Thread: CMT drawer lock bit (51 mm)

I find the CMT drawer lock bit a useful tool for making drawers in run-of-the mill furniture which doesn't merit the time and effort required for building dovetailed drawers. I thought I would mention a few tips for setting the bit up, since an accurate setup is essential in order to achieve a neat, well-fitting joint. First you need to make a tallish auxiliary fence for the router table out of a piece of 18 mm MDF with a 13 x 55 mm alcove in its bottom edge to provide clearance for the bit. After clamping the auxiliary fence to the regular fence, adjust the bit height so that the top of the cutter is 12 mm above the table surface. A rabbet needs to be cut on the inside side edges of the drawer front to remove the bulk of the waste before using the drawer lock bit. The rabbet should be the same width as the drawer sides, and 11 mm deep.

To cut the joint on the side edge of the drawer front, the fence is adjusted so that the bit projects from the fence the same distance as the thickness of the drawer sides. The drawer front is laid on the router table with its inside face down and its side edge against the fence. To keep the drawer front square to the fence, use a square piece of MDF to push the drawer front past the cutter, holding the edge of the drawer front hard against the fence.

To make the corresponding joint in the drawer side, the fence is adjusted so that the cutter projects just 3.2 mm from the fence. The drawer side is fed past the cutter on end, with its inside face against the fence. It is best to use a feather board to hold the workpiece tight against the fence, and to use a push stick to feed it, to prevent the possibility of your fingers getting into the danger zone around the cutter.

Rocker