My jig for drawer fronts was off by a sixteenth for a decade until a new apprentice asked why I didn't just use a story stick.

I'd been trusting the same plywood template since my first shop job in Tacoma, but his simple question made me realize I was adding error with every cut. Anyone have a favorite method for keeping drawer banks perfectly aligned?

3 comments

3 Comments

parkera2219d ago

Ever seen a project go sideways like wilson.kelly's friend? That's why I only measure from one point now.

riley_taylor23d ago

Adding error with every cut" is exactly why I switched to marking from a single reference edge.

wilson.kelly23d ago

Saw a buddy try to build a bookshelf by measuring each new piece off the last cut. By the time he got to the final shelf, it was over an inch too short. The whole thing leaned because every small mistake added up. He had to take it apart and start over using just the long factory edge of the plywood as his guide. The second try went together perfect.