I'm looking for advice on how to cut a square or rectangle piece from the center of a board and keep it intact to use as a drawer face. I'm exploring if this is even possible and what techniques or tools I should consider. I want to incorporate this into making an apothecary chest but I'm unsure about the best approach to achieve this cleanly. Any tips or thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
4 Answers
If you're ready for a little extra work, using a scroll saw could give you thinner cuts than a jigsaw. This minimizes the gap between your drawer face and the frame. Alternatively, if you’re gluing up a panel, you might want to cut the drawer out before you complete the glue-up; just make sure to align the seams properly!
Plunge cutting the corners with a multi tool and then finishing the longer cuts with a jigsaw can be an effective method. Just be prepared to do some sanding afterward for a clean finish!
Using a thin router bit might be your best bet! Just slowly route around the perimeter of the area you want to remove. Just a heads up, this will leave you with rounded corners, which is something to keep in mind if you want a sharper edge.
I recommend using a jigsaw for this. Just make sure to practice on some scrap wood first! Tilt the saw slightly so the guide contacts the board, and let the blade cut into the wood while you level out the saw. This way, you’ll get a nice line, but remember, you might end up with a little extra space around the drawer front so think about adding a veneer for a good fit.