How to keep drawers square?

[ez-duzit]

...I'm all done here.

Good.

...It has no use at all in my shop except (once in my 40+ years as a pro woodworker)...

As I said, I have used it once (yes, I do have one).

[iublue]

The same reason a toe nailed stud is not as strong as one nailed through the plate.

Not really woodworking but I couldn't let the above statement go unchallenged so.....

I would need to see empirical data to back up that statement because 40 years of experience tell a different tale.

IMO and experience, a well done toe nailed stud is much, MUCH stronger in every aspect than one nailed through the plate.  That includes pull out, twist and side to side forces.

[AHill]

Pocket holes are often an amateur shortcut, but should not be considered a replacement for proper joinery.

I suppose the vast majority of kitchen cabinet face frames put out today should be considered amateur, by your standards.  And, while Norm Abram's joinery on New Yankee Workshop was simple, he built plenty of furniture using pocket hole joinery.  I've also seen it used on Woodsmith Shop on PBS, and on The American Woodshop (Scott Phillips).  All my shop cabinets carcases are joined with pocket holes.  I've yet to see a failure on any of them.

[Steve N]

Allan you are currently engaged in a conversation that looks like this.






Not sure where the wall came from, but it is one of the densest walls you will ever see.

[ez-duzit]

Allen--we were discussing drawer construction. If you like pocket screws for your garage cabinets, you'll be fine.

Steve--I had the feeling you weren't really done with this. Since you seem to be championing the use of pocket screws, I will say that you should use whatever joinery methods you feel are not above your abilities. 

Frankly, it is so cheap and fast to order dovetailed drawer boxes, these days, that it hardly pays to do it myself.

[Derek Cohen]

You guys have it backwards! 


Drawers fit a carcase, and it is the carcase that is measured, not the drawer.

Step 1: Build the carcase as accurately as possible.

Step 2: Build the drawer as accurately as possible.

Step 3: Glue up the drawer, fit into the carcase, and leave it to dry.

Clean up the drawer when it is dry. Done.





Regards from Perth

Derek

[JGrout]

not sure who has anything backwards

Everyone builds carcasses first that I know of