# Complex Drawer Joinery



## Locodcdude (Oct 24, 2010)

So I'm building this project out of some nice wood I have lying around the shop. It's basically a bent wood lamination clock with a drawer below the clock. For the drawer I wanted to do some complex joinery on. Not box joints, dado's, rabbets, lock miters, or anything basic. Even dovetails at this point is sort of on the basic side. The wood for the drawers I would presume to be about anywhere from 1/4" - 3/8" thick. I thought about doing a greene & greene style joint to join the corners. Any of you who don't know what that joint is like, it's basically a large dovetail that sits proud of the surface. I found this thing on FWW about drawers and how to make them, but it has all the "basic" joints. Has anyone ever used a more complex joint than dovetails or lock miters on drawers? If so, pictures would help loads.

Thank's everyone!


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## Corbin3388 (Jan 22, 2011)

This is a Green & Greene. How about an inlaid dovetail for difficulty? As far as joint complexity there are only so many ways to join something. Dovetails are by far the oldest joint type and are the only joint type that doesn't require a fasting agent ie. Glue or screw. That I know of.


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

....


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## Locodcdude (Oct 24, 2010)

I was looking at a few joints and I like the dovetail key's, or spline joints. Considering my drawer is a lot like a bandsaw drawer, I think It would be a pretty cool look. Still looking around though.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Locodcdude said:


> I was looking at a few joints and I like the dovetail key's, or spline joints............


Dovetail keys and spline joints are not complex. They are rather easy to make especially in difficult situations such as the drawer components being too thin for a normal joint.


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## Locodcdude (Oct 24, 2010)

I'm also building a Flag case for a friend of mine out of some oak and using walnut splines. So I'm thinking to order a little more walnut than I need for the case, and use the left overs for the clock. I know they aren't complex, but they look nice. Exactly what I'm going for!


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Locodcdude said:


> .... I know they aren't complex, but they look nice.....


That they do. Gives you a chance to be a bit creative also.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Great Idea the spline joints for the flag case. I wish I would have thought of it when I made this one. Contrasting woods look great.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Tony B said:


> Great Idea the spline joints for the flag case. I wish I would have thought of it when I made this one. Contrasting woods look great.


Nice looking case. I like the way you did the bottom (for the nameplate & support feet).












 







.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Thanks Mike.

Frank was a WWII vet. Great guy. 
His daughter put 1/2 of his cremains in a Vault at a military cemetary and we scattered the rest of it off my boat in Galveston. It was his favorite fishing place when he was a kid.


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## Locodcdude (Oct 24, 2010)

Hey man that looks great. I hope mine comes out close to as good looking as yours does. I've got an old book with plans for a spline jig for the router or router table that I'm going to use. I should be starting it sometime this week, so I'll post some pictures.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

It is also real simple to make a spline jig for the table saw.


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## Locodcdude (Oct 24, 2010)

Same principle as this one for the router table actually. I planned on using dovetail key splines for this case, just to add a little more visual interest. Wouldn't hurt to make two jigs while I'm at it!


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## cramer (May 5, 2011)

my opinion is that dovetails is the best way to join a drawer, complex or not,, its the most functional. if you wanna give it some spice you could do hound tooth dovetails, never seen hound tooth on drawers,, might be cool.


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## Ruawood (May 11, 2011)

Hi, just an idea for the joints in your drawer, did you ever see Japanese dovetails or otherwise known as double twist dovetails. These are dovetails that are go together along a 45 degree plane from one edge of the joint to the opposite corner. Sorry it is hard to explain and im not doing a great job of it but if you goggle it there are pictures and videos and even templates to help you.


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