Search This Blog

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Practice Drawer Front - I learn some things about my jig

Today I decided to prepare a practice curved drawer front.  I used some 8/4 African Mahogany from about 10 years ago which is not as expensive as the Genuine Mahogany.   I laid out the pattern on a piece of 8 1/2 inch by 4 inch by 1 3/4 inch block. This is the size required for each drawer front.

You can see the layout lines here and I have already started to cut out the shape

The corners on the front of the drawer were cut out with a table saw 1 1/4 inch across the front and 3/4  of an inch deep.
\

I used a dado on the table saw to cut 5/32 off of the sides to create the lip. An then I used the band saw to cut the curve on the front.


I also used the band saw to cut out the 3/4 curve in the back of the drawer front.  I did not have to remove this material.  If I leave it then my drawer bottoms are easier to make, since they would be flat across. If I remove the material in the back like in the picture below, then all the drawer bottoms would be curved.  I makes it a little more work. 


To put the 1/4 inch curve on the inside of the drawer front I use a jig and the router with a rubbing collar to cut out the curve.


It worked ok, but I am not satisfied with the curve that it cut.   Here I am test fitting the drawer front. You can see that there is a slight gap on the right side of the curve.


So I try it on another of the drawer positions.  Here it fits perfect.  So it looks like I am going to have to fiddle with the drawer shaping.


Tomorrow I will make another test drawer front and see it I can get it to fit flush on the other drawers.  I also need to clean it up and add a 1/4 inch round over molding around the drawer front.

So here is today's video:

5 comments:

  1. David,

    I would dovetail the drawer before cutting the back. This will allow you to hold the item easier. Also grooving for the bottom can be done with a wing cutter. In the period this was scribed and hogged out with a chisel. Most times the groove was deeper then needed in areas, for it is hard to control depth in the period.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great comment Freddy, I agree that it would be easier to dovetail before cutting out the back. I have used a wing cutter to cut the backs of other curved front drawers. So how would the period guys have put the round over on the fronts? With a carving chisel?

      Delete
  2. David,

    The round over could of been done in the period with the use of carving tools or scratch stock. or scratching it in with a scratch stock.

    ReplyDelete
  3. David,

    In the period they may have scribed the lip of the round over with a cutting gauge and then profile it with a carving tool or scratch stock.

    ReplyDelete