Drawer bottoms or small cabinet back - question

[Luis Reyes]

Hi All,

Not sure if this should go in the design forum or here but since I plan on using hand tools for this I thought I'd get a perspective of members here. I'm planning on building the jewelry box from crafted workshop (https://craftedworkshop.com/store/wa...ovetails-plans). For the back of the box / chest I was thinking of rabbeting 1/4 in plywood and gluing it in place. I was also thinking this would be a good approach to use for drawer bottoms (I currently plow a 1/4 in groove about 1/2 in from the bottom).

I have two questions:

1. Is that how you'd attach a back or what would you do?
2. Would you do the rabbet before the dovetails or after (I'm assuming after)

Thanks in advance!

Luis

[Rafael Herrera]

1 I'd use flat headed slotted screws, no glue.

2. Dovetailed drawers? Plywood drawer bottom? You'll need to miter the pins and slots to hide the grooves or rabbets. You don't want to use glue if you're using solid wood drawer bottoms. I'd cut after.

For such small piece, the drawer runners seem overkill, but it's a good excuse for product placements.

Here's a design question. On the carcass, should the pins be on the sides or the top and bottom? I'd say on the top and bottom. The dovetails are supposed to take the stress the piece is subjected to. It doesn't matter on this little cabinet, but it would be like cutting the dovetails on the drawer fronts, it'd look odd. Just a thought.

[Jim Koepke]

Hi All,
…
For the back of the box / chest I was thinking of rabbeting 1/4 in plywood and gluing it in place. I was also thinking this would be a good approach to use for drawer bottoms (I currently plow a 1/4 in groove about 1/2 in from the bottom).

I have two questions:

1. Is that how you'd attach a back or what would you do?
2. Would you do the rabbet before the dovetails or after (I'm assuming after)

Thanks in advance!

Luis

Instead of gluing the plywood into the rabbet, my approach would be to use pins, screws or small nails to hold the back in place. This will help mitigate any problems from wood movement over the years.

In building drawers, boxes and other items, it has always worked out better to cut rabbets and plow slots before cutting any joinery.

A half inch of wood below the slot seems like a lot. My small plow for drawer slots is set up for a 1/4" slot ~1/4" from the bottom of the drawer side. Unless the plan is to hold solid gold bars in the drawers, a 1/4" should be enough.

jtk

[Lee Schierer]

For a jewelry box that size with drawers of the size shown in the plans, I would use 1/8" plywood for the drawer bottoms and us 1/4" material for the sides of the drawers. The corners of the trays were joined using a locking rabbet joint. You want as much interior space as you can get so why use 1/4" ply when 1/8" will do the job. Jewelry doesn't weigh a lot. Here is a similar sized jewelry box with trays instead of drawers, made the way I described.
IMG_6009_edited-1.jpg

With regard to the plans you linked. I found it difficult to believe that they claim it took 15 bdft of material to make that box.

[Warren Mickley]

1

For such small piece, the drawer runners seem overkill, but it's a good excuse for product placements.

Here's a design question. On the carcass, should the pins be on the sides or the top and bottom? I'd say on the top and bottom. The dovetails are supposed to take the stress the piece is subjected to. It doesn't matter on this little cabinet, but it would be like cutting the dovetails on the drawer fronts, it'd look odd. Just a thought.

We usually use half blind dovetails with the tail boards being the top and bottom for these little chests. The dovetails don't show on the sides.

Sometimes for small drawers we glue the bottoms on rather than make a groove.

[Luis Reyes]

For a jewelry box that size with drawers of the size shown in the plans, I would use 1/8" plywood for the drawer bottoms and us 1/4" material for the sides of the drawers. The corners of the trays were joined using a locking rabbet joint. You want as much interior space as you can get so why use 1/4" ply when 1/8" will do the job. Jewelry doesn't weigh a lot. Here is a similar sized jewelry box with trays instead of drawers, made the way I described.
IMG_6009_edited-1.jpg

With regard to the plans you linked. I found it difficult to believe that they claim it took 15 bdft of material to make that box.

that’s a beautiful box! Thanks for the advice, good idea to use 1/8 ply and save space. I agree that 15 bd ft seems too much. Im on my phone so can’t tell from the pictures but what did you use for felt?

[Luis Reyes]

Instead of gluing the plywood into the rabbet, my approach would be to use pins, screws or small nails to hold the back in place. This will help mitigate any problems from wood movement over the years.

In building drawers, boxes and other items, it has always worked out better to cut rabbets and plow slots before cutting any joinery.

A half inch of wood below the slot seems like a lot. My small plow for drawer slots is set up for a 1/4" slot ~1/4" from the bottom of the drawer side. Unless the plan is to hold solid gold bars in the drawers, a 1/4" should be enough.

jtk

that’s for the info. I think I’ll try the small nails or screws as the previous person mentioned as well. I wouldn’t mind simplifying the process so that works for me!

[Lee Schierer]

that’s a beautiful box! Thanks for the advice, good idea to use 1/8 ply and save space. I agree that 15 bd ft seems too much. Im on my phone so can’t tell from the pictures but what did you use for felt?

The slots for the plywood and the locking rabbit joints were all cut with a Freud 60 tooth LU-82M blade, which gives a flat bottom groove. The 1/8" plywood from Woodcraft fits perfectly in the slots cut with this blade.

I purchased some adhesive backed felt from the Michaels craft store in Erie, PA. Unfortunately they are no longer in business. It would appear that you can purchase similar "adhesive backed felt" from various vendors on Amazon.

[Tom Bender]

1/8" will be fine for bottoms and cabinet back. Glued in works great. Gives a more solid feel. So just make a 3/16" wide rabbit 1/8" deep for a flush bottom, or a little deeper and plane flush. If you are going to slide the drawer on its bottom, glue on Oak or Ash strips 1/2" wide x 1/8" thick. Make the drawers first. Stack them up (with spacers) to determine the exact height of the cabinet. Half blind dovetails on the drawer fronts.

[Frederick Skelly]

what did you use for felt?

This is another option for felt in a box. It is a hand sprayed flocking. I’ve used it for years and like it a lot. YMMV. LINK

[Derek Cohen]

Hi All,

Not sure if this should go in the design forum or here but since I plan on using hand tools for this I thought I'd get a perspective of members here. I'm planning on building the jewelry box from crafted workshop (https://craftedworkshop.com/store/wa...ovetails-plans). For the back of the box / chest I was thinking of rabbeting 1/4 in plywood and gluing it in place. I was also thinking this would be a good approach to use for drawer bottoms (I currently plow a 1/4 in groove about 1/2 in from the bottom).

I have two questions:

1. Is that how you'd attach a back or what would you do?
2. Would you do the rabbet before the dovetails or after (I'm assuming after)

Thanks in advance!

Luis

Hi Luis

Do not glue on the back (of the cabinet). Just use screws as you may wish to remove it some time in the future.

Dovetailing the case is fine, but through dovetails in a small cabinet is going to look clumsy and overpowering. Warren's suggestion of half-blind dovetails is good. Further, make the dovetails thinner to help them avoid dominating.

For the draw bottoms, rabbeting is fine but 1/8" is all that is needed. The aim is to keep the drawers as light as possible. For this reason, also avoid chunky drawer sides. 3/8" maximum, and closer to 1/4" in my book.

Half-blinds in box cases ...





Cabinet with thinnish drawer sides ...



Regards from Perth

Derek