Popular Woodworking 2005-12 № 152, страница 66

Constructing Lipped Drawers

TALL CHEST:

The key to quality work is to fit the

parts before assembly and to pay close attention to the fine details.

Few things speak of craftsmanship like a fine drawer. Flawless dovetails, crisp, yet mildly textured hand-planed surfaces, and a smooth, precise fit all say "it's handmade." Making fine drawers requires sharp, well-tuned hand tools, careful measurements and a concentration of effort. It's both challenging and a great source of personal satisfaction.

When speaking of drawers, there are generally two types that are used in fine furniture: flush and lipped. A third drawer type, overlay, is typically reserved for use in kitchen and shop cabinets where the work is often not as detailed.

The front of a flush-fitting drawer, sometimes referred to as an inset drawer, is flush with the surrounding casework when closed. However, a lipped drawer has a small overhang, or lip, which overlaps the opening. The lip is created by cutting a shallow rabbet along the ends and top edge. Like an overlay drawer, the front of a lipped drawer conceals the opening. However, unlike an overlay drawer, most of the thickness of a lipped drawer is contained within

the opening when the drawer is closed. This gives the drawer front an appearance of thinness and refinement. And, like a flush drawer, a lipped drawer must be carefully constructed to fit the opening in the case.

When constructing a flush drawer I build it to the same dimensions as the opening. After assembly, I carefully shave it to fit with a sharp plane. By carefully removing just a few shavings at a time, the drawer can be adjusted to fit minor discrepancies in the opening. The result is a precise fit and a uniform reveal around the perimeter of the drawer front. And, of course, the drawer should open and close effortlessly without the slightest hint of binding.

When constructing a lipped

drawer the goals are much the same. However, because the lip prohibits hand planing of the sides after assembly, much of the fitting of a lipped drawer must be performed before assembly. The key is to first fit the drawer front and then make the corresponding sides and back to match.

First Mill the Parts

When constructing lipped drawers, I always begin with careful measurements of the case opening and then add for the lip. I add ¹⁵/32" to the length and ⁷/32" to the height. Then I mill the drawer fronts to size and shape a V4" rabbet to create a lip. Afterward, I test the fit by placing the drawer front in its opening and, if necessary, I'll use a shoulder plane to

fine-tune the fit. Although the lip will hide the space between the drawer front and the opening, too large of a space will create the feeling of a sloppy fit. Using the above measurements yields V64" on each side of the drawer and ¹/32" at the top. These measurements work well for full-scale drawers which fit within large casework, such as the chest featured in the last issue of Popular Woodworking (#151). When making diminutive drawers I reduce the tolerances to Vm" on each side. Although it may sound tedious, the key, as mentioned earlier, is to first carefully fit the drawer front.

Here's how: To fit the front I first measure the length of the drawer opening. For example, using a round number, 12", I add ¹⁵/32" for the lip which creates a total length of 12¹⁵/32". Next, I use the router table to cut a V4" rabbet on each end. This reduces the length of the drawer front (at the rabbets) to 11³¹/32". Notice that the total is V32" less than the opening, which creates V64" of clearance on each side.

Next I measure the height of the opening and add ⁷/32". Cut

by Lonnie Bird

Lonnie is the author of "The Complete Illustrated Guide to Using Woodworking Tools" (The Taunton Press) and teaches woodworking. You can learn more about his classes online at lonniebird.com.

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