Sunday, February 24, 2008

Ultra-Secret Drawer

If you want to add the ultimate secret drawer to a piece of furniture, construct it so that even YOU can't reveal its contents!

While working on the PA German Hanging Cupboard, whose photo is shown in the sidebar, I decided to add a hidden drawer above one of the top two drawers, since both had so much empty space above them inside the cupboard. Carefully measuring for size from the back of the cupboard (since I hadn't yet added the boards for the back) I painstakingly handcut the dovetailed secret drawer, handcut dadoes for drawer runners, installed the runners so the hidden drawer would hang suspended above the top drawer, and inserted the drawer (still working from the back of the cupboard).

Walking around front to admire my handiwork, I reached in to remove the drawer. Uh oh. Forgot all about the faceframe that makes the drawer opening smaller in the front than in the back of the cupboard. That drawer will never come out once the back is installed. (Insert expletive here.)

Question is, should I fix it or leave it as is? If I leave it, perhaps some 22nd century person will come across the cupboard at a flea market, take it home, discover the secret drawer, and become mightily irritated in trying to remove it....(Insert bad inner child giggle here.)

Photos top to bottom:
1) View from the back of the cupboard. The secret drawer rests on drawer runners above the top drawer.
2) The secret drawer.
3) View from the front of the cupboard with secret drawer in place and top drawer removed.
4) ¡@?!!X#!