This study drawer is theclassic method of making a solid wood handmadedrawer, and it representsthe furniture maker’s craftat its best. More than 30 steps are involved: noother furniture assemblyposes more technical andmethodological challenges.

Be under no illusion: this is not a quick and easyproject. Nor is it to becompared to a machine-made dovetailed drawerwith a plywood bottom on metal slides, which doesan excellent job in the right setting. This drawerparades quality andelegance, starting with itsfeel and sound in use,especially as it is closed.Pushed by fingertippressure, it slows down asair is forced from the case,and it makes a muffledclunk as it comes to rest. (If you don’t make thedrawer back narrower thanthe drawer sides, thetrapped, compressed air inthe case pops the drawer

out an inch or so.)Ordinary drawer

bottoms are groovedinto relatively thicksides. The bottom ofthis drawer fits intoa supplementary

piece called a drawerslip, which allows theuse of thinner sides

and increases theirbearing surface.

n a previous article aboutmaking through dovetails

(Woodworker’s Journal, April2003), I argued the case thatlearning to make the joint ischallenging enough withoutthe added complexity ofmaking it part of a project.Now that you’ve mastered thethrough dovetail, the nextlogical step is to master thesingle-lap dovetail. This time,however, you will work on a project. It’s a study projectrather than one destined forsale or display, but you can useit for storing valuable papers or knickknacks, as a referencefor solving drawer-makingproblems, or to impress yourfriends with the intricacies of a handmade drawer.

The single-lap dovetail is thejoint at the front of any drawerput together using dovetailjoinery. It’s so-called becausethe drawer front overlaps thetail ends on the drawer sides.The joint is often called a “blind dovetail,” a name I dislike because “blind” is lessdescriptive than “lap,” andpotentially confusing.How would onedescribe a double-lapdovetail, for example— a “double-blinddovetail”? The backcorners of a drawer arejoined by through dovetails, so you get to practicemaking both joints.

Making a Single-lap Dovetail

By Ian Kirby

52

The single-lap dovetail is one of over 30 steps in making a classichandmade solid wood drawer.

Paring the sockets of thesingle-lap dovetails is just

one of over 30 steps thatIan explains in making this

Arts & Crafts drawer.

IAnatomy of an Arts & Crafts Drawer

Sides and back,quartersawn, 3/8" thick

Front, quartersawn,5/8" thick.

Single-lap dovetail

Throughdovetail

Drawer frontBottom

Tongues on bottom edgeof long sides fit intodrawer slip groove.

Slip

Tongue on topedge fits intofront groove.

Bottom: quartersawn, 1/4" thick. Slides in underthe bottom edge of back.

Drawer Slip tenon fitsinto drawer front groove.Slips allow sides to bethin material andincrease bearing surface.

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Copyright 2003 Woodworker's Journal All Rights Reserved

1. Fit the frontPlane one end of the front to fit the case. Check the fitby offering the front at an angle: the goal is an exactreflection of the opening.

Crosscut the other end as close as you can and planeit to fit the opening. Go too far and the front will be tooshort. A prudent approach is to take a shaving off theinside edges, so the wood has a minute taper toward theinside — that is, the face side. Assuming the case hasstraight sides, the front now fits on three sides. Leavethe top edge proud by 1/16". 2. Fit the backFit the ends of the back in the opening, just like thefront. To do this, the bottom edge should sit on thebottom of the case with about a 7/8" gap at the top.Make sure the face side is looking at you as you fit theback because that’s how it goes in the case. 3. Fit the sidesSquare the ends and cut to length. Plane the top edgeuntil the side is a push-fit that enters halfway or better.To check that you are planing parallel, turn the sidearound and enter the front end first: it should slide withthe same push-fit.4. Clean up the inside facesPlane mill marks from the inside faces before you layout the dovetails. Mill marks must be removed inpreparation for polishing later; the outside faces don’tget polished.

Although all steps are critical, this one may not beobviously so. If you plane the inside of the pin pieces —that is, the drawer front and back — after you’ve cut thejoints, they become smaller and therefore loose.

To begin the process, fit the individual pieces of the drawer toyour drawer case. Accuracy is essential. A one shaving taper on

the inside edge of the drawer front allows it to snug into theopening. The sides and the drawer back are then sized,

as described in steps 2 and 3 in the article below.

Finally, all the parts, including the bottom, are made ofselected quartersawn material. Honduras mahogany isthe best choice. Avoid softwood because it’s not hardenough and flatsawn material because it’s unstable.Quartersawn wood is also easier to work, a majorconsideration when so much handwork is required.Although machine tools handle the initial preparation ofthe stock, the skilled use of a hand plane is essentialthroughout this study project.

