"English" drawer construction question

Re: "English" drawer construction question

Don McConnell

>Hi Bill,

The way I've done it is to install the slips after the drawer is assembled. There is plenty of bonding surface to simply glue them to the inner surface of the drawer sides. I find it useful to make the slips slightly wider than they need to be, so that they can be planed flush with the bottom edges of the drawer sides after they are installed. As I guess is obvious, the groove in the slip needs to line up precisely with the groove in the drawer front, and the top of the groove needs to be precisely in line with the bottom edge of the back. The latter can be insured by cutting a notch in the slip so that its upper portion (above the groove) fits inside the back, while the lower portion extends the full length of the side. (This can be left slighty long to trim flush with the end of the drawer side after it is installed.)

I've been asked if it is advisabe to leave a small tenon, in line with the groove, on the front end of the slip to help align it with the groove in the front of the drawer. If carefully done, it could help insure the accurate positioning of the slip, but I've not tried it and haven't really felt the need to. Others may have differing opinions.

A nice small side bead, or other decorative touch, on the upper exposed arris of the slip is a nice touch.

Don McConnell

Eureka Springs, AR

Re: "English" drawer construction question

bill tindal, E.TN

>Thanks....that is what seemed reasonable to do, but then some of my reasonable-to-do's turn out to have flaws I don't discover until I do them.

Instead of the bottom fitting into a dado in the slip I was going to just put the slip under the bottom and brad a cove or 1/4 round on top where the bottom meets the side. Do you see any shortcoming of this approach? The advantage I imagine is two fold. First, I can precisely fit the bottom to the opening which will render the drawer rigid- a trick Krenov uses in the backs of his frail cabinets to render them rigid. . Second, it seems easier.

Re: "English" drawer construction question

Don McConnell

>Hi Bill,

You asked, in part:

"Instead of the bottom fitting into a dado [groove] in the slip I was going to just put the slip under the bottom and brad a cove or 1/4 round on top where the bottom meets the side. Do you see any shortcoming of this approach? ..."

It depends.

The conventional form of English drawer construction has a certain synergy to it, so one needs to consider the effect of changing any one detail on other aspects of the work. The use of grooved drawer slips avoids weakening relatively thin drawer sides (typically 1/4", quarter-sawn oak, or something similar) with grooves to house the bottom. At the same time, in other than very small drawers, the system of being able to slide the solid-wood drawer bottom in from the back, and fastening only at the back, allows for adjusting the drawer bottom forward as it shrinks in width over time. Or to remove it for repairs.

If you are using plywood for the bottom, then the shrinkage issue does not come into play, but you may want to consider whether it will ever by desirable to remove the bottom. More to the point of your question, though, is the issue of the drawer sides. If you are using thin hardwood drawer sides, then driving brads into them may be quite problematic. If you are using thicker drawer sides (i.e., more of an American convention), then the approach you are considering could well be easier. In this case, though, I'd have to wonder if it wouldn't make more sense to groove the drawer sides?

If one fits the drawer bottom closely into the grooves (either in a slip or in the drawer side) and properly squares the ends to the front edge, the drawer bottom of a traditionally constructed drawer is very capable of adding rigidity and "squareness" to the drawer. So I'm not sure that is an issue.

Don McConnell

Eureka Springs, AR

Drawer slips *LINK*

Andrew F in Australia

>HI Bill,

The drawer slips are a replaceable item. I just nail them in, but if you feel the need to use glue, use a little sparingly, so that they can be removed a number of years later for replacement.

I'll do a quick search and post a previous thread on the subject.

CHeers,

Andrew

Also this link as an errata to the one below:

http://woodcentral.com.ldh0138.uslec.net/cgi-bin/archives_handtools.pl?read=91248


http://woodcentral.com.ldh0138.uslec.net/cgi-bin/a

Re: Drawer slips

Paul in NJ

>Andrew,

Pardon my ignorance, but if the slip wears , the drawer side must wear also. How do you fix the drawer side? I understand the slip strengthens the thin sides and adds a broader wearing surface to the drawer. It would seem to me that a slip with a rabbet for the drawer side to fit into would be the best. I have never used slips but I would like to know more about them.

regards,

Paul Dzioba

Grab David Charlesworth's 2nd

Greg B

>book. It has two very detailed chapters on drawer construction, including the use of drawer slips. Beautifully photographed, too.

flushing the slip with the underside of the drawer

Andrew F in Australia

>Forgot to answer this part of your query, Bill.

How is the bottom of the runner brought even with the drawer side bottom edge?

Put them in slightly proud and plane them flush with the underneath of the drawer side.

As well, I'm sure that I've put up a scan somewhere of a drawer in cross section, but I can't find it now. edit - it ate me until I found it - here 'tis. The blue in the drawing is an overlaid elevation; distance between the underside of the drawer back and the underside of the drawer side is 3/4"; distance between the top of the drawer side and the top of the drawer back is 1/4" This gives an air gap to avoid a piston fit drawer.

Cheers,

Andrew

Re: Drawer slips

Andrew F in Australia

>Hi Paul,

You're right, but the drawer slip is replaced and flushed back to the correct level.

By increasing the amount of material sliding on the drawer runner, the wear rate is decreased proportionally, so it's not a great issue.

If the drawer side is "really" badly worn, you can square up the underneath of the side and reattach a new section of timber with the drawer still glued up. Not really recommended on a restoration, however.

Cheers,

Andrew

The PIC worth (= to) a thousand words

bill tindal, E.TN

>I like that arrangement. Thanks.

Thanks Bill *LINK*

Andrew F in Australia

>I found the original discussion - I should have searched for dovetail instead of drawers.

Cheers,

Andrew


Here 'tis

Re: Drawer slips

Don McConnell

>Hi Paul,

I'm including a small illustration from Charles Hayward's _Cabinet Making for Beginners_.

The left drawing is a little confusing as he's "removed" the back (incongruously indicated by the dotted line) to better show the slip. The illustration may appear to show a two-piece slip, but is really intended to show it notched to fit inside the back.

Hayward's brief text reads: " ... Grooved slips are glued to the sides to hold the bottom (A) Fig. 20. This saves weakening the sides by grooving them, and they increase the bearing surface, so reducing wear. ..."

Hope this begins to answer your questions.

Don McConnell

Eureka Springs, AR

Thanks all

bill tindal, E.TN

>Bad weather moving in so I will be in the shop putting to use your suggestions.

I will post a PIC when I get done.