Through Dovetails for Drawers

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

This may be old hat to many of you. Nevertheless, while completing the seventh drawer for the chest, it occurred to me to take a few extra photos.

I have described the process I take with through dovetails for drawers in pictures, in some detail (in lieu of a video). The pictorial is here ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/ ... ails3.html

Feel free to critique the technique and add comments of your own.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[custard]

Very nice work.

=D>

One tiny refinement that might be worth considering in the future is this.

Here's a drawer with London pattern dovetails. It happens to have a curved, laminated front, but it's one I had to hand in the workshop and the principles are the same.

But if you look at the back things are slightly different. The lower dovetail has a "flat base" so that it delivers a gap free joint with the drawer slip and drawer bottom. For the sake of symmetry I then cut the upper dovetail with a "flat top".

Like I say, it's a small thing. An even smaller thing is that I usually cut the rear dovetails at a very slightly steeper angle, say 1:6 or 1:7 compared with the 1:7 or 1:8 front dovetails, actually for London pattern or needle dovetails I usually also cut the front dovetails at a slightly steeper angle, say 1:7 versus the normal 1:8 in order to ensure they don't end up having a "finger joint" look about them.

 

[dzj]

Seeing how the drawer sides are rather slender, which method of attaching the drawer bottom did you opt for? (I see no rebates or grooves)
Nice looking DTs, btw!

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Hi Custard

That is a beautiful drawer. Other than the flat dovetails, I am not seeing any differences. What am I missing?

The cut away at the lower drawer front is very appealing. I had thought to do this, but the curves in mine were too daunting.

Here are a few pics from the first drawer I built. dzj, this should answer your question as well.

Drawer minus drawer bottom ...

Front of drawer with drawer bottom (flush with slips) ...

Rear of drawer ...

More details here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/ ... awers.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[dzj]

You added Jarrah veneer to the slip. Will this not, over time, wear a groove in the front blades?

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

dzj, I doubt it since the drawer blades are also Jarrah.

You have other thoughts here?

Regads from Perth

Derek

 

[dzj]

The drawer sides in your second post look thicker than in the initial one.
Is this a design feature, camera angle or something else?

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

It is a smaller drawer, hence the sides look wider (and if they are, it is by no more than 1mm). - it's the top drawer in the chest. The drawers get wider and deeper as they go down. The drawer in the article is the 7th of 8 drawers.

Regards from Perth

Derek