Drawer Lock Joint Question

[Glen Blanchard]

When milling a drawer side on the router table for a drawer lock joint, it is essential to keep the stock in intimate contact with the fence and with the table as well. I have the fence issue handled, but am trying to figure the best way to keep the piece absolutely vertical and in contact with the table.

Any tricks?

[John Lucas]

A picture is worth....

I cant think of any other jigging that would improve on gravity and your right hand holding it down.
http://www.woodshopdemos.com/copy_of_www_woodshopdemos_com/cmtdrw9.jpg

http://www.woodshopdemos.com/copy_of_www_woodshopdemos_com/cmtdrw1.htm

[Glen Blanchard]

Well I should mention that my drawers are only 2" tall, which means that I only have 2" in contact with the table when routing. They tend to be a bit "tippy".

[glenn bradley]

I set my miter slot on my RT so that my tenon-jig could help me with this sort of thing. If you have no slot or no jig, maybe a shop made jig would help?

[Tim Sproul]

Make a sled that has a fence that goes behind the stock. Essentially, the sled is just one corner of a box that rides behind your 2 inch wide drawer stock and the sled rides on the table and up along the fence.

Also, your drawer stock should be overwidth.....so you can rip off any tear out at the exit of the cutter. If possible, can you get a couple or more drawer sides from a single board? Rip the drawer sides out after routing the joint.

FWIW, I like to reinforce these drawer lock joints with Miller dowels...the mini dowels work great for this.

[Glen Blanchard]

I set my miter slot on my RT so that my tenon-jig could help me with this sort of thing. If you have no slot or no jig, maybe a shop made jig would help?
Thanks for the reply "2N" Glenn. I had actually tried that, but realized that it was just about impossible to get the identical depth of cut as on the drawer front which was made against the fence. So I believe I need to keep this up against the fence for identical depth of cuts on both drawer sides and front.

[Mack Cameron]

Hi Glen;
I would make the sacrificial part of your fence somewhat higher, say 6"s, and have them butt together at the center so they are like a ZCI on a TS.

[ken gibbs]

When milling a drawer side on the router table for a drawer lock joint, it is essential to keep the stock in intimate contact with the fence and with the table as well. I have the fence issue handled, but am trying to figure the best way to keep the piece absolutely vertical and in contact with the table.

Any tricks?

I have a nice drawer lock bit from Infinity. But I have never used it. By the time I get to the stage of making drawer fronts. I can't stand the pressure of making 164th inch adjustments all morning. and the set up blocks don't help that much. I usually get POed, get out my biscuit jointer, make the drawers, go back inside the house and have a short adult beverage.

[Vince Shriver]

Well I should mention that my drawers are only 2" tall, which means that I only have 2" in contact with the table when routing. They tend to be a bit "tippy".

For those "tall tippy" cuts :

1. Cut a piece of scrap so when it sits on edge next to the fence (1) it's wide enough to be a little above the fence and (2) it's long enough - maybe 8" or more - to comfortably push thru the cutter.

2. Next put a small nail in the end of the scrap close to the top edge. The nail should be deep enough to be secure, but not in all the way. Then snip the nail off with a pair of dykes, leaving about 1/16th" or more sticking out. Put a second nail under the first one, doing the same thing. THESE TWO PRONGS MUST BE HIGH ENOUGH OFF THE TABLE SO THEY RIDE ABOVE THE CUTTER.

3. Put your tall tippy piece on the table against the fence to make your cut and place your 2-prong scrap in back of it. Push the two pieces together with the prongs penatrating into the work piece. Now it's a do-able cut.

(NOTE: I usually file a point on the two prongs which makes it easier to join the work piece and the push-block together. And of course you have to deal with that little vampire bite on the work piece, but in most cases that's not a problem.)

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

When milling a drawer side on the router table for a drawer lock joint, it is essential to keep the stock in intimate contact with the fence and with the table as well. I have the fence issue handled, but am trying to figure the best way to keep the piece absolutely vertical and in contact with the table.
Any tricks?

Yes you gotta have it really well locked in. The bigger the lock miter bit the more a challenge it is to get all that huge cut to flow smoothly.

I do it in my shop built mortiser/miller. I mount the router horizontally and feed the stock across the cutter with it clamped very well to the table.

In a router table I'd guess you'd have to have some serious finger boards making sure the board can't come off the fence.

[Anthony Whitesell]

I've been procrastinating on doing some drawers for the same reason. I couldn't figure out how to keep the piece from rocking, but reading the posts gave me an idea.

I'm thinking of making a router sled (like http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=16416) where the sled is 12" wide and the clamp(s) and backer block are on the upper half (above the top of the fence). For stability to keep the board against the fence, I may either use a featherboard at the bit or attach a piece to the back to make an L shape to help keep the sled upright. (like the right angle fixture in the photo http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=16383&filter=20196 only used on it's side and pointed towards the fence)

[Brian Smith3]

I always lock miter my drawers for non furniture stuff like cabinets etc. I use a sled that has a clamping bar that sits above the router fence that clamps the edge so that it's flat and square to the table and the base has an adjustable rail underneath that runs in the miter slot of my router table. It works really well for me. I got the basic idea from David Best who made an absolutely massive one for a shaper. Here: http://www.davidpbest.com/VA/StonehorseShop/LockMiter%20Photos/LockMiterJig.htm

[Rick Fisher]

This may be an expensive idea.... but does anyone use one of those baby feeders on their router table?

I think the Grizzly model is about $275.00

I assume this would take care of it. Might come in handy for other router table stuff as well.

I never have. I use some 1/4" bits in my RT and have always felt a feeder wouldnt go easy enough on the 1/4" shanks.

[Jim Kirkpatrick]

This is not mine but another Creeker's Brad Townsend's. I have a very rudimentary version of this sled which works well but Brad's is the bomb.

[James Hart]

This is not mine but another Creeker's Brad Townsend's. I have a very rudimentary version of this sled which works well but Brad's is the bomb.

If you're interested in making one like this, it's very similar to the Universal jig in Jim Tolpins Table Saw Magic.

Jim

[Larry Rasmussen]

What size are you starting with? If the wood is wide enough why not cut to length then run it as he has pictured and then rip several 2" pieces out of the cut board.

It appears most of the ideas presented subsequently have gotten overly elaborate/expensive for this job. Depends on how often you make drawers whether it would be worth it to get super fancy. Maybe its just me. With my moderate experience sometimes I spend too much time on a jig and it doesn't provide the precision I was aiming for. I'll fine tune it if it is going into general shop use but not if it's a once a year maybe job I'm looking at for the jig.

Good luck,
Larry R,
Seattle