Building this drawer design teaches all the basic elements of a traditional drawer.
Pegged joints give it a bit of style.
Rabbet the drawer front Butt the drawer front against a square backer board, then keep both the backer board and the drawer front against the fence throughout the cut.
F
Cut the joinery
1.
The drawer front is rabbeted on both ends to accept the drawer sides. Install a ½"straight bit into the router table and raise it so that ½" of the cutter is exposed above the table surface. To set the depth, hold the drawer side against the fence and adjust the clamps until the exposed portion of the bit matches the width of the drawer side.
2.
To make rabbeting cuts on the drawer stock, you’ll need to use a backer board—a piece of square stock (roughly 10" x 10"square) to guide the cut. Hold the backer board against the fence and then butt the drawer front against the backer board and the end against the fence. Flip on the power, then pass the stock over the fence in a slow, smooth motion, as shown in photo F.
Dado the sides The back of the drawer sits in dadoes near the backs of the drawer sides. Use a backer board to keep the cut square to the edge while routing the dadoes.
G drawers, but check your template in both
openings before you cut anything. If there’s a discrepancy, just cut parts for the two drawers separately, using the correct measures. If measurements are the same, you can cut the parts for both drawers at the same time.)
2.
Hold the front up to the base to measure and mark for width. Leave about 1⁄16" of room around the front so that the fit isn’t too tight.Cut the front to width using a miter gauge on
your tablesaw, taking care not to trim it too short. Test the fit. If it’s too long, trim off a little more. Once you’re happy with the fit, mark and cut the drawer back to the same length.
3.
Slide the sides into the drawer opening and mark them for length. Remember to leave them ¼" shy of full depth to allow for the depth of the rabbet on the drawer front.Cut the drawer sides to length.
R
outers, like any tool with a cutting edge and a power switch, can be dangerous. The key to working safely at the router table is to respect the tool.Always pass work from the right side of the fence to the left. Position yourself on the front right corner of the table and make sure both feet are firmly planted.
Never rout freehand at the router table.
Work should always be registered against a fence or starting pin. Keep the stock flat to the fence.
Never rout against a fence unless it is clamped firmly in place.
Pass the work over the bit at a slow, even feed rate. If you go too slowly, the cutter will start to burn the stock. Too fast, and the router will make a loud, whining noise. With practice, you’ll hear the difference.
Keep your fingers at least 6" from the spin-ning bit at all times. Use featherboards, push paddles, and push sticks when necessary.
Routers produce lots of noise. Wear earplugs or earmuffs.
Groove for the bottom The bottom of the drawer sits in a groove on the front and sides. Use a backer board.
H
3.
To dado the sides to accept the back, lower the bit to make a cut about ¼" deep, then repeat the cutting process you used to rabbet the drawer front in step 2, as shown in photo G on p. 117.4.
The front and the sides are grooved to accept the drawer bottom. Use a ¼" straight bit, set it to make a ¼"-deep cut, and offset the fence about ⅜" (so that you’re cutting a groove that starts ⅜" up from the bottom of the drawer). Cut the grooves, as shown in photo H.5.
Once the grooves are cut, use the table-saw to trim the drawer back to its final height. Remember, it sits on top of the bottom, so the height will equal the height of the side minus the height of the groove. Set up the tablesaw using a grooved side to locate the fence, then make the cut. Once it’s dry-fitted, trim the back to a length that fits tightly in the dadoes.Find a comfortable stance Stand to the right side of the router bit and make sure the floor is clear so you can move toward the left as you rout.
R O U T E R S A F E T Y
1.
To dry-fit all the parts, you’ll first need to cut the drawer bottom to size. To gauge its width, measure the distance between the rab-bets on the drawer front, then add ½" to account for the grooves in the drawer sides.2.
The length of the bottom is not as finicky because the back sits directly on the bottom.Just measure from inside the drawer front to the back of the drawer back and add ¼" to accommodate the groove on the front. Then make the cut on your tablesaw. Dry-fit all the parts and test their fit in the drawer opening.
3.
Once the drawer parts have been dry-fitted and all the joints close up, you’re ready for glue-up. Apply glue and either nails or dowel pegs to join the drawer front to the sides (see“Skill Builder: Pegging Joints” on pp. 120–121).
Then apply a bead of glue to the ends of the drawer back and slide it into place, as shown in photo I. The bottom slides into place on the