Jim In FL wrote:
I'm thinking of building (by her request actually) my wife a
chest/bureau type piece for our second bedroom. It's general storage,
and not used (open/closed) much. I thought I'd seize the opportunity
to try some things I haven't done before. I'd like to make a real
nice piece of furniture, similar to a cherry dining room sideboard
type thing I remember from my childhood. All wood, frame/panel dust
panels, INSET doors/drawers. (Might even try my first beaded face
frame - don't know if I want to get that nervy with inset doors
though.)
This will be about 16-18" deep, 46-48 long, 42 high. I don't want to
use metal drawer guides - which finally brings me to my question. I've
searched all over and picked up a lot of tips on integrating the
structures that will support and guide the drawers in and out, and
the kickers for tipping, etc. But for some reason everything I've
found is very vague about stopping the drawers, both going in, and
coming out, and the ability to remove them. My thought is that there
should be accepted, common methods to do this (many probably, some
better than others) and since I'm starting with a blank slate, I can
take this opportunity to do it right and learn some new stuff.
Open to all suggestions. Thanks for reading and extra thanks if
you've got something for me !

1. For slides, there are lots of ways. I usually just rout a groove in the
drawer sides and mount rails to slide in the grooves on the inside of the
cabinet. Groove depth depends upon side thickness but I wouldn't want less
than 14" deep.

The rails should be a hard wood - I like hickory, sometimes white oak. They
should extend almost but not all the way into the grooves...the idea is to
provide the drawer a bit of side to side motion but *very* little. They
should also be a hair thinner top to bottom than the groove is wide to keep
the drawer from tipping. Since they serve to stop the drawer from tipping
they need to be firmly mounted.

2. There are numerous ways to stop a drawer at the proper place when
inserted....one or more bumbers of rubber or wood at the back...vertical
pieces behind the apron at the sides of the drawer opening...

3. To stop the drawer from being pulled out, I like to make the drawer back
higher than the drawer opening. I usually round it over along the top edge
and shape it (ogee) so that it slopes to meet the drawer sides.

To facilitate inserting/removing the drawer, you need to widen the top back
part of the groove in the drawer sides and/or the top front edge of the
rail. Sort of like a rule joint. That allows you to tip the drawer, hook
the top of the back behind the face frame and the slide it in; when pulled
out, the back will hit the face frame and prevent it coming out unless the
front of the drawer is tipped up.


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dadiOH
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