# home made drawers



## mcoyfrog (Jul 23, 2008)

Hey all

I'm designing a table with drawers and would like some ideas on what you all think is the best drawers NOT using any hardware. I'm looking for the smoothest working I can get. Not going to be a whole lot of weight in them only going to be about 14"x16"x3" deep. Probably going to make them out of pine or cedar so they are light.

If I go with a simple rail system how often would I want to wax them to keep them running smooth, or maybe some kind of really neat engineered something something LOL

Anyway let me know your ideas, and hope you all had a great christmas and happy new year..


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

You make a hole for the drawer with parallel web 
frames top and bottom. They have to be parallel
and flat. The sides have to be parallel and square
to the front.

From that point you can make the drawer by fitting
all 4 sides individually to the hole.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

Dado a stopped slot in the sides of the drawer and screw runners to the inside of the carcase for the drawers to run on.


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## mcoyfrog (Jul 23, 2008)

both great idea's thanks.

Loren have you made or used this type of drawer b4 I interested in seeing some plans.


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## mcoyfrog (Jul 23, 2008)

Hey Bondo

When doing this I find wood swells with weather do you know of a way to keep this from hindering drawer movement


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

Yes, you have to be careful and pay attention to wood movement. First allow for a little wood movement by cutting the runners a little narrower than the dados so that the drawer runs on the top of the runner. A 1/16 to 1/8 should be sufficient. Secondly use quarter sawn material for the runners. Quarter sawn has roughly half the movement potential of plane sawn.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

there's always the shop made dovetails slides:
http://lumberjocks.com/gfixler/blog/13478


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

I've used undermount dovetail slides with pretty good success. But the dovetail channel doesn't have to be thick, if you make it 2 part. You don't even have to use a dovetail router bit. Just cut the separate sides to whatever angle you like on the TS, then mount front and rear (you'll need to put a ledge in the back to support that end). The male part is also cut on the TS and fastens to the bottom of the drawer. I like to use a hard, smooth wood like maple. Wax them up good so they slide easily. The nice thing about this is you have some adjustability to vary the tightness of the fit. This only works if you have dividers or a face frame under the drawer. For wider drawers, I have doubled up on these.
I heard about a guy that took great pride in the precision of his woodworking. Built a beautiful chest of drawers with perfect fits. Then everything swelled up and he was never able to get those drawers open again. True story! I, fortunately, don't have the skill to be that precise.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

http://forums.finewoodworking.com/fine-woodworking-knots/general-discussion/drawer-fitting


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## mcoyfrog (Jul 23, 2008)

Thanks again folks

I'm working on a design in sketchup now and will post it when I'm closer to done.

Bondo- didn't know that 1/4sawn was more stable thanks thats a good thing to know

Purp- thought about doing dovetail but I really suck at them. On a side note I got a dove tail jig last summer and still haven't figured out how to use it, I think I have some parts missing it just doesn't seem logical with the pieces I have.

Loren-kewl thanks I'll read that tonight when I get home and have some more time.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

Is your reason for not wanting hardware because you don't want to see the slides? Wood slides require maintenance. Even so, they stick and bind. I have used sliding wood dovetail products, and they just don't compare to centermount hardware. You can fully conceal centermount slides.
Good luck whatever you decide!


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## mcoyfrog (Jul 23, 2008)

no real reason Willie just want to, i have a bunch of side mount drawer pulls out in the barn that i got for free or close to nothing when I was working at a thrift type store. They would get lots of furniture and when it wouldn't sell for a long time they would take it to the dump to be recycled so I had the task of breaking them down, any hardware was mine woot woot.

But anyway I just want to make a non-hardware kinda table for our gaming and see how it goes.

I have some sketchup models I'll post later i just didn't get time the other night to export the pics.

thanks for the comment


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## mcoyfrog (Jul 23, 2008)

table has 6 drawers and legs will fold up so I can lean it up out of the way, haven't got all the leg locks figured out yet, also the drawers will have locks to keep them from flying open, more to engineer still. Top has a bit of a lip so dice don't go rolling off. Let me know what ya think.


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## longgone (May 5, 2009)

I have used this UHMW tape numerous times and it works great.

http://www.amazon.com/CS-Hyde-Polyethylene-Rubber-Adhesive/dp/B000REGUE4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357879953&sr=8-1&keywords=uhmw+tape


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

As stated above, UHMW tape and buttons under the drawer sides in the front of the frame takes the weight off of the slides.


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## mcoyfrog (Jul 23, 2008)

That looks like just the thing for this. Thanks guys


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