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bottom panel groove on bowed front

bottom panel groove on bowed front (post #166961)

giraffelt on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 08:44

Joinery

I am building a pair of night stands with curved fronts - two drawers per stand. I have always set drawer bottom panels into the reverse of the drawer front by means of a groove. Easy to do on a straight piece but I am wondering how to do it into a curved front. My preference would be to use hand tools but will go the power route if necessary. Appreciate any and all guidance.

thanks in advance

Larry

Larry, I tend to go the (post #166961, reply #1 of 9)

by aaronpetersen in reply to giraffelt [original] on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 10:06

Larry,

I tend to go the power route. I would use a slot cutting bit with a bearing set in a router/table.

Aaron

thanks aaron (post #166961, reply #2 of 9)

by giraffelt in reply to giraffelt [original] on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 07:51

Aaron,

thanks for the response. The slot cutter with a bearing is what I will use. I am still curious however as to how to do it with hand tools as more and more I am leaning toward them and away from machinery.

larry

I've never done it with hand (post #166961, reply #3 of 9)

by aaronpetersen in reply to giraffelt [original] on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 11:34

I've never done it with hand tools, but it is possible. I just pulled a couple hand plane books off the sheld and Garrett Hack's The Hand Plane Book shows some cooper's tools starting on page 212 and he makes mention of a tool called a croze. Apparently, this was used to cut a shallow groove in the inside of a barrel in order to seat the lid. It's a pretty archaic tool, but you might be able to find something on the interweb.

Also, you might be able to accomplish the same thing by using a stanley 45/55 combo plane or simply putting a radius on the sole of a grooving plane and riding it against a fence.

Good Luck!

Aaron

another option (post #166961, reply #4 of 9)

by RalphBarker in reply to giraffelt [original] on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 07:29

Another option would be to make your own grooving plane havig a curved bottom surface that matches the curve of the drawer front. The utility of such a plane, of course, depends on having drawers of a consistent curve.

Perhaps a scratch "bead" (post #166961, reply #5 of 9)

by DonStephan in reply to giraffelt [original] on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 17:32

Perhaps a scratch "bead" tool. A mortising gauge with twin cutting knives would speed the process initially by defining the borders. Of, with the borders defined with a mortising gauge, appropriate carving gouges could rough out the depth pretty quickly, but only if you are much more skilled with the gouges than I am.

panel groove (post #166961, reply #7 of 9)

by giraffelt in reply to DonStephan [original] on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 17:48

Ralph/Don,

Thanks for the suggestions. The dedicated groove plane would seem to be the best hand tool approach. I would mess things up I am sure if I tried to gouge approach.

Larry

panel groove (post #166961, reply #6 of 9)

by giraffelt in reply to giraffelt [original] on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 17:43

Aaron,

thanks for taking the time to research this. I will do some research of my own just to satisfy my curiosity but will go the power route as you suggested.

mortise gauge (post #166961, reply #8 of 9)

by BruceS in reply to giraffelt [original] on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 18:35

If you can find a knife type rather than the pin type mortise marking gauge you can lay out the grove and slowly chisel out between the lines and reset the knives a bit deeper on the gauge and keep going down till you reach your desired depth.

Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

Bruce S.

Larry I know its been a while (post #166961, reply #9 of 9)

by stantheman in reply to giraffelt [original] on Tue, 05/24/2011 - 17:27

Larry I know its been a while since you posted. Lee Valley sells a hand tool, Veritas Beading tool that might work for this. It holds a piece of scratch stock - your own or their standard profiles - and you pull it against the edge of your work piece like a plane. I've not used one, but seen it demoed. Might work but would take a long time.