Drawer Making | A traditional drawer back

[@hansangb]

That feeling when Rob puts more care into a piece (that no one will notice) than you do for your main piece 😁 Learned a ton as usual. TY.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Thanks for commenting

[@andersonlong7709]

An enormously helpful video, even though I’ve done woodworking for some years . When I need to bring my skills back up to speed, ( or learn new ones) your videos are by far the most helpful thing out there. Thanks for making things easier and sharing the knowledge!

[@dragomirdichev1196]

Rob is the best teacher on KZbin. Not to mention a legendary craftsmen.

[@colinscowen9621]

Approximately exact. That's the very definition of most of my work 🙂

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Pretty definitive, eh?

[@smtitmas]

@8:50 that is a great technique for extending a knife wall line as opposed to just relying on eyesight alone, similar to scoring a line around two perpendicular faces by registering the knife and square in the first knife wall to locate the second knife wall. thxs for the tip. now i need to buy a shoulder plane blade just for this purpose. Despite the wealth of info from this 25 minute video, this one tip is my Rob Cosman "Gem of the week".

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Then it was worth making if you got a gem !!!!!

[@1deerndingo]

So good to see a video that focuses in on how to in detail, real technique, problems to be solved and how to resolve them. So many other sites show a person doing a great job, but not the nitty grtty of how to get it done. Well done Rob.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Thanks for watching and commenting

[@arthur2319]

This is something I’ve struggled with. Thanks for the in depth instruction. Also, I spotted that Birds Eye maple edge banding on your cabinets- very nice detail!! Cheers

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Glad it was helpful!

[@emiliangeczi287]

Rob, you describe how you take 4/4 boards down to 5/8" and then eventually to the final thickness (in this case, 7/16") to get the most stability in the final boards. Is that difference between the starting and final dimensions typical for most of the boards you use in your projects? To my inexperienced eye, that seems like A LOT of wood that's turned into sawdust or shavings.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Yes that is typical of my work. And yes there is a lot of waste wood in the process.

[@jasonpowell8582]

G'day Rob! I've always concentrated on the back-story... :D Love your work mate, thank you.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Its the back storey that will make a well fitting drawer!!!!

[@knotwelkum]

Rob is a master craftsman, no doubt, buy this video seems rushed and not with the top quality he used to make them. Thanks for sharing anyway, always something to learn.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

could have been, we were behind in getting it out. Hope to be back on schedule next week.

[@frankhill9527]

I really enjoy these how-to videos.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Glad you like them!

[@kentboys5017]

Great video as always. The details and techniques you demonstrate are always entertaining and helpful. Thanks for sharing. Take care.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@glencrandall7051]

Great tutorial. Perfect explanation. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Thanks for watching! and commenting

[@andrewbrimmer1797]

Thanks for great detailed traching

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

you bet

[@emersonassis7154]

Hi Rob...one more time an amazing video class...I never thought about how challenging in making a good quality drawer can be...amazing explanation as always...congratulations from Brazil

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

If you want a great fit follow my steps

[@larry78cj7]

Thanks!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

you bet

[@stephenclingerman4865]

I always watch your KZbin videos. So, I saw something on this one that shows your 5-1/2 left side with 2 holes in it. Is that a new 5-1/2 or did you put those holes in there?

[@tim_biller]

I believe it's part of a prototyping exercise to fit a handle to the plane's side to make its use as a shooting place easier.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Tim is correct. We are doing some testing on the planes, more to follow soon we hope

[@dennisd5776]

Another excellent instructional video. What about using anti friction tale on the bottom runners; would it help the draw move easier?

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

I try to always think years out, how will this be in 10 years.

[@stevebarratt888]

How can furniture built with such close tolerances survive seasonal changes in the wood with humidity? Is that a problem, or are there careful considerations in gaps and grain direction that mitigate this challenge?

[@tylersmith9868]

Wood expands and contracts along its width but not its length so during construction this needs to be taken into account on basically every piece done

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

It doesn't always work as planned and I have had to revisit to make slight corrections. I took great solace in hearing from Alan Peters that Edward Barnsley frequently travelled the country with a hand plane to refit drawers that had acclimated to their final home.

