Drawer stretcher-leg reveal

[Jim Tobias]

First, I hope the terminology is clear on what I am asking about. I am building a pair of bow (very mild bow) front bedside tables. The drawers and drawer strectchers? (horizontal piece between drawers that connects to the legs) is also bowed to match the drawer fronts. My question is: Should I attempt to have the outside fronts of the drawers and stretchers meet the legs flush or should I have them slightly recessed to create a reveal(maybe 1/8th - 1/3'16th")?
My first inclination is to think the reveal would be a better look than having them flush with the front edge of the legs, but I wanted to ask a wider audience for an opinion as this is my first "bow front" project.

Thanks for any input,

Jim

[Doug Shepard]

How are you going to connect them to the legs? If you use M&T;s and you don't have a slight setback, I think your joinery will be too close to one edge unless you offset the M&T.

[Jim Tobias]

Doug,
I am going to use Domino loose tenon joinery. I will have 2 1/2" of leg surface on the inside surface of leg to create the mortices.
What do you think?

Jim

[Von Bickley]

I normaly like to see a small reveal where the apron meets the leg, but I haven't done any with a bow front.

[Chris Friesen]

I think you could call them either drawer rails or stretchers.

How do the side aprons meet up with the legs? If there is a reveal/setback there, I would probably repeat that motif with the drawer and drawer rails.

[Doug Shepard]

Well the only curved table I've done I set the aprons/stretchers back a bit.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=15693

For that matter I guess all the square ones I've done had the lower stretches set back, even on a couple that had flush aprons at the top.
So I guess Von and I are in agreement although I hadn't really given it much thought until now.

[Jim Tobias]

OK, here are a couple of close up pics of the sketchup drawing with a reveal of 3/16th and another with no reveal. I think the one with the reveal looks better, but want others opinions. I also assume that the top stretcher of the case(connects at the tops of the legs above all drawers) would also have to be recessed to match up with the top edge of the top drawer?? The drawers and stretchers are slighly bowed(even though it does not show a lot).

Jim

[Von Bickley]

Jim,

For your application on that piece, I think I would prefer a flush fit.

Just my 2 cents worth......

A picture is worth a thousand words.......

[mike holden]

Jim,
for my two cents, I would consider that, from above - if the drawers are flush, then the curve meets a flat surface (the legs)
If the drawers are inset, then the curve has a definite termination.

However, I think the most aesthetically pleasing would be flush IF the legs continued the curve.

This piece is low enough that a consideration of the plan view is possibly more important than the face view.

Mike

[Tony Bilello]

I think there should be a reveal to prevent a boring 'look'.
I think 90% of the world agrees with me. Just go to furniture stores and see what the designers have designed and are selling. Rarely would you find pieces that have the apron flush with the leg. If you do, it will probably have some carving on it or the joint is otherwise accented.
Furniture designers design, build and sell furniture according to the market. If people don't like it, they don't buy it and if they dont buy it, that style becomes extinct.

[Jim Tobias]

I think I am leaning toward a reveal. The legs are flat and I agree wiht Tony (and some others) that without a reveal, it may "lack interest" and look boring.

Jim