Half-Half-Half method

[Mal-110]

Hello,

Just having a go at making drawers using the above method. I have a small router table and I am using 12mm ply with a 6mm router bit. After a few try’s this is as close as I can get. It seems to me if I try to deepen the groove in what would be the side of the drawer I would also lengthen the tongue on front/ back of the drawer. There seems no way to improve on my latest trial run. I must be missing something.
The ply is not truly 12 mm so perhaps the router bit needs to be exactly half, assuming the ply is 11mm which it mostly is then I need a 5.5 mm router bit ?
Any ideas gratefully accepted

 

[Spectric]

Not the best joint for a drawer, take a look at these cutters

https://www.infinitytools.co.uk/router-bits/lock-mitre-bit/
https://www.infinitytools.co.uk/router-bits/box-joint-bit/
and some how to info



Or you could go traditional dovetails but I find them hard going even with a woodrat so use the lock mitre joint instead.

 

[Mal-110]

Thank you spectric,
These will only be small ply drawers under a workbench. I can hand cut dovetails or box joints. I just liked the simplicity of the single set up and thought I would give it a try. The lock joint is superb and I just might buy one after I get a new pillar drill and a planer.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Why can't you cut the housing with one cutter then cut the rebate to a suitable depth and width with another?

 

[MikeK]

Unless you are trying new techniques for drawer joints, I think you are making this more complicated than it has to be for a workshop drawer, especially with plywood.

When I make plywood drawers for my shop, I use butt joints and glue. If I don't want to bother with clamps while the glue dries, I'll use screws or brads to hold the joints together.

 

[guineafowl21]

I’ve used this method with a wobble saw on the spindle moulder, and you do have to set it up so the height, depth and width of cut is exactly half the wood thickness.

Although not especially strong at the edge, this technique means you can do the sides, fronts, drawer bottom slot, and drawer bottom rebate all with one setting of the machine. This is great for a production run of workshop drawers.

If you can’t find a 5.5mm router bit, it might be worth finding some accurate 12mm ply instead.

 

[Eric Roy]

MikeK’s point about keeping it simple is a good one. I usually go one step further by rebating the sides. This has two advantages to offset the extra work; firstly it provides a more positive location making the glue-up step a bit easier; secondly it provides a marginally stronger glue joint.

As you have a router table, this should be very doable and by testing on small scrap pieces of the right thickness you can get the exact fence position and cutter height to give accurate and repeatable rebates. Also, the exact size of cutter doesn’t matter. I usually cut mine with a 19mm diameter which works for many different thicknesses.

 

[Mal-110]

Thank you all, valid points. I can do as Phil says and use two cutters, or as MikeK says and don’t complicate matters and use butt joints, I have done so previously and also used pocket screws. MikeK mentioned learning a new technique and Guineafowl gets the point that once set up all the joints can be cut with the one setting which is the point really, front, back sides and bottom panel all done with the one setting. This is what I was attempting it’s fairly clear now that a smaller bit might just do it. Our American cousins use a dado stack, but we won’t go there. Every day is a school day!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If you go down my route (no reason to presume it's best) when you get the depth set accurately for width of your housing cutter, it's a good idea to run the router on a bit of scrap and keep it - when you wish to repeat the exercise it's quick to use it to reset the cutter.

 

[Bod]

Do hand cut dovetails, for the practise.

Bod

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Perfect practice makes perfect. Unfortunately perfect practice isn't done with plywood.