Lock-Miter Plywood Drawer Experiment

[Ed Peters]

They're Dynaslides (Accuride knockoffs) from Outwater. Very smooth and the price is right.

http://www.outwatercatalogs.com/2007...catalog=070148

Looks like we have our suppliers in common also. I buy all my drawer glides from outwater.

Yes I also machine panels of drawer components before cutting to final size. It makes the job go faster and helps minimize any blowout that occurs from time to time as the panel exits the tool. If it does happen, it only happens on 1 out of X parts and the blank will have a little extra on anyhow.

As to tearout on the inside edges with the drawer lock bit, I haven't experienced this to date and many drawers have left my shop. As I said in the first post, there is some tearout that occurs when machining the sides (vertical orientation to the tool) but this is internal to the joint so it is not seen. This appears to have more to do with the quality of the material than anything else.

It looks like you are using a shaper for your joints. I hope you'll pardon me for drooling all over your feeder. All mine are cut on a router (hand fed) (old school?). I have several permanently mounted router tools and the drawer lock bit is one of them. I just drop the machine into the table, adjust the fence and cut.

I have recently taken to using the ½" Baltic Birch plywood for my bottoms as well as the sides. It adds a little more to the cost but not substantially. In return, I think I am getting drawer boxes that can double as jack stands for M1A1 Abrams Tanks. I still cut the same dado on all four sides that I was cutting for the luan bottoms so that doesn't change. I cut a rabbet on all 4 sides of the ½" BB panel and fit it in with glue on all surfaces. I must say, the drawers even look nicer with that clear Birch veneer rather than the darker luan veneer.

Ed

[Dave Falkenstein]

Having run into the tearout problem in plywood using a drawer lock bit, I have resorted to making a scoring cut on the table saw. That scoring cut, which is a blade thickness in width and less than the depth the router bit will cut, completely eliminates the tearout. Perhaps a similar scoring cut can be made for the lock miter bit???

[Ed Peters]

But would the drawer lock bit provide the same speed of production? I realize the lock miter takes a bit of setup. But once fine-tuned, all he had to do is make two passes and then divide the panel into all his pieces. Can the drawer lock router bit be used it the same fashion?

Good questions. Then answer is that all the processes are the same for both tools. Fronts and backs are run through the tooling horizontally in as large a blank as you are comfortable with. Sides are run through vertically in blanks as well.

Ed

[Tim Lynch]

The slides were my first Outwater order, and I learned about them here (thanks!). Saved me a lot of money and I received them the next day. Their catalog is amazing! I went page by page through it online... over 1000 pages! Pretty much EVERYTHING in there for a house except maybe the concrete foundation.

The feeder is Delta's smallest, but it's done a good job for me. The variable speed is a nice feature. I feel a lot safer swinging big cutters using it. I never run anything by hand and use a sled for coping ends.

Bit of a gloat story there too... I bought the shaper (Reliant 3HP), feeder, and a Delta 37-190 jointer for $800! To show you what a newbie I was then, I almost said no to the feeder! Glad I didn't. Everything was barely used, and the guy even delivered them to my house. I found the Delta shaper fence later on eBay ... what an improvement!

I'm saving money for dust collection next... my shopvac setup leaves a lot to be desired !

[Ed Peters]

I'm saving money for dust collection next... my shopvac setup leaves a lot to be desired !

waiting on your dust collector, you might consider adding a secondary collector in line with your vacuum to make it's life a little easier (assuming you don't already have one). This will collect the larger chips in a 30 gallon garbage can while sending the dust on to the vacuum. By adding a bag to your vacuum, you don't have to worry about the pleated filter becoming blinded by dust or the vacuum returning dust to your air. A good enough system for weekenders.

Ed

[Phil Thien]

Good questions. Then answer is that all the processes are the same for both tools. Fronts and backs are run through the tooling horizontally in as large a blank as you are comfortable with. Sides are run through vertically in blanks as well.

Ed

But I think there is a difference. He doesn't have to worry about whether a piece will be a front/back/side. He runs a single piece through the bit twice, then chops that piece into the correct heights for each drawer.

I think his method actually does save steps and reduces the chance of errors.

[John Lucas]

Tim,
Very nice use of the lock miter bit. Your power feeder helps a great deal. This bit is way better than the drawer lock bit. More glue surface and better lock between the two pieces. I do think scoring the inside cut line makes sense. You get the most chipout when you have chatter. Taking both horizontal and vertical cuts in two passes can help.



Here is a two page step by step of this joint: http://www.woodshopdemos.com/cmt-lm5.htm

[Tim Lynch]

John, thanks for the setup tutorial... nice and concise. I've made some nice joints in hardwood like you show in your photo and they definitely come out cleaner; this was my first attempt with plywood. I may have to think up some other projects to use this bit for.

[Ed Peters]

But I think there is a difference. He doesn't have to worry about whether a piece will be a front/back/side. He runs a single piece through the bit twice, then chops that piece into the correct heights for each drawer.

I think his method actually does save steps and reduces the chance of errors.

that this is incorrect. For both tools, the ends (front and back) are sent through the tool horizontally, in full contact with the table. The sides are sent through vertically taking most of their support from the fence. The fact that the parts are processed in multi-piece blanks does not change this. When a blank is cut down it only makes either sides or ends. That is at least my understanding.

Ed

[Phil Thien]

that this is incorrect. For both tools, the ends (front and back) are sent through the tool horizontally, in full contact with the table. The sides are sent through vertically taking most of their support from the fence. The fact that the parts are processed in multi-piece blanks does not change this. When a blank is cut down it only makes either sides or ends. That is at least my understanding.

Ed

I don't think so. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but he is doing something a little different. Each "side" of his drawer can be a left, right, front, or back. Each of the four pieces of his draw has the horizontal milling on the left, and the vertical milling on the right.

I suppose you could accomplish the same thing w/ the drawer bit, but it wouldn't look right. With the lock miter it is hardly noticeable.

[Tim Lynch]

No, actually both ends of the drawer fronts and backs are run through horizontally and both ends of the sides are run vertically.

This accomplishes two things: the mechanical strength of the joint is oriented to resist the push and pull of the drawer front; and clamping requires clamps in only one direction, which is across the drawer sides.

[Phil Thien]

No, actually both ends of the drawer fronts and backs are run through horizontally and both ends of the sides are run vertically.

This accomplishes two things: the mechanical strength of the joint is oriented to resist the push and pull of the drawer front; and clamping requires clamps in only one direction, which is across the drawer sides.

Ohhh. My apologies for the confusion, I completely misunderstood.