drawers I just glue em up and shoot a couple of screws in to then remove the clamps and move on to the next corner.