How To Make Drawers For Fine Furniture with Drawer Slips

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Check out Robs Drawer Making playlist here: kzbin.info/aero/PLqUOljnY0d9ceGLDrQSbxNJxTMuU5gQW3

[@emersonassis7154]

Hi Rob...I sent an e-mail to you with a PDF file from Fine Woodworking issue July/August 2001 about NK Drawers Style

[@MaryCatherineMoore-j2g]

⁷​@@emersonassis7154

[@PaleRider54]

The slips being a darker color added elegance and a sense of artisanship. Very nice.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

I agree. I prefer making them a feature with contrasting wood rather than blending them in with the same species of wood

[@MMWoodworking]

Rob is the Drawer Whisperer.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

I like that !!!!

[@scottboettcher1344]

A detail I've never seen before. Thanks Rob!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

You Bet

[@Darren297]

I had to watch this one a few times. I had to pay attention a lot closer to see what the heck was going on. Another good one! Drawer looks sweet on the inside with that mahogany strip!

[@MrWoody135]

Beautiful attention to every detail.

[@ytbillybob]

Literally on the edge of my seat watching you craft. You are blessed with a gift and you honor our Maker with your work.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Wow, thank you!

[@andrewbrown8148]

What a beautiful & functional drawer feature~! I can't wait to try this on the writing desk I'll be tackling. Thanks Rob~!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Let me know how it comes out

[@PBRStreetGang68]

Rob's videos are a great destresser after work, master at work 👍

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Glad you like them!

[@emersonassis7154]

Hi Rob...one more very usefull video class...Your drawers are amazing and very well done...my father did a lot of drawers but never with dovetails...He did a lot of one kind of hardwood runner wich is 1/16" wider than drawer sides...so the sides never touch the carcass and the bottom has one inch runner each side...they called this NK drawer...Swedish style from Nordiska Kompaniet...intersting way too...no wear (or almost) on the bottom

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Interesting. Never heard of that I will check it out

[@DylansDIYWorkshop]

I think this is the first time watching one of your videos that isnt a Short

[@MultiWarrior63]

Thanks Rob, timing could not have been better. Thanks for this one, and all the helpful videos in the past.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Glad the timing worked out well

[@kentboys5017]

Great video as always! Thanks for sharing! Take care. 👍🏻

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Thanks for the visit

[@JamesWilliams-en3os]

I had done a good bit of reading about drawer slips over the past couple of years, and while the principle made sense, the construction did not… perhaps I need to work on my reading skills when it comes to diagrams in woodworking books! Nonetheless, this video cleared up my confusion, and it all makes sense to me now. Thanks for doing this one, Rob!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

you bet...now go make a slip

[@JamesWilliams-en3os]

@@RobCosmanWoodworking yes, sir!!

[@crystalrabbon]

With that new hairdo and that smile at the very end, after "Good Luck", I got a glimpse of Robin Williams there! LOL

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

nanu nanu

[@joejanzen5511]

@@RobCosmanWoodworking wow that brings me back to my childhood!😊 Excellent content as always.

[@מעייןהמלבלבתחייםםםם]

Enjoyed watching you!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Thank you so much

[@glencrandall7051]

Another piece of superb workmanship. 👍👍Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@nathanmitchell4839]

If you make the drawer slips taller you can add a slim drawer inside that slides on top of it.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Never tried that

[@orangeflow9809]

Hey Rob, why do you use inches instead of mm? Do most fine/professional wood workers use inches? Or just personal preference?

[@alexsavastru8125]

I only have one question: would adding thin brass/aluminium strips to the contact surfaces not work to completely eliminate wood wear? Just a thought.

[@Exodus5K]

Rob, this is a nice idea. I'd probably reserve it for a high-use high-quality project. I always end up making my drawers slightly too narrow so that they rack a little side to side, when you're dialing in the right fit are you really testing for whether or not you can push the drawer in on the corner with 1 finger? Do you have any concerns about how the finish might change a fit this precise, or do you never use any surface building finishes on drawer sides?

