Cabs are easy, drawerboxes are hard

[Gene Davis]

I've done OK so far, using this new software. I plan on using it to be able to buy cut parts from a production sharing shop, as my biz is selling, designing, assembling, and installing installations, not making or finishing parts.

I am running into a wall on drawerboxes, at least if I want to do dovetail boxes cut by a Thermwood router.

With portable routers and jigs, I have cut enough dovetail boxes to know how cutting depth relates to material thickness, and how sensitive the degree of fit is to the depth of cut, also.

Off the disc mailed my by Thermwood, the eCabs program does not come with any \"standard\" dovetail boxes at all. The \"standard\" file folder contains no box files, nor does the \"temp\" folder. The box I have been using is the only one that shipped with my copy of eCabs 5.1, filename \"Dovetail Dbx -slide in btm-\".

I have been able to change that \"seed\" dbx, only in that I can create new sheet stock materials in 1/2\" thicknesses and swap out those materials for sides, fronts, and backs, and do the same for the 1/4\" door bottoms.

The program craps out on me if I attempt, as I need to do, to change the material for fronts, sides, and backs to something other than 1/2\".

In my market, I need 5/8\" drawerbox construction.

Every attempt I have made to take the only \"seed\" I've got, and change the surround parts to 5/8\", has resulted in the message \"There was an unexpected error whilehandling CNC data opertion in Drawer Box Editor Reverting to previous body\"

The recent thread about production sharing experience seems to reach a conclusion about drawerboxes and Thermwood, that being that the shop that will cut the box parts had better be in charge of creating the file for the box.

Would you all agree? Because if that is so, I'll need to request that .hsf drawerbox files be sent to me for the various types I'll need in my cabinets.

[Walker T Scott]

Can you post the drawer box that you are using?

Thanks
Walker

[Gene Davis]

Here it is, the only one that came with my eCabs program.

The sheet stock materials have been changed by me. The box as delivered had its surround parts of a 1/2\" material called \"1/2 Generic Dbx\" and its bottom was 1/4\" material called \"1/4 Generic Dbx\".

I created new prefinished baltic birch sheet materials but at the same thincknesses, swapped them out, and that is what the file has now.

[DanEpps]

Gene

Look in the Dovetail Boxes folder instead of the Standard folder. You should have a cased bottom box there.

[Gene Davis]

I stand corrected. I had misfiled a box in my PATTERNS folder, and had the drawer box editor opening that one first.

Here is the way eCabs 5.1 came to me with drawerboxes.

The folder \"drawer boxes\" has two folders within. \"Dove tail boxes\" and \"standard.\"

The folder \"dove tail boxes\" has two files, \"dovetail dbx - slide in btm\" and \"dovetail dbx - cased btm\"

\"Standard\" has four files, \"Std_dovetail_dbx - slide in btm 1\", \" . . . slide in btm 2\", \" . . . cased btm\", and \"Standard Drawer\"

Of the five boxes with dovetail construction, all are done with the surround parts of \"1/2 generic dbx\" and bottoms of \"1/4 generic dbx\"

I sort of solved my problem, and am able to make a dbx with 5/8 thickness parts for the surround. The thing I missed was in not understanding that the THICKNESS PERCENTAGE setting needed to be changed, and that the thickness related to material thickness used.

My only hassle now is that my drawer box now renders in white, not in woodgrain.

[DanEpps]

...My only hassle now is that my drawer box now renders in white, not in woodgrain.

Just change the image used on your 5/8 material (settings & preferences - define material).

[Gene Davis]

Graining still won't work with me.

Grain images are attached to all materials, but still white.

My file is attached.

[DanEpps]

In the drawer box designer and with the drawer box opened, right-click and go into construction settings. Then just click OK to rebuild the drawer and see if that does it.

It shows just fine for me.

[Zach Froble]

Gene,

If you can just give me the list of the drawer box sizes that you need, I can enter them my self with the settings I already have saved.

This has been the easiest way for me in the past to make sure the drawer boxes have the correct fit.

On a separate note to Thermwood. Would it be possible to add Drawer boxes and MDF doors as selection in the Batch area for circumstances like this.

Thanks,

Zach

[Kerry Fullington]

Zach,
Here is a method described by Scott Vaal to batch MDF Doors and drawers.


\"I don't know if you batch doors like this a lot, but here is a fast way to do it by creating one (as a cabinet without other parts) and then changing it to any size in the batch.

Follow these to the \"T\"

1.) Load the std base frameless.
2.) Delete all cabinet parts except the toe kick.
3.) Go to door/drawer editor: set the door you want default and then add it to the cabinet (do not change any door con-settings).
4.) Return to main.
5.) Go to con-settings -> toe kick tab: set the Height and Inset to zero, and uncheck \"Has Toe\", select OK.
6.) Save this cabinet and then batch any size/Qty door of this style that you want.
_________________
Regards,

Scott Vaal
eCabinet Systems\"

Hope this helps. Kerry

[mikesand]

Gene, I had the the same issue. It turned out that the percentage thickness is a value determined by the tooling and the material thickness. There are also tooling values that had to be changed on mine as well due to the different tooling that the shop used. Including the angle of the dove tail bit and the radius of the ..... \"top\" of the bit; it is kinda hard to explain unless you see the bit. Unfortunately, unless you get the exact specs from the shop you can't be certain the values will be correct. The best thing to do is use but joints (to speed up the processing) and have the shop swap out the drawers using their own set up. Unfortunately if you are using undermount drawers that can cause issues as well because if their material thickness is different the inset values also have to be changed on EVERY cabinet.

I don't know if you were following my post about production sharing, check it out there were some good recomendation given there.

Good luck,
Mike