Making and Fitting the PartsEven with only four parts, keeping track of what goeswhere is impossible without a marking system. Thesimple system shown here is directly descended fromBritish Arts and Crafts furniture makers. It uses fewermarks than any other system I’ve seen. Face sides goinside, face edges go down. Left, right, front, and backon the drawer sides are indicated by a quadrant mark onthe front bottom. Left and right on the drawer front andback are indicated by a quadrant mark on the bottomedge, either end.

Use a soft pencil to mark a face side, a face edge, anda quadrant on all four parts. One secret of success toprecisely fitted drawers is taking the time to fit all fourparts to the case opening before you join them. Withthat said, let’s move on to the first of the steps.

When gluing up the case, make specially designedclamping blocks to direct pressure to the right place.

Make the study drawer case of 1/2" Baltic birchplywood. Join the corners with tongue and groovejoints cut on a table saw. See the detail at right.

Orientation marksrecord what goes

where: face sides in;face edges down;

left and right shownby quadrants.

Woodworker’s Journal June 2003

3/16"

1/8"Detail of tongueand groove joint.

53

Case for Study Drawer15 1⁄2"

2 7⁄8"

11 1⁄2"Measurements are internal dimensions.

Make the case parts dead accurate onthe table saw. Before you cut the joints,sand the inside of the sides and theareas where the drawer edges run onthe top and bottom pieces. Sandinghelps the drawer glide better.

Cut the tongue and groove joint on thetable saw. Clamp the case square usingcorrectly designed clamping blocks.Remove all traces of glue from the insidecorners before it dries. Ignored andhardened glue will prevent the smoothrunning of the drawer.

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June 2003 Woodworker’s Journal

Jointing the PartsA handmade drawer forcefullydemonstrates the logic of initiallymaking the joints with the endgrain of the front and back leftbelow the long grain surface of thesides. You make the front and backof the drawer to fit the draweropening, then you make the sidesso they’re proud of the end grain.In other words, the drawer is toobig for the opening. But once youplane the sides down to the endgrain of the front and back —which act as precise signposts —the drawer fits perfectly!5. Mark out and cut the

single-lap dovetail front jointsSetting 1. Set your cutting gaugeless than the thickness of the sideby about 1/32". This is the amountby which the tails will sit proud ofthe pins. Knife this setting on theface side of the drawer front.Setting 2. The second gaugesetting determines the length ofthe tails and, at the same time, thethickness of the end wall. Knifedown the end grain of the drawerfront and knife around the end of the drawer sides.

Lay out the tail piece as per the drawing. Cut the tailsas if you were making a through dovetail.

Mark the pins from the tails by clamping the pin piecein the vise so that it protrudes about 1/8". See the photoat lower right on page 55. Position the tail piece to the lapgauge line and align the bottom edges flush. Mark thetails as for a through joint.

Sawing the pins introduces a new technique. Start thecut on the corner nearest you. Saw across the end grain

to establish the correct line, thensaw down the vertical line. Avoidwandering in the first line toprevent ragging out the kerf.Next, chop out the waste with a chisel and mallet. This is one of the rare woodworkingprocedures best done sittingdown. I use a sawhorse. Lay thedrawer front on the bench and,using the widest chisel that will fitbetween the saw kerfs, begin to

chop by positioning thechisel about halfway downthe joint. The first piecewill come flying out. Maketwo or three more chopstowards the knife line, but keep off the line byabout 1/16".

Next, clamp the drawerfront upright in the viseand, slice by slice, cutdown vertically with gentlemallet blows. With the bulkof the waste removed, pareto the knife lines by hand.

You can’t remove thewaste from the cornersuntil the end grain fibershave been severed. Do this

on each side with a skew chisel — 1/4" chiselsground and sharpened to the angle of the tail. Now, byjudicious paring, you can clean out the corner waste.

Assemble the two parts with a hammer as for thethrough joint. The surface which is sitting above theend grain is what will later be planed off to make thedrawer fit.

Study DrawerDetails

These dimensions make forelegant looking and refined front and back joints. The hidden detail (the shapedescribed with dotted lines)shows the groove — in thedrawer front that accepts thetongue on the bottom — going through a tail socket.It also shows the line of thebottom pin on the back joint.

Cutting the tails for a single-lap dovetail

is the same as cuttingthe tails for a throughdovetail. After cutting

the tail slopes with a dovetail saw,

remove the bulk of thewaste with a coping

saw. Your next step isto clean up to the

lines by vertical andhorizontal paring.

Side elevation Back elevation

54

See Materials List on page 56 for list of parts and sizes.

