DIY Network

Contemporary Night-Table: Drawer Assembly From "Wood Works" episode WWK-701

In this episode of Wood Works, David Marks fashions a night table, with a contemporary curved form, from English sycamore. In this segment, he creates the drawer for the table. The drawer features a curved faceplate and is assembled using dovetail joinery.

Materials used in this episode:

Sycamore stock
1/4" plywood for templates
MDF for templates
Table saw; cross-cut sled
Jointer
Hand-held plunge router
Random-orbit sander
Biscuit jointer
Cordless drill
Band saw
Drill press
Table router; flush-trim bit; 1-1/4" radius bit
Jointer plane
Sharp chisel
Hand scraper
Pattern-maker's rasp
Wood file
Dead-blow hammer
Clamps
Slow-setting plastic resin glue
220-grit sandpaper
Wood screws
Wood finish
Paintbrushes
Straight-edge
Carpenter's square
Blue carpenter's tape
Carpenter's pencil
Safety glasses or goggles

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The Drawer Stock

As seen in the prototype, the drawer runs the entire inside width of the table, and is exactly the same height as the back support-rail -- 4-1/4". The drawer-front has a curved, convex face (figure A) and carved curves that mimic that of the feet (figure B).

Figure A

Figure C

Figure C

The stock for the drawer (figure C) includes:

• Two sides and a back made from 5/8" maple;
  
• A front piece from 1" sycamore; and
  
• A bottom of 1/4" maple plywood

To join the drawer pieces together, sliding dovetails are cut. This is a strong joint, and especially suitable for drawers which get a lot of handling and wear.

• To lay out the marks for the sliding-dovetail joints, measure 1/2" from the edge (figure D) and draw a line in the center of the side stock (figure E).

  Figure D

  Figure E

  
  

  
  

• Using a 3/8" dovetail bit set to a depth of 3/8", route two tails in the front-face stock (figure F) and one tail in each piece of the side drawer-stock (figure G). Note (in figure A) that we used a backup board to support the stock and minimize chip-out when routing the tails.

  Figure F

  Figure G

  
  

  
  

• Next, cut a matching pin in the front-ends of the two side drawer-pieces. To do this, bury the bit in the fence so that only half of it is exposed (figure H).

• Cut one side, then flip the stock and make a second pass to create the pins (figure I).

  Figure H

  Figure I

  
  

  
  

• Dry-fit the drawer-front with the two sides by sliding the pins into the tails (figure J).

• Then cut the pins on the ends of the drawer-back (figure K).

• Using a dead-blow hammer, tap the drawer-back into place.

  Figure J

  Figure K

  
  

• Using a curved template made from MDF, lay out the curve that will be cut into the drawer face. Place the template over three sides for support, then line up the center-line and trace on the curved shape (figure L).

• Before actually cutting the curve, the mortise for the drawer-pull should be cut. We made our drawer-pull from grenadillo, a dark, tropical hardwood from Central America. We centered the pull 1-1/2" down from the top of the drawer-front (figure M).

  Figure L

  Figure M

  
  

  
  

• Use a plunge router to make a mortise 4-3/4" long x 1/4" wide x 3/8" deep. Use a sharp chisel to square the corners of the mortise (figure N).

• Now you're ready to cut the curve in the drawer-face using the band saw (figure O).

  Wood Works Tip: When using a band saw to cut a curve in a narrow piece of stock, attach the piece of stock to a larger block with double-stick tape. This will help stabilize the stock and make it safer to cut.

  Figure N

  Figure O

  
  

  
  

• With the convex curve cut in the faceplate, you can now cut the decorative curve to the bottom of the face. Use the same flexible template used earlier to cut the curves in the feet to trace the curves onto the drawer-front (figure P).

• Cut the curves at the band saw (figure Q), using your lines as a guide.

• Clean up the saw-marks on the face by scraping and sanding. For sanding, start with 80-grit and work up to 220-grit.

  Figure P

  Figure Q

  
  

• At the router table, use a 3/16" bit to cut through-dados in the sides and a stop-dado in the front piece (figure S).

  Figure R

  Figure S

  
  

  
  

• At the table saw, rip the drawer-back to 3-1/4" wide to accommodate the bottom panel.

• At the router table, use the drawer-runner spacer used earlier, adjust the fence of the router table but subtract 1/32". This width will allow the drawer to ride smoothly without binding.

• Now you can rout a 3/4"-thick dado, 1/8" deep, in the two drawer sides (figure T).

• Finally, you can dry-fit all the pieces of the drawer, including the bottom panel that sides into the dado (figure U).

  Figure T

  Figure U

  
  

  Figure V

• With the drawer assembled, check the fit in the table (figure V). You may find that you need to do a little planing, sanding or scraping to get a perfect fit.

• Once the fit is to your liking, disassemble the pieces and glue up the drawer using a slow-setting glue.

RESOURCES :

The Small Wood Shop (The Best of Fine Woodworking)
Author: Helen Albert (Editor)
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561580619

Woodworking Techniques: Best Methods for Building Furniture from Fine Woodworking
Author: Editors of Fine Woodworking magazine
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561583456

David Marks Website
David Marks, DIY's Wood Works host, is a master woodworker. For more information on cut sizes and project details, please contact him via his Website at www.djmarks.com

Woodworker's Guide to Wood: Softwoods, Hardwoods, Plywoods, Composite, Veneers
Model: 080836878
Author: Rick Peters
(2000)
Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.
Website: www.sterlingpub.com

Fine Woodworking
A magazine devoted to high-quality craftsmanship in woodworking.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com