Dresser drawers

Underdog · Post by **Underdog** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:00 pm

I've admitted in previous posts that I'm always too eager to start new projects and less eager to finish them. I sickness I don't particularly mind.

Over the weekend I seriously started thinking about picking up another project for the garage (a non-running motorcycle which sounds pretty easy to fix - but that's how ALL my projects tend to start out.)

Anyways, I have a tall dresser where the drawers have pretty much fallen apart. In looking over the existing drawers, I really don't see much that looks salvageable, other than the faces of the drawers. So, I need to make about 7 new drawers for this dresser. I've never done this before. What I could use are recommendations as to what type/size wood to use for the drawers. I'm assuming some sort of ply for all 4 sides. Maybe a thin ply for the bottom? What do you all recommend?

Also, what type of joinery should I be using? Box joint? Rabbet? ??? If it makes a difference, the dresser is for my teenage son. He's not really delicate in his handling of most objects.

Thanks!

pennview · Post by **pennview** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:53 pm

Solid 5/8" or 1/2" Poplar is a good choice for the drawer sides and usually is reasonably priced. Maple or Birch also would be good choices. For the joints, dovetails are the strongest, but box joints also would work well. For drawer bottoms, 1/4" birch plywood will be adequate unless the drawers are very large which would require thicker plywood.

You could use plywood for the sides, and if so, a good choice would be 1/2" Baltic/Finnish birch plywood. An easy way to build the drawers with Baltic birch is to cut dados in the sides and rabbets in the front and back, and glue and clamp it all together. If you glue the 1/4" plywood bottom into dados in the sides, front, and back as well, you'll end up with a very solid drawer. Unlike solid wood, the Baltic birch is very stable and you'll have no problems gluing everything together. If you use solid wood, simply let the bottoms float in dados you cut in the drawer parts.

After making the boxes, you can simply attach the fronts, using the fronts you'll be keeping from the original chest. Just use some screws from the inside.

berry · Post by **berry** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 3:39 pm

I agree with everything Pennview said.

Last year I made 12 drawers for my kitchen. I found 5/8" pine-like material at Home Deport that was nice to work with. Cheap too. It was labeled as being from Brazil. In color, texture, and density it sure seemed like pine. Most of the boards had been factory jointed. (see pic)

I made halfblind dovetail joints with my Craftsman DT jig and router. I used 1/4 PW for most of the drawer bottoms except on the large ones (30 1/2" x 21 1/2" x 11 1/2") where, I went with 1/2" PW.

[ATTACH]12735[/ATTACH]

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 3:43 pm

berry wrote:I agree with everything Pennview said.

Last year I made 12 drawers for my kitchen. I found 5/8" pine-like material at Home Deport that was nice to work with. Cheap too. It was labeled as being from Brazil. In color, texture, and density it sure seemed like pine. Most of the boards had been factory jointed. (see pic)

I made halfblind dovetail joints with my Craftsman DT jig and router. I used 1/4 PW for most of the drawer bottoms except on the large ones (30 1/2" x 21 1/2" x 11 1/2") where, I went with 1/2" PW.

[ATTACH]12735[/ATTACH]

N i c e joints!!!

Underdog · Post by **Underdog** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 4:59 pm

OK, I think I'll end up using 1/2" for the side, and most likely 1/4" ply for the bottoms.

Next question... how far up from the bottom edge should the 1/4" dado be for the bottoms (how much material should be left to support the bottom of the drawer)?

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 9:04 pm

Underdog wrote:OK, I think I'll end up using 1/2" for the side, and most likely 1/4" ply for the bottoms.

Next question... how far up from the bottom edge should the 1/4" dado be for the bottoms (how much material should be left to support the bottom of the drawer)?

If you use 1/2" poplar for sides and back, a groove 1/4" X 1/4" should be a good support. (groove runs with the grain - dado runs across the grain). You can use 1/4" hardboard for the bottoms rather than ply. It is truly 1/4" wide and is more stiff than 1/4" plywood. A good way to assemble the drawer is to glue up the front and sides, then slide in the bottom from the back side, then insert the back downward using similar glued dados as the front. The drawer bottom is made longer than the sides as there will be no groove in the drawer back. Make the back 1/2' less tall as the sides, then tack the drawer bottom to the bottom of the back.

A little more on drawer joints - I have preferred 1/4" tongue joints for both front and back of drawers having a false front. (Examples below) Ive also made a couple of half blind dovetails and box joints, but still prefer the tongue joint because it is simple and can be made with the same bit as the drawer bottom grooves.

SKETCH OF DRAWER JOINT USING 1/2' STOCK & 1/4" DADO AND TONGUE
[ATTACH]12739[/ATTACH]

DRAWER JOINT IN 1/2" STOCK W/ 3/4" FALSE FRONT
[ATTACH]12740[/ATTACH]

OAK/POPLAR 1/2' STOCK W/ 1/2" FRONT
[ATTACH]12741[/ATTACH]

1/4' BOX JOINTS (no false front)
[ATTACH]12742[/ATTACH]

1/2' BLIND DOVETAILS (no false front)
[ATTACH]12743[/ATTACH]

Underdog · Post by **Underdog** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 9:14 pm

Got it.... Groove vs. dado. I didn't know there was a distinction before.

Nice pics, by the way. I'd be happy if this project turns out anything that even halfway remotely looks like those...

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 9:35 pm

Underdog wrote:Got it.... Groove vs. dado. I didn't know there was a distinction before.

Nice pics, by the way. I'd be happy if this project turns out anything that even halfway remotely looks like those...

Not that definition anyway??????

I have thought a dado was a two walled groove(one side removed).

Did not know grain orientation was relevant!

In the first attachment of Charlese(the tongue/dado joint) to me the vertical part has a groove(cross grain(?)) and the horizontal a dado(cross grain(?)) which creates the tongue.

Either I am cornfused, or the terminology re grain direction/groove/dado is not 'stationary'.

HELP Chuck!! I do not like being cornfused!!!!:)

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 9:48 pm

Yeah I'se confused alright. I was thinking of a rabbet re the open sided 'dado'

I did not realize that when I use a dado blade to cut a groove running with the grain, that was not 'dadoing'!

Gee the things one learns even after all these years.

I will have a hard time remembering to speak of cross grain grooves as dadoes and refrain from calling along grain wide grooves a dado.

Thanks Chuck!!

P.S. I also have had a problem with stiles and mullions and rails as well!

tomsalwasser · Post by **tomsalwasser** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 6:29 am

Underdog wrote:Got it.... Groove vs. dado. I didn't know there was a distinction before. Nice pics, by the way. I'd be happy if this project turns out anything that even halfway remotely looks like those...

OK Underdog, now that you've seen proper furniture making technique, there is a quick, simple, inexpensive and effective way to make drawers that I use for the dressers I donate to Bridging (a local charity). It's crude but effective. The joints are butt joints, glued and stapled. Not very pretty but amazingly strong. The sides are are 1/2" mdf, the bottom is 1/4" whatever. If the bottoms are ugly I paint 'em. The drawer runners are pine sticks, 15 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. The grooves or dados on the drawer box slides on the pine runners. Buying nice drawer slides is not an option for this ongoing project. The dressers I made using this method for my kids are holding up fine after years of abuse.