Nightstand design help

[Jared Cuneo]

I need to build 2 of these: http://www.potterybarn.com/products/p6401/index.cfm?pkey=cfurbedtbl


And I have made a Sketchup mockup of it with some design changes (mortise and tenon construction) and am now going back into the model and completing the joinery and drawer parts.

My problem is, this is my first drawer and case project and I am looking for help on 2 items. First and foremost, do I use drawer glides like the original (2 pieces of maple that the drawer rests on mounted between the front and rear legs), or is there a better way?

Second, the shelf....I looked at the item, but it was hard to tell how it was captured between the legs. Notches cut in the legs? Could it be that simple?

Any design suggestions or recommendations would be helpful....

Thanks for looking!

JC

[Paul Girouard]

Blum motion slides are pretty nice. But If you have to use wood slides Maple or 1/4 sawn White Oak is hard to beat.

I guess they just notched the leg , will you be using solid lumber or plywood for the shelf? If it's solid lumber you'll need to some how allow for MORE wood movement.

[glenn bradley]

Drawer guides like the original will work. I prefer side hung drawers as shown here: http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesPDF.aspx?id=25404

The shelf is probably just notched in. One method to deal with wood movement is to not glue the corners and just pocket-hole them from underneath via oversized holes.

[George Bregar]

I would sandwich the drawer between two slides that have a rabbet with the shoulders slightly inset from the leg. The shelf sits in leg notches. Ball bearing slides are not required nor appropriate.

If it were me I would eliminate the back rail, have the shelf sit on and be secured to cleats underneath, and raise the side rails to the shelf height (or lower the shelf). I would then put a 1/16" rabbet as a shadow line.

[Russ Massery]

I cut grooves in the sides of the drawer. The attached rails to the sides of the case. I made them with slots for adjustment.http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesPDF.aspx?id=25404

[Russ Massery]

I cut grooves in the sides of the drawer. The attached rails to the sides of the case. I made them with slots for adjustment.