Thread: Rookie mistake - looking for fix options

you need hardwood runners attached to the table on either side of the drawer cavity. You would have to build something to support them. for a drawer that size they probably need to stick out into the drawer cavity by 6-8mm then cut a rebate just wider than the runners in the right place for the drawer to slide in the runners.

Adding in the supports for the runners may be the challenging part without spoiling the elegant lines of piece but with a bit of trial and error I think it would be possible.

As for stopping the drawer in the table. once the drawer is fitted, turn the table upside down and screw a stop block onto the bottom of the drawer touching the inside of the back rail. this will stop the drawer from being closed too far and will also stop the drawer from being pulled right out. the width of the stop block will determine how far out the drawer can be pulled.

Thats one way

Doug

G'day Scott,

First off, good job on the table & Drawer. Are the joints M&T ?

OK, I'm assuming the drawer fits in but no room for slides. Well, not a problem, Fix a couple of runners in the frame & let the drawer run on them. I would use Hard wood runners & if you wax them up it should run quite smooth. To stop the drawer from pulling right out, attatch a tab on a screw to the inside top front of the drawer cavity in the center, on a looseish screw so it naturally hangs down. Tilt it up to put your drawer in & when it drops it will stop the drawer from pulling out.

Just a tip, looking at the end grain of your top, it's a good idea to try and arrange the boards so the end grain is over on one & under on the next etc. It looks like you have done this on some of the boards, but not others.

I only mention this in case you were unaware of it, as it helps to keep the table flat. Having said that, I have done exactly what you have done on occasions, because the colour or grain looked better that way. Some times the rules don't work with the timber, maybe it's because timer can't read the rule book.

Anyway Scott, I hope this helps.

Steve

You beat me to to punch Doug but I'm glad to see members helping out anyway.

Steve

Originally Posted by Ticky

You beat me to to punch Doug but I'm glad to see members helping out anyway.

Steve

Hi Steve, I was also going to mention the wax on the runners and the orientation of the boards on the table top but I thought it best to keep it simple. They are good points though and I am sure many arent aware of it. the same as arranging the grain on the legs so that the corner that was closest to the centre of the tree is closest to the centre of the table. I will stop now before we hijack the thread into a full on discussion of grain orientation.

cheers

Doug

Thanks guys.

Ticky the joints are joined with dowell. I wanted to try M & T but chickened out ! Too afraid I'd stuff it up. Will definately have a crack on the next little project though.

By runners, do you mean i would plow a dado the length of the bottom rails of the drawer (well a stopped dado from the front i guess) & have it run on the (waxed) hardwood runners attached inside the 2 legs of the table ?


Doug the KISS theory stands for Keep It Simple Scott !!

Originally Posted by Ozziespur

Thanks guys.

Ticky the joints are joined with dowell. I wanted to try M & T but chickened out ! Too afraid I'd stuff it up. Will definately have a crack on the next little project though.

By runners, do you mean i would plow a dado the length of the bottom rails of the drawer (well a stopped dado from the front i guess) & have it run on the (waxed) hardwood runners attached inside the 2 legs of the table ?


Doug the KISS theory stands for Keep It Simple Scott !!

Dowel joints are find Scott. I actually would rather do mortise and tennon any day. I just think that there is less that can go wrong.

I was not going to talk about stopped dados for the sake of simplicity but since you understand the concept, lets do it that way! With a stopped dado the drawer front need not have the dado exposed which will help maintain the elegant lines of the piece to which I referred in an earlier post.

I do not know what tools you have so it is hard to go step by step from here. you would need to cut a stopped dado leaving the drawer front intact, probably about central on the bottom rail. lets make it a theoretical 13mm (1/2") square runner and you mount it into the legs of the table at the same height as the dados you cut in the drawer sides setting them into dados you cut to about half their thickness so half the runner is protruding. then cut the stopped dado into the bottom rails of the drawer sides, making sure that there is at least 1mm clearance to allow the timber to move and make sure the drawer does not get stuck.

And yes, Keep it super simple. There are many sad people on this planet for no other reason than that they lost sight of the KISS principle

If you need further assistance please feel free to ask.

