Drawer construction

[Mark Singer]

The best sliding drawers I have made utilize "skis" at the bottom edges. This greatly reduces the wood surface contact area and alows for very smooth sliding. You must slightly undersize the drawer to allow for the "L" shapped skis to be applied. The final size should be about 1/16'" smaller than the drawer cabinet. This is where the real advantage is ...you can plane the "skis" to fit exactly when your fitting the drawer.
This technique can be used with any drawer construction : hand cut dovetails as shown, Kreg or routered joinery. They glide even nicer than the new Blum bottom glides. The skis are made on table saw and applied by gluing after the drawer is made.
The drawer faces are cut from a single piece of Bubinga to allow the grain to run continuous through all the drawers.
Mark

[Bob Smalser]

Very nice work....but I don't understand why traditionally-constructed drawers have the reputation of not sliding well.

When fitted correctly, and hardwood sides and rails lubed with paraffin wax, they slide just as easy and pull out just as far as those expensive, ball-bearing slides.

Even my heaviest file and tool drawers are all traditionally-constructed.

[Mark Singer]

Very nice work....but I don't understand why traditionally-constructed drawers have the reputation of not sliding well.

When fitted correctly, and hardwood sides and rails lubed with paraffin wax, they slide just as easy and pull out just as far as those expensive, ball-bearing slides.

Even my heaviest file and tool drawers are all traditionally-constructed.

Bob,
thanks, I agree and there are no ball bearings to come lose! In my closet I used the Acurrides, but when making furniture I almost always dovetail by hand and try to make them slide nice...It is like driving with a nice stickshift, you can't get that feel with an automatic..and if we are into fine woodworking we should celebrate the traditions that it rests on ...


Mark