engineer one
Established Member
Pocket screws are designed to be used in situations where basically what
they hold together does not undergo daily movement and stress. i know
they were used in the old days for holding rail on tables, and even supporting the m/t joints made on these old factory made items,
but the stresses in opening and closing a drawer and the overall hanging
stresses make them long term not the correct engineering solution to a
woodworking joint.
modern materials allow us to consider different kinds of fixings, but the specifics of joining a drawer are simple.
at the front, you need the sides to wrap the front in one way or another to overcome the desire to spread, hence dovetails or the mitre lock
router system, or even the rebated front, so that the pulling on the front handle transfers the load down the sides, rather than tending to spring the front. in the seventies many kitchens were factory made with corner
fixings of a kind of plastic, but the stresses were placed in such a way
that the fronts popped off after quite a short time, because there was no
way of holding the sides in with the front. i believe that pocket screws
have the same problem, no matter how successful they seem in the short
term. this may seem a criticism, but it is more importantly an engineering
fact.
at the rear the back can be fixed in many way, as the stresses are
aimed in different ways, and can be compensated by fixing the
bottom to the rear cross member. in addition, using undermount
drawer slides allows for some interesting variations.
it is certainly easier to make the drawers with a false front, since it ensures that the drawers can be set up properly inside the carcase, and
the front overhang can be made the same by packing and blocking, where as when you make full fronts, you have more problems with adjusting the
depth stops.
as for the finish, you should think about who is going to use the kitchen,
and then think very hard about using one or other of the kitchen floor finishes, after perhaps staining the units if you want or need to.
Johnson Kleer is water soluble and quite hard wearing, but i would prefer that on the front and sides of the units an acrylic product like diamond
glaze, was used because it provides heat and water protection.
on the tops it depends upon the surface, but if wood, then there is something to be said for vegetable oils being used. what you do need
to consider is that you need at least one or two areas where you can
put hot and or freezing plates or items, maybe those asda granite plates that were shown elsewhere on the media cabinet.
anyway you seem to be making good progess and hope it gives you what
you and swmbo want. it will have saved you some serious dosh though.
good luck
paul :wink:
Modedit Newbie_Neil
they hold together does not undergo daily movement and stress. i know
they were used in the old days for holding rail on tables, and even supporting the m/t joints made on these old factory made items,
but the stresses in opening and closing a drawer and the overall hanging
stresses make them long term not the correct engineering solution to a
woodworking joint.
modern materials allow us to consider different kinds of fixings, but the specifics of joining a drawer are simple.
at the front, you need the sides to wrap the front in one way or another to overcome the desire to spread, hence dovetails or the mitre lock
router system, or even the rebated front, so that the pulling on the front handle transfers the load down the sides, rather than tending to spring the front. in the seventies many kitchens were factory made with corner
fixings of a kind of plastic, but the stresses were placed in such a way
that the fronts popped off after quite a short time, because there was no
way of holding the sides in with the front. i believe that pocket screws
have the same problem, no matter how successful they seem in the short
term. this may seem a criticism, but it is more importantly an engineering
fact.
at the rear the back can be fixed in many way, as the stresses are
aimed in different ways, and can be compensated by fixing the
bottom to the rear cross member. in addition, using undermount
drawer slides allows for some interesting variations.
it is certainly easier to make the drawers with a false front, since it ensures that the drawers can be set up properly inside the carcase, and
the front overhang can be made the same by packing and blocking, where as when you make full fronts, you have more problems with adjusting the
depth stops.
as for the finish, you should think about who is going to use the kitchen,
and then think very hard about using one or other of the kitchen floor finishes, after perhaps staining the units if you want or need to.
Johnson Kleer is water soluble and quite hard wearing, but i would prefer that on the front and sides of the units an acrylic product like diamond
glaze, was used because it provides heat and water protection.
on the tops it depends upon the surface, but if wood, then there is something to be said for vegetable oils being used. what you do need
to consider is that you need at least one or two areas where you can
put hot and or freezing plates or items, maybe those asda granite plates that were shown elsewhere on the media cabinet.
anyway you seem to be making good progess and hope it gives you what
you and swmbo want. it will have saved you some serious dosh though.
good luck
paul :wink:
Modedit Newbie_Neil