Doug

Edit: You cant go wrong if you always remember the KISS principle and the 7 P's

Im lucky if I get about 5 out of 7 Doug but still we try.

Steve

Hey Scott,

I used Dowels before I plucked up the courage to try M&T's as well, but these days I find the M&T's are so easy & strong. I use a router for the Mortises, but my brother prefers a Motising machine.

Usually, I just do them on my Router table, but I recently built a Mortising Jig from Woodsmith Mag that is ideal if you have several to do that are the same size & distance from the edge of the timber. Left & Right is as simple as turning the piece of timber.

Easy to set up the first one & for all the rest, you just need a centre line across the mortice position. easy.

Tennons I do on the table saw & round off roughly with a sharp chisel in the vice to suit the routed mortise.

Not so scary after the first one.


Steve

Originally Posted by Ticky

Im lucky if I get about 5 out of 7 Doug but still we try.

Steve

not sure if I follow you here, Steve

If you are referring to the 7 Ps there has to be at least 7, the eighth is optional and generally regarded as a cop-out. can you elaborate?

Yes Doug, of course, you are correct. all 7 are essential, but sadly, sometimes my Planning & Preperation let me down.

This does throw the whole shooting match out the window doesn't it.

Proper Planning & Preperation Prevent Poor Performance.

So in reality, I guess even when I fail misserably, I still opperate under the 7 P's rule.

Poor Preperation & Planning Promotes Poor Performance.

Either statement is in fact correct, but I have always understood the first statement to me the rule of 7 P's.

But I must admit Doug, you have thrown me a curve with your 8th P. You have me ..... Perplexed


Steve


Just thought of another one...

Poor Preperation & Planning Prevent Proper Performance.

Originally Posted by Ticky

Either statement is in fact correct, but I have always understood the first statement to me the rule of 7 P's.

But I must admit Doug, you have thrown me a curve with your 8th P. You have me ..... Perplexed

You have to fit a "Probably" in at the appropriate spot. I gave a big clue when I said it was generally regarded as a cop-out

Cheers

Doug

I never would have got that one Doug. It took me twenty minutes to come up with Perplexed.


Sorry Scott, we seem to have gone off on a bit of a tangent, a ... Peculiar Path

Originally Posted by doug3030

Dowel joints are find Scott. I actually would rather do mortise and tennon any day. I just think that there is less that can go wrong.

I was not going to talk about stopped dados for the sake of simplicity but since you understand the concept, lets do it that way! With a stopped dado the drawer front need not have the dado exposed which will help maintain the elegant lines of the piece to which I referred in an earlier post.

I do not know what tools you have so it is hard to go step by step from here. you would need to cut a stopped dado leaving the drawer front intact, probably about central on the bottom rail. lets make it a theoretical 13mm (1/2") square runner and you mount it into the legs of the table at the same height as the dados you cut in the drawer sides setting them into dados you cut to about half their thickness so half the runner is protruding. then cut the stopped dado into the bottom rails of the drawer sides, making sure that there is at least 1mm clearance to allow the timber to move and make sure the drawer does not get stuck.

And yes, Keep it super simple. There are many sad people on this planet for no other reason than that they lost sight of the KISS principle

If you need further assistance please feel free to ask.

Doug

Edit: You cant go wrong if you always remember the KISS principle and the 7 P's

Hand tools Doug ( I am slowly accumulating some nice quality hand tools). Thus far i have only used hand tools for this project and will continue in that fashion. I was thinking of running rails on both the bottom & the top sides of the drawer for extra strength & stability. I'm still not sure how to stop the drawer as there is no bottom in the table it'd have to be fashioned along the sides somehow (if you understand what i mean).

Ticky the biggest P i have a problem with is Patience !

Originally Posted by Ozziespur

I'm still not sure how to stop the drawer as there is no bottom in the table it'd have to be fashioned along the sides somehow (if you understand what i mean).

I am not sure now that you understood my original post on stopping the drawer. I telys on there being no bottom under the drawer, just the front and back lower rails.... The stop block sits under the drawer, screwed to the bottom o fthe drawer so that when the drawer is shut it it is in contact with teh rail on the back of the table, and when you pull the drawer out it sops the drawer when it hits the inside of the lower front rail. I hope that makes it clear.