Not a lot of progress since the last entry but I have decided to go with simple box drawers with lock rabbeted joints.
I watched a video from Wood Magazine where they conducted strength tests on various joints. They concluded that the half lap, finger, and rabbeted joints were the strongest, stronger apparently than a dovetail for a drawer box. And it’s a lot simpler. So it may not be as cool as dovetails but I think it will be more than strong enough and will be quite a bit faster and easier to execute.
Here’s another quick video from Wood Magazine on creating lock rabbet drawers. In this video they say explicitly that their tests show the lock rabbet is stronger than half blind dovetails. This video shows a pretty dirt simple method to setup and cut lock rabbet joints.
The drawers are all the same foot print and only vary in the height. All of the joinery can be cut with a single setup. Basically it’s a series of quarter inch grooves and dados in some half inch material. The joints can be cut on either the table saw with a 1/4 inch dado stack or on the router table with a 1/4 inch bit.
All of the drawer bottoms are identical. All can be cut at the same time with the same setup.
4 comments so far
snowdog
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808 posts in 875 days
posted 408 days ago
I like these joints and have tried them on several draws in the past few months. Someday I’ll try a hand cut dove tail .. someday :)
-- "so much to learn and so little time"..
OutPutter
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320 posts in 883 days
posted 408 days ago
coloradoclimber,
I don’t see a lot of drawer failures in my experience. I guess things with drawers usually have other weak points like legs or edge glued tops or something. So, you might as well go with the easiest one you think fits your project huh? I saw the cover of Fine Woodworking and they have a set of drawers and each is constructed with a different joint. Cool! Good luck with your router table project.
-- Jim
Woodbutchery
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80 posts in 478 days
posted 408 days ago
I’m all for utility where I can use it.
-- Making scrap with zen-like precision - Woodbutchery
3fingerpat
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905 posts in 560 days
posted 407 days ago
I used this joint when I built a cabinet for my wife’s sewing items, but mine used the router table method. I think the plans I used came from ShopNotes and I had to build a jig but it was dirt simple and only required turning around a moveable fence to change the position of the cut on the boards. It worked great for what I needed, since I had no intention of using dovetails for such small drawers. Your idea is sound, good luck!
-- "You get what you inspect, not what you expect"