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6. Cut the groove in the frontfor the drawer bottom

The groove is easiest cut on a table saw using a 1/8" kerfblade. It goes through a tailsocket so it’s not visible on theside of the drawer. Leave 3/8"below the 1/8" groove.7. Locate the back jointsThe top edge of the groove is theline of the bottom edge of theback. Set a marking gauge to thetop edge of the groove and gaugethe back end of the sides toindicate the first pin in laying outthe back joint.8. Mark out and cut the

through dovetail back jointsThe bottom pin socket on theback is dovetailed on one edgeonly. This avoids unnecessaryfussing with measurements toposition the back so that thebottom can slide past it. Takeyour measurements from thedrawing and cut the throughdovetail joints.9. Radius top edge of the backUse a plane to gently curve theedge of the back. You may wishto finger gauge pencil linesdown each side 1/16" from theedge as a guide and anotherdown the center of the edge —this line comes off last. Getting a symmetrical curve in thismanner is a nice exercise inplanecraft.

Polishing and Gluing the PartsFor me “polish” means applyshellac and wax — thetraditional Arts and Crafts finish.10. Polish the inside faces Be careful not to get any wax onthe joints or the lower surfaceswhere the drawer slip getsglued. 11. Glue up the joints Using a shaped wooden paddle,wet all the mating surfaces withglue, but do so sparingly tominimize squeeze-out. Assemblethe parts, tap the tails down witha hammer, then close each set oftails one by one by nipping with a bar clamp. Clamping blocksare unnecessary because thefaces of the sides stand proud ofthe ends of the pins. If the jointsare as tight as they should be,there’s no need to leave the workin clamps.12. Check for accuracyMeasure the diagonals to checkfor square. Sight across the sidesto check for twist. Correct anyinaccuracies by pushing ortwisting the four parts.13. Edge clamp the front jointBecause the two outer lines onthe front joint are not trappedlike the inner glue lines, the gluetends to push the joint open atthese interfaces. Close the jointtight with light pressure from a small clamp.

Use the tails to mark the pins by positioningtheir ends up to the lap gauge line.

After you’ve completed step 5 (above) trialfit the joint. Note the drawer side stands

proud of the ends of the pins (inset).

After cutting with a dovetail saw, lay the front on yourbench and begin chopping out the waste across the grain

Next, clamp the drawer front in the vise and continuechopping out the waste down the grain.

55

The corner waste is removed by firstsevering the end grainwith a pair of purpose-made 1/4" skew chisels.The goal is pins andsockets that are cleanas a whistle.

Front

Setting 2:2 lines

Setting 1: 1 line

Marking Outand Jointing

The single-lap joint on thedrawer front is marked out bytwo gauge settings and threegauge lines. The first setting

(1/32" less than the thicknessof the side) determines how

far the tails stand proud of thepins. The second setting

determines the length of thetails and, at the same time,

the thickness of the end wall.

Woodworker’s Journal June 2003

Side

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Copyright 2003 Woodworker's Journal All Rights Reserved

Making and Fitting the Drawer BottomThe long grain of the solid wood bottom runs from side toside. This allows for shrinkage and expansion front toback. If the grain were made to run front to back,expansion of the bottom would either jam the the drawershut tight or bust the case open. The bottom has tongueson three sides to fit the grooves in the slips and the drawerfront. The tongue on the front is on the top face of thedrawer bottom. The tongues on the sides are on thebottom face of the drawer bottom. 19. Prepare the bottomGlue up boards to make the bottom and plane to 1/4" thick.20. Size the bottomPlane the end grain of one edge square to the front edge.21. Make the first tongueMark the tongue with a cutting gauge and cut it with ashoulder plane. Check it for a sliding fit using the spare slip.22. Mark the second tongueFit the shoulder of the first tongue tight to the bottom ofits drawer slip and knife the shoulder line of the secondtongue, using the drawer slip as a guide.23. Cut to lengthLeave 3/16" for the tongue beyond the shoulder line youjust knifed and saw off the excess material.24. Make the second tongueCut the tongue with a shoulder plane and check it for a sliding fit with the spare slip.25. Flush the slip and the bottomUsing the spare drawer slip as a guide, plane any excessfrom the top face of the drawer bottom to make the twoparts flush.26. Insert the bottom and square the front edge

Slide the bottom into place. If it doesn’tfit square to the front, remove and adjustaccordingly. The bottom should slide inand out with little effort so it can shrinkand expand easily.

Making and Gluing the Drawer SlipDrawer slips add an elegantly functional detail to a handmade drawer. Other designs exist, but only thisone leaves a square corner. 14. Make the drawer slips Cut the slips from the same quartersawn material as thedrawer sides. Saw the groove in each slip on the tablesaw before sawing the slip to width — about 1/16" widerthan need be. Make an extra piece to check the fit of thetongues which you will make on the drawer bottom. 15. Clean up the slipsPlane off the mill marks on the grooved face and the topedge that will be visible from inside the finished drawer.16. Make the front jointThe slip is held in the groove in the drawer front by a tongue, which amounts to a bare-faced mortise and

tenon. Mark the shoulder with knife and try square, cut it with a dovetail saw, and clean up

with a chisel.17. Polish the slipShellac and wax the top edge of the slip.

