Swingman wrote:
"Carl E. Wasmuth, Jr." wrote in message ...
I am building a chest and dropdown desk. It is based on a measured drawing
of a piece in the NY Historical society.

What troubles me and is the reason for the post is that it shows the dust
dividers rabbited and glued to the solid wood (Walnut) sides with the
grain of the sides up and down and the grain of the wood on the side of
the dust dividers parallel to the side from front to back. It seems to me
that this will stop wood movement of the sides (20") and risk serious
damage over time. One other note: these dividers and the glue joint is
essential to the structural integrity of the piece.

I have thought of making the side pieces so their grain is perpendicular
to the side so they will expand with the side but they are only 3" wide
and are the runners for the drawers.

Does anyone have any thoughts? Am I being concerned about nothing?

You're absolutely right to be concerned. However, and if I read your post
correctly, is it possible that you may be missing a key point?

IOW, it is doubtful that the drawer "dust dividers" are actually glued
throughout the entire length of the rabbet/dado.

It is fairly standard practice in a cabinet with solid wooden sides (as
opposed to plywood sides) to only glue the front 3" or so and allow the
remainder to float in the rebate in the cabinet sides.

I've done it countless times, and learned to do it from a cabinet maker in
England many years ago whose family had been doing it that way for a few
hundred.

So far the practice has not let me down either.

That would be my take as well, and/or depending on the age of the piece
there could be a judicious screw or two w/ an elongated hole. That
would make it pretty recent, however, but age of piece wasn't mentioned.

Anyway, as long as the divider long grain doesn't try to restrict the
joint the whole length, not likely a problem. (If there were going to
be, one would presume the original piece would be showing the effects...
).

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