@RJR...Nice looking drawers Roger...hmmm, that really doesn't sound right does it?

Edited April 8, 20188 yr by Grandpadave52

I have long since avoided fancy drawer joints for utility drawers---such as for shop benches etc. I cut a deep rabit in the drawer front, leaving 1/8th or little less lip. I find that attaching the side member to this rabit with glue and pin nails creates a fail safe joint. In addition by using a 45 degree bit the joint tends to disappear. Has worked without a failure over many years. This also works well when making boxes with 3/8 material. Works for me---for more than 50 years.

47 minutes ago, Marv Rall said:

I have long since avoided fancy drawer joints for utility drawers---such as for shop benches etc. I cut a deep rabit in the drawer front, leaving 1/8th or little less lip. I find that attaching the side member to this rabit with glue and pin nails creates a fail safe joint. In addition by using a 45 degree bit the joint tends to disappear. Has worked without a failure over many years. This also works well when making boxes with 3/8 material. Works for me---for more than 50 years.

Marv, I think I understand. You 45 the corners? 

He might be using something like this:

Sounds more like he's cutting a rabbet on the front that's the depth of the side thickness and all but 1/8" of the front thickness - the side butts into the bottom of the rabbet and the nails go through the sides and into the front, parallel to the face of the front - any forces then are applied perpendicular to the axis of the nails.

 

Just made a pull-out shelf for a bathroom utility cabinet, didn't want to used pocket screws as they would show so cut a shallow rabbet  on the sides, glued and clamped and then drilled dowels across the joints. I also rabbeted the edges of the 1/2" plywood bottom to sit into 1/4" grooves in the sides and back/front. This is for my wife to store the shampoo, body wash, powder, etc. that she buys in bulk on sale so she's going to have a little weight there.

 

Here's the shelf dry clamped so I can measure across the grooves and cut the bottom to the correct size.

 

 

The drawer assembled and clamped, waiting for the glue to dry.

 

 

After the finish has been applied, the dowel ends add a little decorative touch - although you can't see them when it's closed.

 

@tomp, nice sturdy drawer, there. The dowels may be hidden but, you know their there. Nice touch.

You've got good looking drawers too @tomp...hmmm, still doesn't sound quite right does it?