Finally got the grain to match on a walnut drawer front after two days of trying

I had this one drawer front for a built-in that just would not play nice. The client wanted bookmatched walnut, and I had the perfect slab set aside. Cut everything, went to glue up, and the grain on the right side panel just refused to line up with the drawer face. It was off by maybe an eighth of an inch, but it looked like a mile. I spent a whole day messing with clamps, shims, even re-sanding the edge. Nothing worked. Finally, my buddy came over and we figured out the drawer box itself had a tiny twist I hadn't caught. Had to pull it apart, re-square the whole thing, and start over. What should have been a couple hour job ate up my whole weekend. Anyone else ever get hung up on a tiny detail that just snowballed?

3 comments

3 Comments

reeseperez23d ago

My last project had a cabinet door that fought me for three days over a quarter inch gap. I feel your pain.

the_lucas22d ago

I mean, I finally got mine to sit right by shimming the bottom hinge with a couple of washers.

the_nathan17d ago

Ever notice how half of fixing stuff is just adding little bits to make it level? It's like the world is built slightly wrong on purpose. We spend our lives putting washers under the wobbly parts.