this joint for drawer fronts

[thetyreman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9_Ik3zQ6oo

thought it would look amazing on a drawer front, imagine it protruding on an art deco style chest of drawers...

 

[thick_mike]

I planned a joint like this for a sunrise box a few years ago. Never got around to making it though. The joint as to mirror the rays of the rising sun carved onto the front.

It was eight levels above my skill set though!

 

[AndyT]

Yes, it would!

One drawer in a shallow dressing table type piece could look very good.

A visual stack of them in a tall chest could look wonderful IF they were all spot-on and matched each other perfectly. You could probably calculate that the difficulty would increase in proportion to the number of drawers, squared!

But I'm very glad you are up for it and look forward to the WIP thread...

 

[MikeG.]

Don't do what they guy in the video did, though, and stain one of the pieces. This makes gluing up a complete nightmare, as essentially the joint can't be cleaned up after gluing. If you want contrasting timbers, use contrasting timbers, not stain/ dye.

 

[Mr T]

Very nice. However you have to be careful with these type of show joints. You need to be absolutely sure you can cut them perfectly before including them in a piece. These joints are shouting "Look at me, look at me" and if they are not spot on they are saying "Look at me, Oh dear I've not been cut very well!"

I speak from experience looking at some of my early work :?

Chris

 

[custard]

Mr T's nailed it. That joint speaks of a surfeit of ambition but a deficit of skill.

And as Andy mentioned, the problem would only get worse in a real project, as you'd have to cut that joint maybe ten or twelve times, but you'd end up being judged on the single worst of them.

Once you go beyond a certain level in woodworking the role of jigs and fixtures increases exponentially, I'd argue this is a good example. What would be really impressive would be a simple, ingenious jig that permits that joint to be cut with reliable precision time and time again using only basic tools or basic machinery.

I guess what this job needs is a Steve Maskery!