[@nmfam]

Rob Cosmans blood type is Walnut.

[@craigmoscarell2027]

Can you tell me anything about the magnyfying (?) headset you're using? Thanks!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Yep, ESSENTIAL! We finally now stock them. They are light, simple and do the job as good as any with more bells and whistles.

[@J.A.Smith2397]

What the heck would we do without you Rob??? I know my dovetails and hand planing wouldn't be as nice and would be doing my dovetails pins first n sloppier like frank klausz n hopefully with lots of practice get as good as him but your way let a LOT of people(you got a fan club on FB!!!) Get great dovetails first go and this Shawn shim changed the game even further!!! Like really been wondering, for yrs now, how people did DT'S before the Rob cosman way? Did they all do pins first like frank klausz? Maybe a video on other ways??? Plz

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

The traditional English and Scandinavian method was tails first but tracing the tails. Eastern Europeans tending to pins first

[@J.A.Smith2397]

@@RobCosmanWoodworking I would appreciate extended info on this topic? Maybe a video plz of geographical differences and other ways other then yours???

[@1deerndingo]

Is that a Stanley 78 blade you use as a marking knife?

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

lie nielsen version of.

[@TheTranq]

Good video. These drawers still confuse me a bit, particularly the layout of the dovetails for back and sides.

[@tylersmith9868]

All in the layout when you start each joint

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

I have several drawer making videos on youtube, do a search and I am sure you will find one that explains it.

[@MrAtfenn]

it appears that the tails on outer edges of the back board were straight rather than angled. if i am not mistaken could you explain the reason

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

on the bottom it is because the back (half pin) sits at the top of the drawer bottom groove and at the top it gives a bit more material to the long partial tail on the drawer side. That piece would be slightly undercut if the half pin was angled.

[@emersonassis7154]

Rob please one more question...my father was a professional woodworker but at a set of drawers he wrote a number like 1,2,3 and each drawer fit only that position perfectly as a "custom drawer"..in your way anyone fits any place (same dimensions of course)

[@ricos1497]

No, I don't think that's the case with Rob's drawers here, they are fitted to each space as shown in the video. He even mentions the grain matching at the start. Given the accuracy of his work, I'm sure you could switch a couple round and it would still function better than most, but the intention is very much to have one drawer specific to each space.

[@emersonassis7154]

@@ricos1497 Ok thank you...more clear now

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Rico is right, just like your dad, each drawer is custom fit into its drawer

[@nspctor7729]

How about if your 'sacrificial board' is made of two long adjustable halves overlapped and bolted similar to a bar gauge function. This way the problem of solving angles and length (width of drawer) are tackled individually. I'd adjust the two halves tight to the width of the drawer and scribe, shave and fit one side. Then readjust the sacrificial two piece tight to the opposite side and repeat the same process. Once the angles are solved, the length (width of drawer) is simply determined by loosening the knobs and fitting your 'sacrificial piece' to the opening. It's then a matter of scribing the template (two piece sacrificial board) to the work piece in one go. Just a thought Cheers,

[@ricos1497]

That would work, as would pinch rods to an extent. In theory, the way Rob approaches the task, you probably only need to have a piece that accurately reproduces that initial side (right in the video) against the bottom. You could do this with a simple triangle of three pieces. The first aligns with the bottom, the second the vertical and third secures them in place on the diagonal. Once you have that accurate first side, the second is produced using Rob's process with the marking wheel or plane blade. That three stick assembly could be used for all the drawers in the cabinet. As long as the vertical and horizontal sticks were more than 3/4 of the length or depth of the side they were referencing that would make for an accurate scribe. Anyway, I doubt Rob is massively concerned about the few waste templates he creates in this process, it's amazingly accurate and impressive!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Ok, but then you have to still make a back. Might as well just make it one and use it as the template

[@JR-xt1bj]

Best moment of the video: the sound of your crosscut saw … ssssssharp … The drawer back sits a couple of mm away from the end of the side pieces. Why is this so? Thank you!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

I use the same marking gauge setting for the front (thicker) as I do for the back (thinner). I like the look of the tails sticking out, personnel preference.

[@jcoul1sc]

Why don't you just make it to your measurements or drawings