Axcaliber drawer-lock bits produce strong, perfectly fitting joints quickly and easily. This one bit produces both the sides of the joint without any further adjustment. The joint resists pulling forces when opening the drawer and has a large surface contact for glue. Where the aesthetics of a dovetail joint aren’t required, the drawer lock joint is nearly as strong, easier to set up and quicker to produce. The Axcaliber drawer-lock bits are suitable for material thicknesses from 12mm to 20mm.

Safety first: these bits are for use on router tables only and are not suitable for use in a hand-held router.

Setup
Set the height to roughly 2/3 thickness of the drawer front, but not more than the full cutting height if using thick stock.
Set fence so that the inner cutting edge projects only fractionally more than the thickness of the sides.

Make a test cut
Rout the drawer front flat on the router table with the front of the drawer facing up.
Rout the sides of the drawer, perpendicular to the table with the inside face placed vertically against the table’s fence.

Test fit
If the joint is loose, raise the bit slightly. If the joint is tight, lower the bit slightly.
If the overlap is too short, move the fence back. If the overlap is too long move, the fence forwards.
Make a test cut and test fit.