Assembling drawers questions.

Re: Assembling drawers questions.

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Been out of town for a few days. Before I left I cut the dovetails on the eighteen drawers for the two chest of drawers. (Leigh jig) ....mistake, get them glued as quick as they machined or otherwise prepared for gluing. Thin sides can wiggle as they set around. Best to get them constrained in a box.

When you assemble then, do you apply the glue and the insert them into the chest to make them conform? .......this approach is used in the Headley shop. I use it. The process is glue, squish the drawer together with clamps, remove clamps, insert in opening, shim, go to next drawer. No clamps are needed but drawers need to go together well. Also you will need a collection of tapered shims, stiff plastic sheet like off blister packs, putty knives, etc. for wedging.

(In PIC there is a big gap at top of drawer because cock bead has not been installed yet)

Or do you assemble them, make them square and "flat" and then fiddle them into the chest after the glue dries....nothing wrong with this approach either.

Either way, do you install the bottoms after they are fitted to the chest after the glue cures? Yes Other wise how can you do he fitting?

Thanks....

Barry Irby

They are coming together. You correct about letting them sit. That was a mistake. They have clearly moved and warped a bit. Right when I finished cutting the dovetails they laid together like a deck of cards. Flat, no air between them. Now some of them are warped slightly, but they are coming together nicely. A bit of clamp pressure here and there is pulling them up tight and true.

Thanks for the advice.