Step 9 - Drawer Fronts
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This work day starts with laying out, very carefully, the location of the glide claw that will guide the drawer as it slides in and out, and keep it from tipping forward when it is mostly extended. If we want the drawer box to sit squarely in it's opening, we have to center the claw precisely. The top of the three screw holes in the mounting plate is elongated... a little. If we mount the plate with just this one screw at first and test the fit, we can slide the plate about 1/16" to the left or right to compensate for a track that is not precisely square to the front. If we were careful with our track placement, this is enough. When the fit is right, we install the other two screws.
Next we cut the drawer fronts and trim then to exact size, taking care to make them square and to keep them in order, so the grain pattern flows across the fronts. Then we find the center of each drawer front and bore a hole to allow the knob's mounting screw to pass through. But, the head of this screw will prevent the drawer front from sitting tight against the drawer box, so we bore another hole on the back side to recess the screw head. Now we round over the front edges with the router table and sand them smooth and install the knobs.
Using an Incra Rule, we lay-out alignment lines on the back of the drawer front, 1/4" up from the bottom, an 5/16" in from each side. The drawer box will sit precisely on these lines. A spring clamp helps keep the assembly from moving while I drill counter sunk holes for the mounting screws and drive the screws in.
Placing the drawers back in their opening, testing to be sure they slide in and out OK, and that the fronts line and are square with one another completes the construction stage.
This chest is to be stained, so that's as far as we can go until we receive payment of the balance due. That's a long standing company policy that prevents us from getting stuck with a piece of furniture we can't sell to anyone else should the client bolt on us. Hey, it happens!
We have received comments from Jon indicating that he has enjoyed following along as we build his chest, so I doubt this will be an issue here, but the policies have been set up to keep us out of problems, so I have to follow them.
Time to put away all the tools, vacuum the shop thoroughly and get ready to start the finishing stage.
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