how to encode drawer order?

[C & S]

I been working on a cutting table for my wife with a bank of 10 pull-through drawers below. That is 20 "drawer fronts".

Since the wood is highly figured and adjacent drawer fronts were each cut from the same board, they have a very specific order. In addition to that, there was a fair amount of hand fitting that would not lend itself to interchanging drawers.

The drawers are aranged in 2 columns with heights of 4",4",5",6.5" and 6.5" (top to bottom)

I'm looking for a clever way of indicating to someone (when I'm not around) column, row and "which front" orientation. something more subtle than writing top, left, west on the underside of the drawer with a sharpie.

I was thinking of doing something with inlaid dots that would not be too obtuse, but pass as decorative to someone who was not paying close attention.

Perhaps a "key" on the bottom of the carcase.

Any ideas in either an encoding scheme and method of presentation more intuative than say, numbering them 1 to 20 in binary with maple and walnut "bits":-).

Thanks,

Steve

[CC]

Possibly name the columns A- Z and the drawers, 1-? then your information sheet underneath somewhere So that would make the drawers named starting top left 1-A and the one under 1-B etc, the next column would be top drawer B-1 and the next one under B--2 . etc CC

[SonomaProducts.com]

Top left drawer. On the top edge of the back of the drawer place a single dot at one end Place a coresponding dot on the top edge of the face frame at the bottom of the opening for that drawer at the same end. Then as you get ready to place the drawer into the empty slot, you see the dot on the drawer and the dot in the opening where it belongs. Both are hidden once installed

For the next drawer down, make two dots at the same end.

For the drawer one column over make the dots at the other end.

Use > I been working on a cutting table for my wife with a bank of 10 pull-thro= ugh

[Leon]

I am going to sound like a smart ass here but. It is common to mark the bottom side of the drawer bottom. Which would be more distracting, markings that you only see if you pull the drawer out and turn it upside down or inlays that might draw the attention away from the highly figured wood? Believe me, some one that is not paying close attention is not going to pull the drawer out dump its contents and look on the bottom.

I have built a similar chest and use it daily. We have not ever had a problem with keeping the drawers properly orientated. Seldom do we ever remove the drawers and if we do we generally let the contents tell us which way the drawer should go back in.

[B A R R Y]

That's what I do.

"Top Left" "Center Left" "Bottom Right"

Somewhere invisible when the drawers are installed. I don't want to guess if every user will guess a code.

[Morris Dovey]

Encrypt it in the number and width of each drawer front's dovetails. :-)

[C & S]

Too late, but I like that idea.

[C & S]

Final solution posted to ABPW

pull-through

[J T]

Sat, Nov 15, 2008, 9:01am [e-mail] (C=A0&=A0S) did publicly post. I'm looking for a clever way of indicating to someone (when I'm not around) column, row and "which front" orientation. something more subtle than writing top, left, west on the underside of the drawer with a sharpie.

I stopped by to see if Swingman had responded to a post I'd made, and saw this thread.

OK, you made the table for your wife. Which would suggest to me that she's going to be the one using it. I would think she's only going to pull out one drawer at a time, and possibly not even remove it completely. But, saying that she did remove it completely, you're worried she's going to turn the drawer around and get it in backwards? That sounds like you're saying she isn't too bright. Or do you expet strange people to be using the table and pull all of the drawers out at once, then put them in backwards? Hell, even if they did, wouldn't be brain surgery to figure which drawer when which way and which slot in just a minute or two, probably in less time then deciphering your "code" even.

Seems to me your so-called "problem" would have been solved by just telling your wife to only pull out one drawr at a time, if she's going to take anycompletely out, and not turn them end for end before she slides them back in.

Time for me to go to someplace fun.

JOAT Where the choice is between only violence and cowardice, I would advise violence.

- Mohandas Gandhi

[C & S]

Joat

But, saying that she did remove it completely, you're worried she's going to turn the drawer around and get it in backwards? That sounds like you're saying she isn't too bright. Or do you expet strange people to be using the table and pull all of the drawers out at once, then put them in backwards? Hell, even if they did, wouldn't be brain surgery to figure which drawer when which way and which slot in just a minute or two, probably in less time then deciphering your "code" even.

No to all of the above.

Some day, the piece will get moved to a diffent house, or from upstairs to down. It is simply too big and heavy to be moved with the drawers installed. That's when I beleive that the encoding wil be useful.

-Steve

[Lew Hodgett]

Masking tape and a marking pen.

Lew

[Morris Dovey]

When you decide to move, let me know and I'll send you a pad of small Post-It notes. :)

[C & S]

Trying to be kind to the next guy when I get hit by a bus.

:-)