Drawer Sides Dimensioning and Groove

2013.07.15

Returning to the quartersawn maple board, I crosscut it into a couple long pieces, each accommodating two drawer sides and a back, with some extra.  Because the board was so long, I added a couple clamps before using the miter saw.

Crosscutting maple for drawer sides and backs
Maple for drawer sides and backs

Drawer stock needs to be as stable as possible, so many people advise milling in stages, allowing the pieces to settle and adjust in between.  Maple is usually a fairly stable wood to begin with, quartersawn even better, but I figured it was sound advice.  I began by removing about 1/8″ from each face.  Since it is my lot in life that the grain would change direction, I put the toothed blade in my jointer plane after I started to see some tearout.

Maple drawer stock marked to reduce thickness
Planing maple with toothed blade in jointer plane

2013.07.20

Today I reduced one of the boards further, down close to 5/8″.

Planing maple board for drawer sides with fore plane
Maple drawer stock planed close to final thickness

2013.07.23

I plowed a groove for the drawer bottom into the sides and front.

Drawer bottom groove plowed in drawer side stock
Drawer bottom groove plowed in drawer front

Then I crosscut the sides and back and cleaned them up on the shooting board.

Drawer sides, back, and front crosscut and end planed

After arranging them approximately as assembled, I decided to further reduce the sides and back to 1/2″, as 5/8″ looked too thick in proportion to the small overall size of the drawer.