How to do these drawers?

[Derek Cohen]

I am planning another build as a wedding gift, this time a niece. She picked out this entry hall table, which she wants in Jarrah. 



Straightforward enough build, with the case in mitred through dovetails the only tricky bit. I've done a few of these now, so know what lies in store. 

There appear to be two drawers. The question is, how does one build drawers without handles? 

I am not in favour (and will not do) drawers on runners. Or use those Push-it mechanisms, which are made of plastic and will last about 5 years, if lucky. I build traditional dovetailed drawers.

One idea I had was to incorporate the lower bevelled case edge/rail into the drawers, and use this as a handle. However, I foresee the difficulty in getting everything to line up perfectly. I like the concept, but not sure about the practicality.

Any other ideas for handless or, if nothing else, complementary handles?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[professore]

Case open on the bottom.  Reach under to contact the bottom of the drawer to slide it out far enough to grasp the edge of the drawer.

Frank

[Derek Cohen]

Mmmm ... let me think about that, Frank .... hmmmm .... no


Regards from Perth

Derek

[Baumholder]

How about semicircular rotating drawers?  Push in at the sides to open the drawers.  

Laminated semicircular drawer sides dovetailed to the flat fronts.  Probably not a new skill for you, but not a simple drawer box either.

Michael

[msweig]

I don't think it is particularly elegant, but a handle attached via magnets? You could store the handle underneath also held on via magnets. But it would be visible if you were at eyelevel (like the photo), though you would figure most of the time people would be standing.

Could you use the repulsive ability of magnets in the back of the drawer/carcass to rig something up like the push in hardware you hate? If done via magnets there would be no plastic hardware. But I would think the changing friction over time would be problematic.

I'm not really sure I like either of these ideas, but they might prompt something better

[Handplanesandmore]

Easy peasy. Just push them out from behind.


I know you're going to say no. So here's another idea. I see gaps all around the drawers. May be a (toughened) veneer-thin tongue or steel sheet is used to slide through the bottom gap to pull out the drawers. You need to work out the details of such mechanism, but doable.

Visitors could be offered the challenge to find out how the drawers could be opened. Oh yeah, let them try pushing from behind


 

I like Frank's approach, and it perhaps can be improved upon.

By the way, I don't like the splayed legs extending outside the parameters of the table top. Frankly, I don't like the handle-less design either. I'd make recessed handles for them, perhaps a recessed round or half round pull to match the legs.

Simon

[Hank Knight]

There are these:

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/har...mechanisms

[Roly]

Blum Tip-On drawer openers, or Blum tip-on ball bearing drawer slides.    Roly

[Willyou]

You might consider making the narrow "divider" in the middle as a swing-out handle. It could actually be a thin piece about 1" wide that fits in a pocket and mounted on a pivot about 1/4 from the top. If you press on the very top the bottom would then swing out and you could grasp it to pull the drawer out. It might even have a finger hole in it.

As I think about it, you could do something similar using the entire drawer front. Make the front so that it pivots in such a way that if you press on one end the other end pops out (either side to side or top to bottom). Small magnets or bullet catches might be used to hold it in place when not in use.

[Alan S]

What if a section of the trim below the drawer was a catch, and a metal spring was mounted in the case behind the drawer? Pushing the trim down could release the drawer, allowing the spring to open it enough to get fingers in. Pushing the drawer closed would allow it to click shut. I imagine the catch and contact point in the drawer would need to be metal for wear.

Depending on where it is to be placed, I think a symmetrical drawer that can be pushed either way might work.

Edit to say, maybe the catch could be in the bottom, rather than in the trim.