Drawer Lock Bit Using Baltic Birch Stock

[George Bokros]

Anyone had luck making drawers from Baltic Birch and using a drawer lock bit? I am getting chip out or splintering on the piece you fun vertically on the router table.

Thanks

George

[Steve Bishop]

Had the same problem when making drawers using a Lock Miter Bit.
Had to score the face of the BB with a razor blade to eliminate the splintering.

Steve

[glenn bradley]

+1 on scoring the line with a razor knife. Doesn't have to be deep. Just cut the outer fibers of the outer ply so they don't tear. This is my favorite way to make drawers. A good bit and tall RT fences and feather boards help as well. If you are losing material on the tongue I would suspect the bit or the support path for the material. Any wobbling will foul your profile big time. My MLCS and Rockler bits were only good for a few drawers, then sharpen, a few drawers, then sharped. Finally tossed them and have been running the same Whiteside for a couple dozen drawers with no signs of a problem . . . yet. Thanks to the irrepressible California meddlers, my lumber yard can not get BB ply anymore. [Read with Sarcasm] Apparently the manufacturers are not willing to meet our requirements on formaldehyde content ;-(

[Dave Falkenstein]

I make a scoring cut on the table saw.

[Jamie Buxton]

I cut that joint in BB on a table saw. It is all done on the saw, quite quickly. No routering involved at all. And there's no splintering.

[Tony Bilello]

This way, all of my Dados are performed with the board flat on the table.
None of my drawers have ever failed. All are made with 1/2" Baltic Birch.
I only use a router to roundover the top edges.

This method is quick and easy. The bottom is locked in on all four sides. There is no reason to make the bottom removable if it is made from plywood. Many moons ago, the bottoms were made of solid wood and would eventually split. They were made removable so they could be repaired. This is no longer a problem when using plywood.
The front, rear and sides are glued and brad nailed together.
A solid front is then added when finished. If I am going to use a drawer pull with 2 screws, that will be all I use to hold the drawer front on place.
If I use a drawer pull with 1 screw, then I will use the one screw and run 2 brad nails in from the rear. This will stabilize the drawer front and still be easy to remove if desired.
Un fortunately, SMC will not allow the same photo to be entered more than once so you will have to go the the attached link to see my sketch.


http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=99681

[George Bokros]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I am going to try a zero clearance insert for my router table fence combined with scoring the face of the ply.

George

[Ralph Okonieski]

I scored my BB also but sill encountered a few places where a "chunk" tore out. I suspect my feed rate might have been a little too fast becasue this only occurred on about 2 pieces out of maybe 72.