Drawer finishing question

[Dan_Shade]

I've been making some inset drawers, does anyone know where the finish stops?  

Is the traditional approach just the face? 

The top of the front board? 

[btulloh]

Usually the entire front gets the full finish.  The rest only gets sealed with something. I like shellac for sealing the secondary parts. Could also use a thin coat of wipe on poly. 

In the old days, the front got a full finish and the rest was left raw. Personal preference really. You just usually don't want some sort of film finish on the secondary parts. 

What are you using for primary and secondary woods?

[firefighter ontheside]

I have only ever finished the drawer front. 

[Dan_Shade]

 

 

 

 

[Dan_Shade]

I posted a few pictures to add to the discussion.... 

[btulloh]

All the walnut - top bottom, front, sides. And the BACK of the drawer front. A little finish line along the dovetails won't hurt anything. 

It's easy to get caught up worrying about the parts that aren't normally seen when you're the one building it. Make opportunities to look at other people's work. Fine furniture and fine antiques. Not factory stuff and second hand stores. Get an idea of what's being done by others. 

Fine antiques will still have a scribe line across the tails. Not considered a defect at all. A sign of craftsmanship.  Non visible parts have little or no finish.  

I can't really tell from the photos but you may need a little more reveal all around or run the risk of sticky drawers. (And we all know how uncomfortable that can be!   lol ) A little step on the bottom of the front allows the drawer to sit correctly and still show equal reveal on all four sides. Inset drawers and doors are the hardest of all to get all the visual elements to look right. Cock bead is used a lot of times for visual appeal, shadow lines, and to help the whole process on insets. 

Nice work on the drawers and all. That's gonna really look great when the  finish goes on. 

[Dan_Shade]

Thanks for the tips, it's white oak and poplar. 

The drawers fit tight, I went for a "piston fit". 

Pretty fancy for a shop cabinet:  these types of projects help me improve skills and try new things.

[btulloh]

Yeah, that is a fancy shop cabinet for sure. I get the concept though. Nice when you can spend time on shop cabinets. 

I'll be curious to see how those pistons perform over time. I'd go with a good 5W-20 synthetic oil to keep the engine running smoothly.  :D

[btulloh]

Given that they're shop cabinets and a learning process you could try adding a cock bead to a couple just to get a good idea what that does for the visual appeal. Just a thought.

[btulloh]

You may want to take a trip down to Colonial Williamsburg and visit the cabinet shop some weekend. Great craftsmanship there using period tools.  Very informative and not too far from you. Probably after things are back to normal.  Really nice around Christmas, although any time is good. 

[Magicman]

I always finished the top, sides, & inside of the drawers.  The bottom & back of the drawers as well as all of the cabinet interior got sealed. 

[Texas Ranger]

I always finished the top, sides, & inside of the drawers.  The bottom & back of the drawers as well as all of the cabinet interior got sealed.

X2

[kantuckid]

I use on the drawer parts, other than the front, either one coat of wipe-on Poly finish(WATCO bought in quantity on Amazon from KS Hdwe seller) or WATCO Danish oil.
My logic is that cabinet parts benefit from at least a sealer coat. It is wood after all...

[purple otter]

Hey Dan, I recently built a dresser with white oak drawer faces dovetailed into ash drawers. I sealed everything but the face and top , so that I could stain the face and top without danger of getting stain on the ash. The end grain oak darkens enough with just sealer for some nice contrast. Nice job on the build by the way!

[kantuckid]

WATCI Danish oil pops out wood colors well and can be top coated with Poly wipe Watco or Minwax brands. Walnut in particular shows off grain & color via Danish oil while poly wipe is reasonable costs, easily applied and provides more protection on parts that get the human touch like a drawer face does. 
I use this same combo on my wormy chestnut furniture to great effect.  

[ADreamer]

I've always finished the entire drawer. Wood, being a hygroscopic material, is really good at absorbing water creating changes in the wood that can alter the fit of the drawer. A fully finished drawer will be protected more from seasonal changes. Finish will also make the drawer easier to clean and keep clean. 

I'm a long-time user of Deft Lacquer which I spray on using HPLV sprayer. 

You can make your own tradition. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

[trimguy]

Ver nice.

[Dan_Shade]

I ended up finishing the front, waxing the runners. 

I'll see how it goes. 



 

 

[kantuckid]

Beautiful work!
I've seen Deft not last well on items made by others, so not my choice, I like Watco Danish for most hardwoods too much to ever change other than covering it with Poly wipe when a durable surface in a kitchen or dining item. 
I suppose most of the furniture industry uses water borne finishes now? EPA driven as it were. 

[Dan_Shade]

My understanding is that deft lacquer is pretty soft. 

If you want something hard, a catalyzed lacquer is probably the best option 

[Texas Ranger]

My understanding is that deft lacquer is pretty soft.

If you want something hard, a catalyzed lacquer is probably the best option

you are correct, sir.

[dougtrr2]

My understanding is that deft lacquer is pretty soft.

If you want something hard, a catalyzed lacquer is probably the best option

I can't speak to the hardness of Deft lacquer.  I use Sherwin Williams Moisture Resistant Lacquer. It comes in two versions, catalyzed and non-catalyzed.  I  prefer non-catalyzed version because of the shelf life.  I was sold some catalyzed lacquer once and I didn't really notice any difference.  I am a small user and sometimes it can take over a year to go through a gallon, hence the reluctance to use the catalyzed with a 6 month "use by date."
Doug in SW IA