In Shop Blog, Techniques

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Question: I am building the Shaker Side Table (Issue #2). I built the cabinet from the first issue (I used cherry and spalted maple – it came out pretty nice).

The table calls out for two 3/16″ x 3/4″ x 11″ spacers. I have looked and looked and can not find a reference to these spacers anywhere in the article.

– Dale Burley

Answer: The spacers are glued to the inside face of the aprons, just above the lower drawer guides. They fill in the space between the apron and drawer side and make for smoother-moving drawer. It might seem counter-intuitive, but drawers are easier to open if there’s less space between the drawer and its cabinet. That’s because there’s less chance for the drawer to wrack in its opening when you pull it out.

You can see the spacers in place on page 24 of that issue, though the author of that piece called them “drawer guides.”

– Christopher Schwarz

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