Drawers

Drawers | Special Drawers | Drawer Slides

Drawers

A drawer is one of the most useful and important parts of furniture construction, and smooth operation of the drawer depends upon the perfect design and assembly of the furniture piece.

Drawers may be hidden by doors or they may be exposed. Many solutions are possible with either design. The drawings in this section give a clear idea of their construction and application.
 
A—Simplified drawer construction

Here is a drawer adequate for normal use which can be easily made by hand. It is designed in the form of a box without cabinet joints, and is assembled with nails. The front is attached with screws driven from the inside, so that the visible portion is unbroken and resembles a standard drawer. A knob or pull can be attached in exactly the same way as for the more complicated type.

B—Box joint often used by craftsmen

A—Drawer constructed with dovetail joint

A and B—Some type of dust panel is usually installed between drawers. The one shown in (A) is visible from the front of the chest; in (B) the panel is concealed by the overlapping drawer front.

C—Disappearing drawer front

Special Drawers

Drop-top mirror used inside a drawer
 
Drawer with vertical removable division strips: This method uses a dado or a channel iron in the side of the drawer.
 
Drawer with oblique removable division strips: Either dado or channel iron may be used.

Drawer for correspondence file. Patented hanging folders and dividers are available at stationery stores.
 
Drawer for file index
 
Folding drawer used for storage or stationery

Chest and box drawer for wardrobe or cabinet

A—Interior drawer for wardrobe or cabinet

B—Shirt drawer

C—Drawer with pull, for use as tray

D—Drawer with plate glass front
 
Plastic Drawers

These drawers can be purchased in standard sizes, with various types of guides. Pulls and knobs can be applied to them as easily as to wooden types. These plastic drawers can well be substituted for wooden ones in many pieces of furniture. In some designs, however, the dimensions of the framework may have to be adjusted to fit the size of ready-made drawer available.

Drawer Slides

Drawer with screwed cleat

Drawer with bottom rail

Drawer with rail on side: A mortise may be cut in the side of the drawer to allow the drawer to slide between two cleats attached to the side of the chest.

Rollers are used with heavy drawers.
 
Drawer with center guide: A guide facilitates the travel of the drawer, and some form of guide should be included if possible.

Heavy drawer with special ball bearing glides

Ball bearings in bottom of drawer: This is still another way to assure an easily-gliding drawer.

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