Hey everyone,

I'm working on a cabinet drawer for a spice cabinet box. I have planned on placing the sides on the inside of the front and back of the box and using pocket holes for the joinery. As I thought about it more, I have considered using a dado joint to insert the bottom of the box (to help ensure it is inserted level), but only cutting out the groove on the front and back of the box.

I'm sure there are questions abound (why aren't you dadoing the sides and front and back, why are you dadoing and pocket holing, why are the sides on the inside of the front and back and not on the outside) - but basically I want to know if there is any value (or any issue) with my intended set-up. I'm a novice - so learning more is always helpful. Thanks in advance!

On Thursday, June 21, 2018 at 9:13:40 PM UTC-5, Robbie Brusso wrote:
Hey everyone,

I'm working on a cabinet drawer for a spice cabinet box. I have planned on placing the sides on the inside of the front and back of the box and using pocket holes for the joinery. As I thought about it more, I have considered using a dado joint to insert the bottom of the box (to help ensure it is inserted level), but only cutting out the groove on the front and back of the box.

I'm sure there are questions abound (why aren't you dadoing the sides and front and back, why are you dadoing and pocket holing, why are the sides on the inside of the front and back and not on the outside) - but basically I want to know if there is any value (or any issue) with my intended set-up.. I'm a novice - so learning more is always helpful. Thanks in advance!

One very good reason not to do what you are thinking about is the minor issue of your bottom getting a warp or bend and ceasing to fit properly, or (worst case scenario) falling out.

On Thu, 21 Jun 2018 19:13:36 wrote:

with my intended set-up. I'm a novice - so learning more is always
helpful. Thanks in advance!

make some prototypes and if you get lucky they will be usable

sounds like you are trying to do it only one time and avoid any mistakes

how much scrutiny will final product get

Sorry for the long delay everyone. I failed to mention a key point: I'd still brad or screw in the bottom along the sides. If not, as many of you have pointed out, the bottom would sag (especially when the depth is 17.5 inches).

I suppose dadoing along the entire box might make assembly easier. My only issue was that I've never done a dado before so I wanted to take a minimalist approach. But I guess if I'm able to do the front and back properly, I should be able to do the sides. I'm using a router table so it should be fairly straight forward.

And this is for my own kitchen - but my wife is an attentive customer haha.

On 6/25/18 6:53 AM, Robbie Brusso wrote:
Sorry for the long delay everyone. I failed to mention a key point: I'd still brad or screw in the bottom along the sides. If not, as many of you have pointed out, the bottom would sag (especially when the depth is 17.5 inches).

I suppose dadoing along the entire box might make assembly easier. My only issue was that I've never done a dado before so I wanted to take a minimalist approach. But I guess if I'm able to do the front and back properly, I should be able to do the sides. I'm using a router table so it should be fairly straight forward.

And this is for my own kitchen - but my wife is an attentive customer haha.


A couple things.
All this talk about sag is a non-issue. You make the bottom strong
enough for the intended purpose, period. 1/4" cabinet grade plywood is
usually strong enough for smaller drawers, but you might want to go 3/8"
which you'll find as 9mm or even 1/2" which you'll find as 12mm in
cabinet grade plywood.

You don't have to cut the dado the full thickness of the plywood. You
can rabbet the edge of the plywood to match the dado. 1/4" is a common
size for that.

About that dado... I would cut a slot to receive the drawer bottom on
the sides before I would do it on the front/back. That is, if I had to
choose on or the other. The point is, you don't.

Since you're likely using the same plywood for the sides and back of the
drawer, it's easier to cut the dado in the plywood before you cut it
into the separate pieces. Heck, most cabinet drawers are done with all
four sides in plywood, with a separate face anyway, so you can cut all 4
dados as one on the plywood before cutting out the sides.

In other words it's easier to cut dados in all sections of the drawer
than it is to cut it in only two.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
www.mikedrums.com

On Mon, 25 Jun 2018 04:53:55 wrote:

And this is for my own kitchen - but my wife is an attentive customer
haha.

usually there are no complaints unless it fails somehow

if your first prototype works then congrats
if not maybe it can be reworked and become prototype two

and so on

perfect should not get in the way of good enough


but if it is meant to become an heirloom then maybe you spend more
time

Electric Comet on Mon, 25 Jun 2018
10:54:25 -0700 typed in rec.woodworking the following:
On Mon, 25 Jun 2018 04:53:55 wrote:

And this is for my own kitchen - but my wife is an attentive customer
haha.

usually there are no complaints unless it fails somehow

if your first prototype works then congrats
if not maybe it can be reworked and become prototype two

and so on

perfect should not get in the way of good enough

"Good enough now" will beat "perfect, tomorrow" for many things.

Recently I realized that much of what I make has no finish,
because I wanted a thing now, not beautiful.
--
pyotr filipivich
Next month's Panel: Graft - Boon or blessing?

On Sat, 30 Jun 2018 09:00:10 -0700
pyotr filipivich wrote:

"Good enough now" will beat "perfect, tomorrow" for many
things.

Recently I realized that much of what I make has no finish,
because I wanted a thing now, not beautiful.


recently replaced a dangerous thin hollow metal broom handle and just
did a light sand on it and put it back to use


hand oils will work fine on this one

On Monday, June 25, 2018 at 7:53:59 AM UTC-4, Robbie Brusso wrote:
Sorry for the long delay everyone. I failed to mention a key point: I'd still brad or screw in the bottom along the sides. If not, as many of you have pointed out, the bottom would sag (especially when the depth is 17.5 inches).

I suppose dadoing along the entire box might make assembly easier. My only issue was that I've never done a dado before so I wanted to take a minimalist approach. But I guess if I'm able to do the front and back properly, I should be able to do the sides. I'm using a router table so it should be fairly straight forward.

And this is for my own kitchen - but my wife is an attentive customer haha.

Once you set up the router to do the front and back dado's, it's nothing
more than 2 more passes to dado the sides. The set-up is the work, the dado's
are the fun part. ;-)

Any reason you are not using a table saw for the dado's?

On 6/25/2018 7:53 AM, Robbie Brusso wrote:
Sorry for the long delay everyone. I failed to mention a key point: I'd still brad or screw in the bottom along the sides. If not, as many
of you have pointed out, the bottom would sag (especially when the depth
is 17.5 inches).

I suppose dadoing along the entire box might make assembly easier.

Yes, that will become obvious after you build your first drawer. Also,
you will find cutting the back off to screw/nail the drawer bottom for
later removal is not only more work, but a waste of time as it will
never be needed on a correctly built drawer. Even if it would be
needed, which it won't, you can cut the back then to remove the bottom.

My only issue was that I've never done a dado before so I wanted to take a
minimalist approach. But I guess if I'm able to do the front and back
properly, I should be able to do the sides. I'm using a router table so it
should be fairly straight forward.

Yes. Forget minimalist approach, do it right the first try, minimalist
approaches almost always end up as a "maximist" approaches.

And this is for my own kitchen - but my wife is an attentive customer haha.

Stuff you build for yourself always demands maximum attention as _you_
will be living with all your mistakes, as well as your perfection.
Perfection is easy to live with, so avoid minimalist approaches until
you have maximum experience and KNOW where cutting a corner 'might' work.

--
Jack
Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.
http://jbstein.com