| |
Finishing
Off
Assemble
the necessary items: clamps, glue (I use yellow wood glue),
rags and spatula for spreading. Put a generous amount of glue
into the rabbets and dadoes (not the drawer-bottom grooves),
and with the drawer front lying face down clamped to the bench
top, start assembling the two sides. Slide the bottom into
the sides, ensuring that it fully sits at the desired depth
in the drawer face. Slide the back into the side dadoes and
clamp up everything. I use clamps with large steel jaws encased
in non-marring plastic because they cover a lot of surface
area, which helps minimize fiber crushing and reduces the
number of clamps required to secure the workpiece. Draw the
two sides down into the stopped dadoes and stabilize the entire
unit using two clamps.
After
about an hour, turn the drawer flat on the bench and clean
up any glue squeeze-out on the interior. It's easier to do
this now, before the glue has a chance to fully cure. Let
the unit rest overnight.
For extra insurance, I install dowels. This hardwood dowel
is positioned so that it travels from the drawer front's edges
through the drawer side within the stopped dado and back into
the drawer face. This makes for a strong drawer that can withstand
plenty of use. Predrill the edges, making sure not to place
the holes too close to the front as this could lead to blowing
out the fibers. Once drilled, spread some glue and tap in
the dowels. The change in sound will tell you when the dowel
bottoms out.
Trim the dowel ends using a flush-cut saw. Clean up the ends
using a very sharp block plane, and test fit the drawer in
the cabinet carcass. The drawer width accommodates the space
needed for the heavy-duty full extension slides that will
be attached; these make for smooth opening and closing.
|
|
