Bow front lowboy dresser challenges

Dewayne Baker

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148
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Vacaville CA.
I am pretty new to sketchup but thanks to youtube video tutorials I am catching on. Here is a dresser I am working on. The piece will present some new challenges for me. I have done a few bent laminations and use a vacuum press but haven’t done bent lam drawers before. I am pondering joinery for the drawer face to the drawer box. I suck at hand cut dovetails so looking for alternative methods. Also pondering drawer guides as one drawer side is longer than the other. The rest is pretty straight forward for my skill level.
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Nice looking design. How about either half blind dovetails using a jig? Or sliding dovetails from the bottom up? Either would probably present a challenge with those curves.
 
Two issues. One, the corner joinery and, two, the guides. The second is easiest. The draw will only open as far as the shortest side will allow it, so your guides will still be an equal length.

The corner joinery. If you want to use power machines then you will have to introduce a 90º corner on the inside. A slight bevel cut with the bevel face the width of the thickness of the sides will do. Since fixturing that in a dovetail jog would be problematic, I'd consider a locking rabbet joint done with the table saw and router. Still be tricky holding the drawer front at the right angle, but doable. Traditionally, handcut dovetails. So here is the opportunity to get good at it!
 
Thanks, I tend to lean toward full extension guides to ensure smooth operation. Last thing I need is complaints from my wife that the drawers are hard to open. I like the idea of a drawer box with a curved front then attach the drawer face. For me attaching the faces once the drawers are in place insures the exact spacing and gap I want. I do have a couple different designs for the base or feet I have drawn up.
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I like the straight legs better. The last one has some possibilities but I think the bottom rail above the base should be at least as wide as the top rails and the side rails on the base should be as wide as the front rail. The feet in the last one look a little awkward with the stiles at the corners. Maybe if you separate the base from the rest of the case with a panel about 3/4" thick. (Or what looks like a panel anyway.) Since the drawers are flush, I would be inclined to make the panels flush. Maybe with a narrow gap between the panel face and the rails and stiles.

The feet are lousy on my model but I hope it gets the point across. They should extend up to the bull-nosed trim instead of stopping where I show them, too. I didn't spend much time on this so don't look too closely at the details.
 
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I like the straight legs better. The last one has some possibilities but I think the bottom rail above the base should be at least as wide as the top rails and the side rails on the base should be as wide as the front rail. The feet in the last one look a little awkward with the stiles at the corners. Maybe if you separate the base from the rest of the case with a panel about 3/4" thick. (Or what looks like a panel anyway.) Since the drawers are flush, I would be inclined to make the panels flush. Maybe with a narrow gap between the panel face and the rails and stiles.

The feet are lousy on my model but I hope it gets the point across. They should extend up to the bull-nosed trim instead of stopping where I show them, too. I didn't spend much time on this so don't look too closely at the details.
I see what you mean. I like what you did with the base, feet and styles. Thanks for taking the time to draw that up.
 
Happy to help. Show us more of your design ideas.
Hey Dave, I'd really like to incorperate curves into the legs or feet. I drew up some different legs But have an error I need to fix with the alignment of the lower end panel rail. I may redraw the whole thing and increase the bow of the front. Whats your opinion?
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It kind of makes me think of a knock-kneed farm girl. In the nicest possible way, of course. :D

To me the curves on the legs clash with the bowed front. They also look rather anemic. But I don't think making the larger would help. I kind of like letting the bow front just stand as the only curve.
 
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