Drawers (Dovetails or Drawer Locks?)

[lwhughes149]

Seeking opinions on choice of joinery on drawers for kitchen cabinets. I use dovetails on my furniture but have noticed bits for drawer locks. I will have many drawers to assemble in my cabinet project including slide out drawers within some of the lower cabinets. I guess once the dovetails are set up maybe this drawer lock method wouldn't be any quicker. I value the opinions of the members here. Whick would you use? Lorraine

A glued joint is a glued joint, right?

 

[DaveO]

I think that you are correct, a glued joint with enough surface are is a glued joint with enough surface area. Your decision as to which method to use will depend on the material you are making the drawer sides out of. Solid stock will work well with both methods, but if using plywood you might run into some problems with chipping of the veneers with a DT joint. Personally I think that a HB DT joint is going to look more professional and "heirloom" than a drawer lock joint. Another factor is what you have to use. If you have to buy one set up or the other I would use what you have. Both are equally functional, and of equal set-up time.
My $.02
Dave

 

[Ray Martin]

Lorraine,

I suppose that if you have enough glue surface, today's glues will hold just about anything (well, maybe end grain will argue with that). But I have to agree with Dave, dovetail joinery really improves the look of a connection... and from a purely mechanical point of view, it is the strongest joint available. The joints that hold the drawer fronts in place are under stress every time the drawer is opened.

Ray

 

[toolferone]

I agree with Dave that DT on plywood is a chipout mess, but I used a drawer-lock bit on Baltic Birch plywood drawers and had chipping issues also. I ended up cutting the drawer parts with the outside grain running top to bottom instead of front to back, to fix the chipping problem. Sorry for the focus on the first pic. The second shows the grain running up and down.

 

[Travis Porter]

I have done kitchen cabinet drawers with dovetails, nailed together, and a drawer lock. Personally, I have a hard time with the drawer lock getting it adjusted right. Since you will be using drawer slides, the strength isn't as important as a chest. If you have a HB jig that does both at the same time, it probably won't take any longer than the drawer lock IMO.

 

[lwhughes149]

Decisions, decisions, decisions. I have a Sears dovetail jig that I would need to set up but that isn't a problem I guess. I looked at 3/4 blond plywood friday and plan to use it for my cabinets. The finish is really good. I will probably use poplar for the drawers. The lock joint I would have to purchase so I guess it's going to be dovetails. thanks guys for the help. I start the project tomorrow on the kitchen cabinets. Watch out for my future post, I have never made kitchen cabinets.:roll: Sure to need some thoughts. Lorraine