Quick Drawers?

[nat_wheatley]

Suggestions for drawer construction, cutting parts from sheet stock on the CNC?

I generally use a metal drawer system on commercial work, but sometimes the job calls for ball bearing slides which require that I build (or outsource? drawer boxes.

I built a set today using blind dadoes that worked well, but the one drawback was that I couldn't machine the bottom dado on the fronts and backs. That would require machining those parts on 2 sides. I did the dadoes on the tablesaw, but I'd like to do it all on the Bot if possible.

Enjoy the turkey.

[Gary Campbell]

Nat...
I am not doing it now, but as soon as I add the 2nd spindle, I will add the draw bottom groove to my dovetail drawers. I will have to make a slightly different hold down, but will cut them on the jig: http://www.shopbottools.com/garysmusings.htm#Dovetail
Gary

[tkovacs]

Yeah - that jig is cool. It's on my list too.

[phil_o]

How do you get the bot to cut "off the table"? Isn't that beyond the extent of travel?

[Gary Campbell]

Phil...
My PRSa will cut close to 99" in the X. I set my hard stops & prox so that I now have close to 3" in the -X direction while maintaining over 96 in the plus. It takes some careful positioning of the table and the stops.

I just finished 168 mortise's in both the styles and ends of the rails on 14 3-0 x 8-0 x 1 3/4 maple doors. These were cut on the "new and improved" jig that allows larger pieces than the drawer jig in the article.
Gary

[nat_wheatley]

Gary,

I will give the jig a go for my solid wood drawers, but for these, which are generally melamine, I almost have to be able to set a sheet of material on the table, and pull off finished parts (aside from edgebanding) to be able to justify doing them in-house.

(BTW my vacuum motors are now mounted directly to the underside of my table...and working great. If only I'd followed your lead in the first place!?*#!)

[Gary Campbell]

Nat...
Wouldnt it be simpler to buy drawer sides? Dont get me wrong... I made the jig to cut down on outsourcing, but some things are more work than they are worth.

Glad to see that your vac is working. BTW... I got my info in late '06 or early '07 from a post by Robert Ball. He started the ball rolling... I decided to forget the noise and enjoy the vacuum.
Gary