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PSA: I built two identical drawer boxes, one with butt joints and one with lock rabbets. | Cabinetmakers - Vivisector

PSA: I built two identical drawer boxes, one with butt joints and one with lock rabbets.

The first one I put together with glue and nails, the second with glue and a lock rabbet bit on my router table. After a year in my kid's bathroom, the butt joint box is wobbly and the lock rabbet one is still solid as a rock. The mechanical hold from the rabbet makes all the difference with wood movement. Has anyone else had a similar experience with drawer joinery holding up over time?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_oliver4mo ago

Haha, right? It's like the drawer joints are having their own little drama. The lock rabbet is basically the strict parent who keeps things in line, while the butt joint is the rebellious teenager that falls apart after a year. I half expected the butt joint box to start playing loud music and leaving its socks on the floor. But seriously, the fact that it got wobbly just from being in a bathroom is pretty eye opening. I guess wood movement doesn't care about your feelings, only about your joinery.

cameron_hernandez695mo ago

Forget the nails, did you use any kind of clamp while the glue dried on the butt joint box? I've found if you don't get crazy pressure on those flat faces, the glue line is weak from the start. The lock rabbet basically acts like its own clamp, which is a huge part of the win.

paige_robinson245mo ago

Ever think you could skip clamps on a simple butt joint? I used to, but @cameron_hernandez69 is totally right about needing that pressure for a strong glue line. The lock rabbet is a game changer because it solves that problem on its own.

julia_carter615mo ago

Yeah, the lock rabbet acting like its own clamp is a good point. But I mean, what about the wood itself? I used some cheaper pine for a drawer once and even with good joinery it still twisted a bit after a while. Maybe the type of wood matters just as much for staying solid over time.