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

you should watch my drawer making playlist. I make my drawers slightly oversized so thy will not fit the opening then VERY carefully plane the sides, check fit until it just fits with no side to side slop. The onli finsh I put on my drawers is wax on the outside. and yes you really can push in the drawer with one finger in the corner

[@dpmeyer4867]

thanks

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

You bet

[@nmfam]

Rob Cosmans tears cure cancer. Too bad hes never cried

[@jakeo2600]

I don't think I've ever seen Rob glue both sides of whatever it is he's gluing.

[@joeleonetti8976]

Thanks Rob. Hadn't heard of these before. Would you want the drawer slips to be softer and to wear easier than the main carcass/case itself? Just trying to think what would be easier to fix down the road - grooves in case vs. drawer slips. Since this is all new to me, I am likely missing something in this rational.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

By adding the slip you are reducing or eliminating wear on both since the wear surface is bigger. Making a new drawer is easier than making a new case though

[@J.A.Smith2397]

Not sure on this one but if Rob cosman is saying something about them with fine furniture in the title I better listen in! Tks again good sir

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

So what did you think after watching it?

[@jshanab42]

Add this to the ways to hide the drawer groove on thru dovetails ?

[@johncoops6897]

I do this a much easier way. Simply make the drawer in the normal way, but with a shallower groove if you use a reduced thickness for the sides. Then after the drawer is completed and the bottom installed, simply glue two plain strips underneath. The other way is to rebate the bottom edge of the sides (to accommodate the drawer bottom) then glue a thin yet (say 1") wide flat strip of hardwood underneath.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

That works too

[@rootvalue]

Would gluing a hardwood strip to a solid wood bottom cross-grain be a great idea?

[@johncoops6897]

@@rootvalue - not sure what you mean by crossgrain? The grain of the drawer slides should run the same direction as the drawer moves. So in-and-out would mean front-to-back. In my country they tend to only make drawer faces from high quality wood, and less durable timbers are used for the thinner sides and backs. Even quite high-priced furniture uses cheap pine for the carcass, or even MDF. This means that narrow lower surface of the drawer sides might be only 3/8" or 1/2" (9-12mm) and it wears down quickly on heavy drawers. So when refurbishing drawers we usually saw & plane it back to flat, then glue on a wider strip of hardwood to replace it. With some wax on the slides, the hardwood will literally last forever!

[@bruinflight]

I'm curious... it might be a good exercise to look into the physics of wear. I wonder if using hard woods on both wearing surfaces, the drawer slides and the platform the drawer sits on, does any good where longevity is concerned. Can you virtually eliminate the wear by making both surfaces from hard woods? Or, is it just the way of the world that you need to account for inevitable future repairs and make the more-difficult-to-repair surface harder than the paired surface so the easier-to-repair surface wears and the other does not? It may be that incorporating hard wood on both surfaces is a great strategy, I don't know, but intuitively there is a question in my mind now... By the way, Rob, your work and attention to detail is a delight to watch!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Actually I think doing both surfaces with hard wood is the better strategy.

[@MechanicalMind7]

If I've already built a drawer the traditional way, minus drawer slips, then I've got about 3/8" of clearance between the underside of the drawer bottom (let into the grooves in the sides) and the bottom edges of the sides. Could I just glue a strip of hardwood to the inside-bottom edge of the sides directly under the drawer bottom (being careful not to glue the slip to the bottom itself) and flush them to the bottom edges of the sides?

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Yes that would also work

[@mrhobbs5713]

I saw this in an old secretary. They were coved, maybe what you meant by filleted.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

yes, precisely

[@jeffsoule1393]

Freaking AWSOME. DO YOU HAVE A AUTOBIOGRAPHY?

