Any advatage?

[ironhat]

Is there any advantage or disadvntage to building a drawer and adding a false, overlaid (fully exposed edges) front as opposed to building the same type of edge exposure but making the front as part of the box. I'd be using a dovetail-dado to attach the front to the sides. The reason I'm leaning more to the second is the fact that I don't yet have a dovetail jig and, secondly the sides are 14" high and ost jigs are 12". I do have a drawer-lock bit but that thing has a lot of mass and it scares me a bit. I haven't gotten a good joint out of it as yet because it intimidates me - wrenched a wrist in a kickback.

TIA,
Chiz

[JR]

The advantage to building a false-front drawer is that you can build the box and install it, pretty much ignoring the fit of the front. You just place the front on the installed drawer, line it up, and screw it on. On the down side I've had some problems with fronts coming loose over time.

Making the front integral to to box means the whole asembly needs to be square AND it must get installed square. IMO the complexity goes way up. OTOH, the finished product is solid as a rock - "Top Drawer", if you will.

JR

[cabinetman]

I lean towards the separate drawer front. Included in the reasoning that JR used is that a damaged front is much easier to replace, and you're not doing joint machining on a piece that will be an ultimate face (less handling) and finer adjustments can be made in alignment.

For doing joints on a box that size you could do box joints, or rabbeted joints (either with a router, or TS).

[L. D. Jeffries]

I'll have to go along with cabinetman and JR. Built quite a few drawers and its far easier to build the box then add the front. Don't matter if its an overlap front or "to fit the opening" type. That's my 2 cents worth.

[ironhat]

OK, obvious inexperience talking, here. I can see the ability to make perfectly aligned drawer fronts even if the drawers themselves are not quite level but how do you secure the front to the drawer while everything is in perfect alignment? (Heck, how would I hold them until I would secure them?) You wouldn't want holes in the front or do you use the holes of the drawer pulls (before they are installed, of course) to secure the front to the drawer (that just came to mind but doesn't mean it's right).
Thanks for the input so far!
Chiz

[Tom Miller]

I do have a drawer-lock bit but that thing has a lot of mass and it scares me a bit. I haven't gotten a good joint out of it as yet because it intimidates me - wrenched a wrist in a kickback.

Are you using that bit in a router table or handheld. If the latter, do the former.

Another advantage for adding a false front: you can make a non-stopped dado in the sides for the drawer bottom, and the false front will cover it up.

Regards,
Tom

[ironhat]

I hadn't thought about the drawer bottom dado - haven't built a drawer since 1977. No kidding, I actually remember. As for the use of box joints per cab.man, I guess it's a chance to build another skill. I'll have to investigate that.

[RodKirby]

OK, obvious inexperience talking, here. I can see the ability to make perfectly aligned drawer fronts even if the drawers themselves are not quite level but how do you secure the front to the drawer while everything is in perfect alignment? (Heck, how would I hold them until I would secure them?) You wouldn't want holes in the front or do you use the holes of the drawer pulls (before they are installed, of course) to secure the front to the drawer (that just came to mind but doesn't mean it's right).
Thanks for the input so far!
Chiz

THIN double sided tape I guess I've done about 40 drawers like that.

Pre-drill 4 screw holes in the box front first. Clamp to (say) your bench to screw in.

[RayintheUK]

THIN double sided tape I guess I've done about 40 drawers like that.

Pre-drill 4 screw holes in the box front first. Clamp to (say) your bench to screw in.

Then make sure that the handles or pulls screw right through into the box, not just into the false front. That way, the pull is operating on the drawer box, putting no stress on the false front fixings.

Ray.

[RodKirby]

Then make sure that the handles or pulls screw right through into the box, not just into the false front. That way, the pull is operating on the drawer box, putting no stress on the false front fixings.

Ray.

What the man said -AND- locate and drill the hole/s for the pulls, thru the front before attaching to the drawer. That way you just have to complete the hole/s

[cabinetman]

This is a handy little connector. It's called a "drawer front adjuster". It gets mounted (pressed in) in a round mortise in the back of the drawer front. One screw holds the drawer front in place and there is a movable action within the adjuster that allows the front to be positioned and then tightened up with the one screw. It will hold until other mounting screws are installed.

[drumpriest]

I just drill the holes for the hardware a touch oversize, then I screw the face on snug enough that it won't move on its own, but I can push it to move it. Once in proper position, I tighten the screws a bit, check for position, then drive a pair of screws from the inside of the drawer into the face. Then take it all apart, apply glue, and put it back together. After the glue dries, you can remove the screws that were driven in to hold the position (I use kreg screws for this task).

[ironhat]

Thanks, folks! I get it and have a plan in mind from set-up to glue-up. Now, I'll work out the jointery and the planning will be solid.

Thanks again,
Chiz

[JimD]

I use the oversized hole routine sometimes but my favorite way to align the front is to shoot a few brads through from the inside that do not go all the way through. Then I drill the hole for the pull and use it to pull both pieces together.

You can minimize alignment issues when you are not using a false front by making the drawer front overlap the opening - do not make an inset drawer but an overlay drawer. Typically the part that overlays is 1/2 or less of the front thickness and the sliding dovetail joint is in the back portion (and you then do not have to worry about going all the way through with the female side of the sliding dovetail. You could even leave some extra material on the part that will be outside the carcass of the front to trim visually square after assembly.

The best way to make drawers IMHO is machined dovetails. Hand cut are nicer but take too long. Other joints take as long and are not as nice. Harbor Freight has their jig on sale for $30 again. It will only do a 12 inch drawer but that is a pretty deep drawer.

Jim