# Drawer face construction



## cburdick1 (Jan 22, 2010)

Hello all.

I'm constructing a built-in office piece for our kitchen and I'm going to try and match the existing cabinetry drawer style. See picture below:










I'm not an expert at making profiled drawer pieces, so I'm unsure as to the best way to handle the construction of that interior 1/4 round profile. Generally, I cut the Dado for the panel from top to bottom on the stiles and then cut tenons in the rails to fit the channel in the stile (the panel rides in the same channel as well). My first thought would be to cut the pieces to size, rout the 1/4 round profile in the stiles and rails, cut the tenons etc and then miter only the 1/4 profile to fit. (parts view below)










My concern is getting a sloppy fit on that 1/4 round profile. Is there a simpler way to do this?

Thanks!

-CB


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The easiest way to make a drawer front like that is just to make a tongue and groove frame like you have illustrated except without the molded edge. After it is assembled and sanded the molding can be mitered and applied last.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

What are the sizes of the drawer fronts? For small (in height), they usually are made as just a solid panel. For sizes like a file drawer front, a R&S looks good. For what you're doing it might be just as easy to make the drawer and then just add the moulding like an afterthought.








 







.


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## cburdick1 (Jan 22, 2010)

I've thought about adding the moulding after the face. That may well be the easiest method. As for slab fronts, I'd go that route, but the rest of the kitchen cabinets don't have slab fronts, so That's not the way to go.


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

There are cope and rail bits with 1/4 round profiles. These will make the drawer fronts as well as doors.


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## mics_54 (Oct 28, 2008)

Cope and Stick


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

If you don't have a router set to do the cope and stick then you can always do a haunch cut.

This is with a bead profile, but you could as easily use a round over with a shoulder.


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## wooddude (Jun 14, 2011)

nice job leo i believe thats called "sticking".the woodwisperer has a tutorial of sticking on youtube


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## RogerInColorado (Jan 16, 2013)

Steve Neul said:


> The easiest way to make a drawer front like that is just to make a tongue and groove frame like you have illustrated except without the molded edge. After it is assembled and sanded the molding can be mitered and applied last.


In my experience, this is not only the easiest, it provides the best result and ends up being the least expensive. If you make the bead as part of the rail / style parts, one slip with the chisel while making the miter on a bead and you have a scrap rail or stile. Mitering quarter round after the fact? Make more than you need and the scrap won't cost you much in material OR time. If nothing else, its a great excuse to buy a pinner.


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## cburdick1 (Jan 22, 2010)

Right. I had kicked around the idea of adding the 1/4 round after the drawer face was constructed, but was concerned about wood movement differences between the ply panel and the rails / stiles. The drawer fronts are going to be really small so that shouldn't be an issue.

Thanks everyone!


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

cburdick1 said:


> Right. I had kicked around the idea of adding the 1/4 round after the drawer face was constructed, but was concerned about wood movement differences between the ply panel and the rails / stiles. The drawer fronts are going to be really small so that shouldn't be an issue.
> 
> Thanks everyone!


 With plywood panels you can glue them in the frame so there shouldn't be enough movement to worry about. 

I thought you might be interested in the back of a cabinet I'm currently building that has the same construction. The trim was just applied to the openings after the back was built with glue only.


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## willbess08 (Jul 5, 2012)

Leo I had a guy ask me how to do what you did on those doors, he needed a different inside bead and didnt want to buy the 200 door bit set from Freud, can you post more info ie how to know where to cut the 45? also I searched for the wood whisperer vid but couldnt find it, if someone would post the link I would be most appreciative!! thanks


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Everything is just based on the corner.

On the rail the miter is started at the bottom corner. You set the tablesaw at 45 and raise the blade so it doesn't take out any of the tongue and set the fence up so it just comes to a point at the corner.

For the stile you have to measure the width of the flat area and draw a line on the stile. At the intersection of the shoulder and the line is where the angle of the intersect meets. Then you have to set the height of the TS set at 45 to be perfect with the shoulder of the profile. There is two ways to clean out the cut. You can do two cuts, one being a stop cut and the other being a shaving cut. The stop cut is quicker but you have to do a little hand sawing to make the miter joint square (because the blase is round). The shaving cut you just put the stile against a miter fence and make the first cut that forms the 45 degree cut. Then you move the pc so it it just touching the blade and push it sideways across the blade until it hits the fence, then you push the pc a little bit more into the blade and move the pc sideways along the miter fence again. You keep repeating this until all the wood is gone. It's messy and kinda slow. Make sure your last passes are slow to keep the area aa smooth as possible. This way there is no hand work.

Wish I had a video.


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## wooddude (Jun 14, 2011)

ok couldnt find the sticking video by woodwhisper,but found another one by chad stanton,just type in mitered sticking parts 1+2


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## willbess08 (Jul 5, 2012)

will do, thanks!


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