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Small case, one drawer, tapered legs. The project where you learn to fit a drawer properly.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legs Tapered on the two inside faces only, starting below the apron. Tapering all four faces makes the leg look spindly. | 4 | 1 3/4" × 1 3/4" × 25" | Cherry | ☐ |
| Side aprons | 2 | 3/4" × 4" × 13" | Cherry | ☐ |
| Back apron | 1 | 3/4" × 4" × 15" | Cherry | ☐ |
| Front rails (above and below drawer) | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 15" | Cherry | ☐ |
| Drawer runners | 2 | 3/4" × 1" × 13" | Poplar | ☐ |
| Top Overhangs 1" all round. Attach with buttons or figure-8s so it can move. | 1 | 3/4" × 18" × 20" | Cherry | ☐ |
| Drawer front Cut to fit YOUR actual opening. Never to this number. | 1 | 3/4" × 4 1/2" × 14 1/2" | Cherry | ☐ |
| Drawer sides | 2 | 1/2" × 4 1/2" × 13" | Poplar | ☐ |
| Drawer back | 1 | 1/2" × 4" × 14 1/2" | Poplar | ☐ |
| Drawer bottom | 1 | 1/4" × 12 3/4" × 14" | Plywood | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Cherry, 8/4, for legs (Cherry) | 4 board feet | ☐ |
| Cherry, 4/4, for case, top and drawer front (Cherry) | 10 board feet | ☐ |
| Poplar or maple, 4/4, for drawer sides and back (Poplar) Secondary wood for drawer sides is traditional and sensible. Nobody sees them, and they're cheaper and more stable. | 3 board feet | ☐ |
| Plywood, 1/4", drawer bottom and case back | 0.25 sheet | ☐ |
| Drawer pull (brass or turned wood) | 1 each | ☐ |
| Wood glue | 8 oz | ☐ |
| Clear interior finish (hardwax oil or wipe-on poly) | 12 oz | ☐ |
| Paste wax Wax on the runners is what makes a wooden drawer glide instead of grind. | 2 oz | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Jointer, Table Saw, Thickness Planer. Materials: Cherry, 8/4, for legs
Mill four legs to 1-3/4" square, 25" long.
Taper only the two inside faces, starting just below where the apron lands, down to about 1" at the foot. Tapering the outside faces too makes the leg look weak and the case look like it's on stilts. Two faces. Always.
Tools: Chisels, Combination Square, Marking Gauge. Materials: Cherry, 4/4, for case, top and drawer front
Mortise the legs for the aprons — 1/4" wide, 3" tall, 1" deep, set back 1/4" from the outside face.
Cut matching tenons on the aprons. Dry fit the whole case. It should stand square with hand pressure and no clamps.
Tools: Chisels, Hand Saw
The drawer opening means there's no front apron — instead, two narrow rails (above and below the drawer) join the front legs.
Join them with stub tenons or dovetails into the leg tops. This is the weakest point in the case, so don't skimp: a well-cut joint here keeps the front from racking.
Tools: Bar / Pipe Clamps. Materials: Wood glue
Glue the two side assemblies (leg-apron-leg) first. Cure. Then join them with the back apron and the two front rails.
Two stages, not one. A four-sided glue-up with eight mortise-and-tenon joints closing at once is more than you can manage before the glue grabs.
Check for square and for wind — the case must sit flat on all four feet.
Materials: Poplar or maple, 4/4, for drawer sides and back
Glue and screw a runner to each side apron, level with the bottom front rail. The drawer rides on these.
They must be level with each other and parallel. A twisted pair of runners means a drawer that binds diagonally, and you'll never diagnose it.
Tools: Chisels, Hand Saw. Materials: Poplar or maple, 4/4, for drawer sides and back, Plywood, 1/4", drawer bottom and case back
Measure your actual drawer opening. Not the cut list. Every case ends up a hair different from the drawing, and a drawer built to the drawing won't fit the case you built.
Dovetail (or rabbet-and-screw, honestly, if this is your first) the sides to the front and back. Groove for the plywood bottom, and let the bottom float — no glue.
Build it a whisker oversized. You want to *plane* it to fit.
Tools: Hand Plane
Push it in. It won't go, or it'll be tight. Look for the shiny rub marks, take a shaving off that spot with a block plane, try again.
Repeat until it slides smoothly with a consistent reveal all around — aim for about 1/32" gap at the top and sides.
This is fussy, iterative, and completely worth it. A drawer that glides is a small daily pleasure for the next thirty years.
Wax the runners and the drawer's bottom edges when you're done.
Tools: Random Orbit Sander. Materials: Drawer pull (brass or turned wood), Clear interior finish (hardwax oil or wipe-on poly), Paste wax
Attach the top with wooden buttons or figure-8 fasteners — an 18" cherry top moves, and screwing it down rigidly will split it.
Sand to 220. Cherry blotches under stain, so don't stain it. Shellac or hardwax oil, and let sunlight do the rest — cherry darkens dramatically over the first year into a deep reddish brown that no stain can imitate.
Now build the second one.