Download this episode in Quicktime format
(In Windows, right-click on link above, then | Save Link As…)
Duration: 19:34 minutes
You can read a short description of the work by Mario Rodriguez at the Philadelphia Furniture Workshop web page, and at FineWoodworking.com.
Making drawers, and fitting them well, separates a good piece from a great workpiece. As a result, it behooves the craftsman to learn how make drawers properly. Mario used a case containing two drawers to illustrate differences in fitting options.
Included in this session you will the following: milling the wood, letting it “rest” to acclimate to the shop environment, milling to final dimensions for a perfect drawer front fit, suitable material thickness, layout of the dovetails, fitting the bottoms, hardwood bottoms and grain orientation, drawer slips to beef up the thickness of the sides, drawer web with dust cover, and installation and sizing of drawer stops.
Mario ended the session with a verbal description of the technique he uses to cut and fit the dovetails by hand.
Although I edited the 90-minute session to less than 20 minutes, I hope you will find all the critical information to properly make and fit drawers in your next masterpiece.
If you ever have a chance, make the time to attend one of the Woodworking in America conferences. I know you will likely learn something new, will meet new people, and will enjoy the Marketplace and the terrific tool makers!
.
—— Al Navas
.
Related posts:
More Woodworking in America posts on this blog.
About Al Navas
You are welcome, Bob – I appreciate your kind words! These conferences are also about sharing some of the information with those who are unable attend.
Al…thanks for documenting & sharing Mario’s presentation. This is wonderful information and your efforts are appreciated. Often times we hear the term “lost art.” Well, this truly is a great way to keep the craft alive. Great work!
Thanks for posting this Al. This was one of the seminars I was not able to attend with everything going on at WIA. Great job filming and editing. It looks like you got the gist of everything in this 20 minute segment. Mario is so soft spoken in person that I was afraid none of his instruction would come through.
You are welcome, Shannon – glad you liked it! I am glad the audio worked out fine – a tribute to the audio visual facilities in the conference area. I have shared with the folks at Popular Woodworking that their selection of facilities was excellent, as recording from the wall in back of the room yielded acceptable results. Now, if only *my* skills with the camera were to get better…
Thanks for posting this video… very good. Not a lot of experience with drawer slips, so this was welcome.
Eric,
Fine furniture, and the drawers in these pieces, is what Mario talked about. It pretty much screams for the drawer details he shared with us. I was *really* glad I attended this session! The detail of the grain direction in the drawer bottom, when using solid hardwood, was another example.
The Schwarz wrote a blog entry about slips, which is a must-read: http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/About+Drawer+Slips.aspx . I think you will enjoy reading it.