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

No. That would take way too much work to fo and I hate writing

[@ken32708]

Really a well done video and many thanks, but though the method is sheer artistry, it's WAY too expensive. I'll bet at your labor rates that's "umpteen" dollars per drawer with this and hand cut dovetails. Wish I had such a customer base. Keep 'em coming!!!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

I only make furniture for the pleasure of doing it, teaching, or for gifts. I no longer make furniture for sale. Most customers are not willing to pay the price for truly fine furniture

[@lor191ric]

I think you would do it just for yourself, pride of workmanship

[@ken32708]

@@RobCosmanWoodworking So true! Once in a while you can get a customer that wants really fine furniture, but most want reasonable quality fast. Thanks again!

[@ken32708]

@@lor191ric Once in a while, building for my family I do make the extra effort for more refined construction, but honestly I don't even think at the level that Rob does. Nor do I have his experience base. Just one of the many reasons for watching Rob's videos!

[@louisshambarger2230]

I see a chisel plane on the bench at the end of the video. Where did you use it?

[@MechanicalMind7]

Maybe to flush the bottom edges of the slips closer to the drawer front?

[@louisshambarger2230]

Maybe, I thought of that too.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

On another drawer I was working on. To plane into a corner

[@andreashagendorf8454]

I wonder, if using plywood drawer bottom, couldn't you just glue a flat strip of wood to the drawer bottom and flush it to your drawer sides?

[@alistairdickinson4415]

My wife asked why our bedside tables have bits of wood down the sides taking up space in the drawer. I told her it's tradition. 😁

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Make up some complicated sounding term and say it that effect!!!!

[@aleidabianchi1434]

I did it with the Woodglut plans.

[@barry.w.christie]

While I appreciate the craftsmanship, wouldn't it just be simpler to cut a thin strip and glue it onto the bottom ... exactly the same result (a wider wear strip) with far less work!

[@ricos1497]

You wouldn't really want to glue to the bottom because of the precise fit of the drawer. Any movement in the sides wouldn't necessarily align with movement in the bottom. With such tight tolerances in Rob's drawers, it could affect that perfect closing action he describes at the start. If you were just to glue a strip to the side, below the bottom, it would likely be a weak joint that broke off in use at some point. Of course, if you're building drawers with much less tolerance, then it will be less of an issue, although you'd maybe want to match the wood type of your strip to the bottom panel. Edit: also, you'd need a gap between the side and the strip to allow for movement.

[@ciaranoloan6199]

You wouldn’t get the thin drawer sides then. I usually make my drawer sides 6-8mm and drawer slips about 15mm wide for a total bearing surface of 20-22mm. Makes drawers considerably lighter. On wide drawers you can add a muntin or two in the middle for extra bottom support too, made in a similar way but screwed up into the drawer back. This helps keep the front and back from bowing too.

[@barry.w.christie]

Gluing to the bottom and trimming the wood to the same height as the sides would still achieve a perfect fit ... you could add 1mm gap between the strip and the side in case of movement (even though plywood does not have much seasonal movement). For the second reply (if replying to my initial comment) ... how does gluing a strip onto the bottom affect the width of the sides? I would agree that adding extra support in the middle of large drawers to help with large loads makes sense.

[@ciaranoloan6199]

@Barry Christie When making drawers without slips you need to make the sides thick enough to cut a grove for the drawer bottom while still leaving enough material to keep them strong. Drawer slips allow for much thinner sides, in some old English furniture the drawer sides go down to 3-4 mm from what I’ve read, although I don’t push it that far!

[@barry.w.christie]

@@ciaranoloan6199 Ahh, the penny drops ... I didn't pay enough attention to the drawers that Rob had made (no grooves for the base in the sides) 👍

[@escapefelicity2913]

I'd be glad to help. But I don't do banks. If I did, I wouldn't do recurring payments. Paypal dropped me last year after 20 hassle-free years. I guess paypal & the govt are finger-fuking each other. They said I could not use paypal without a Thai national ID. I don't have a Thai national ID. I'm not Thai. . Get a bitcoin wallet.