18. Glue the slips into placeLight spring clamps holdthe drawer slips firmly to the sides. Check that the shoulder of the tongueis tight to the drawer front,

and clamp the top edge of the slip tight to the bottom edge of the drawer back.

MATERIAL LIST

Case (Baltic birch ply)Top/Bottom (2) 1/2" x 121⁄2" x 16"Sides (2) 1/2" x 31⁄4" x 16"Back (1) 1/2" x 31⁄4" x 117⁄8"

Drawer* (Selected quartersawn hardwood)Front (1) 5/8" x 31⁄4" x 12"Sides (2) 3/8" x 31⁄4" x 151⁄2"Back (1) 3/8" x 21⁄4" x 12"Bottom (1) 9/32" x 151⁄2" x 11"Slips** (2) 3/8" x 7/8" x 151⁄2"

*All dimensions before final fitting. **Cut from wide board. Make one spare.

Drawer Slip and Bottom Assembly

To create the second tongue on the drawerbottom, establish the shoulder with a knifeline. Cut all tongues with a shoulder plane.

This inside corner view showsthe relationship of the groovein the drawer front and thetenon on the drawer slip.Drawer slips are cut from thesame quartersawn material as the drawer sides. Cut thegroove on a table saw.

A short tenon on the front of theslip fits into the groove on the

drawer front. The shoulder of the slipshould fit tight to the drawer front.

SideDrawer Front

Slip

T x W x L

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Copyright 2003 Woodworker's Journal All Rights Reserved

27. Make the front tongueThe tongue on the front is on top of thedrawer bottom. This means that ifthere is a little shrinkage in the drawer,any gap will be out of sight on thebottom. Even a dressmaker’s pin can’tfall into a crack. 28. Cut to length at the backLeave the back projecting 1/4" or less.

Shooting the DrawerIn woodworking parlance, shoot meansto “make straight,” hence the expres-sions “shoot the edge” and “shoot thedrawer.” This also explains why an 07is known as a “shooting plane.”29. Plane off excess drawer slipThe drawer slips were made wider thanneeded so they project below the sidesafter being glued in place. Now is thetime to plane them flush with thebottom edges of the drawer sides.Check that they are aligned by laying a straightedge across both slips.30. Shoot the drawerHold the drawer front in the vise and support the side ona board as wide as the drawer is long, clamped acrossthe benchtop. Plane the side from end to end, checkingfor straightness as you go. When you’ve planed bothsides down to the end grain of the pins, the entiredrawer should enter the case, though the fit may be very tight.

Ease the fit a shaving at a time. Working the drawer inand out will burnish any high spots, identifying exactlywhere a shaving must be removed.

Contact surfaces may be lightlyrubbed with candle wax, thenbuffed with a tight wad pad untilyou buff it all off. Don’t sand thesurfaces and don’t wax them withbeeswax — it will cause thedrawer to stick.

Finishing the Drawer FrontThe three remaining steps willtake you to the end of the drawermaking process, and to a newlevel of woodworking. 31. Planing the top edge of the

drawer to fit the case openingIf, when you made the single-lapjoints at the front corners, youdidn’t align the bottom edgesspot-on, you can make them flushnow and still have some drawerfront material to plane to fit.Either way, you now finally fit thefront to the opening. 32. Flush the front

Once the drawer enters the case fully and easily, hold the drawer tight in the opening by clamping it in the vise and plane the front so that it’s flush with the case edges.33. Make and glue the stop in placeThe drawer stop brings the drawer to rest where youwant it — flush, inset or proud; it’s your choice. Thestop is a small piece of material, sized about 3/16" thickto allow clearance for the drawer bottom. I position itby setting an adjustable square as a guide, then glueand clamp it in place.

The proper position of the drawerslip is tight to the side, engaged inthe drawer front’s groove and snugto the bottom edge of the back.

Plane both drawer sides down to match the endgrain of the dovetail pins.

The final test: closing your handmade drawerwith fingertip pressure.

Drawer slip variations, left to right:flush, rounded over and coved.

The flush slip with its longshoulder lines presents the mostdemanding work, although it hasthe simplest look when finished.

A less demanding alternative is tomake slips that stand proud of

the bottom, thus eliminating thevisible shoulder line.

Detail showing how tongues on drawer bottom fit into grooveson the drawer front and sides. Slip is pulled back.

The drawer bottom has tongues on threesides, cut with a shoulder plane. The tongueon the front is on the top face of the drawerbottom. The tongues on the sides are on thebottom face of the drawer bottom.

Ian Kirby is a master woodworker andregular contributor to the Woodworker’s

Journal. His book, The Complete Dovetail,is available from Linden Publishing.

“The goal is a drawer that slides as easily as a skate blade on ice and closes with fingertip pressure.”

Woodworker’s Journal June 2003

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