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Start to finish

Build a drawer side table.

A warm Neutral Wood side table, in 12 steps. Follow the real parametric workflow from stock and joinery through the live cut list and fabrication package.

  1. The real GrainDraft viewport showing the first uncut Neutral Wood leg of the side table.

    Real GrainDraft capture · geometry validated before publish

    The finished leg shown here is the real board GrainDraft uses downstream.

    The frame · Step 1 of 12

    Start with one leg

    Add one Neutral Wood leg and drive its stock dimensions with formulas. It enters the same parametric model that will position and resize the rest of the table.

    • Parametric stock
    • Formula dimensions
    • Wood species
  2. The real GrainDraft viewport showing the formula-driven first leg while its variables are explained.

    Real GrainDraft capture · geometry validated before publish

    apronLength includes both tenons, so it can never disagree with the legs.

    The frame · Step 2 of 12

    Name the numbers

    Give the dimensions names. Type them as decimals or as shop fractions — 3/4 and 1 1/2 mean what you think they mean.

    • Variables dock
    • Expressions
    • Shop fractions

    Variables

    NameExpressionResult
    stockT3/40.75″
    legWidth1 3/41.75″
    overhang11″
    topLength2222″
    apronLengthtopLength - 2*overhang - 2*legWidth + 2*tenon17.5″
  3. The real GrainDraft viewport showing four formula-positioned Neutral Wood legs.

    Real GrainDraft capture · geometry validated before publish

    A formula points at a part's ID, so renaming the leg breaks nothing.

    The frame · Step 3 of 12

    Four legs from one

    Pattern the leg along the length, then across the depth. Group the four as a component so the tree stays readable.

    • Linear pattern
    • Components
    • Formula position

    Variables

    NameExpressionResult
    stockT3/40.75″
    legWidth1 3/41.75″
    overhang11″
    topLength2222″
    apronLengthtopLength - 2*overhang - 2*legWidth + 2*tenon17.5″
  4. The real GrainDraft viewport showing Neutral Wood aprons joined to four legs with validated mortise-and-tenon geometry.

    Real GrainDraft capture · geometry validated before publish

    Designed contact renders violet. A real collision would stay red.

    The frame · Step 4 of 12

    Aprons, mortise and tenon

    Pick two boards, pick the joint. GrainDraft cuts both halves as one relationship — a 1/2-inch tenon, 1/4-inch bit, dogbone corners.

    • Mortise & tenon
    • Seat assembly
    • Violet designed contact
  5. The real GrainDraft viewport showing a deliberately introduced board colliding with the front-left leg.

    Real GrainDraft capture · geometry validated before publish

    Audit state: Seat blocker ↔ Leg FL. The blocker is removed before step 6.

    The frame · Step 5 of 12

    A real blocker

    Introduce one temporary board in the assembly path. GrainDraft reports its overlap with Leg FL, and this frame fails unless that exact collision appears.

    • Collision check
    • Named blocker
    • Geometry audit
  6. The real GrainDraft viewport showing the joined Neutral Wood base frame, front rail, and attached top.

    Real GrainDraft capture · geometry validated before publish

    The frame is a real connected assembly, not a collection of boxes.

    The frame · Step 6 of 12

    Rail, top, and assembly

    A front rail leaves the drawer opening. Screws hold the top to the frame while the component tree stays readable.

    • Screw joint
    • Assembly solver
    • Component tree
  7. The real GrainDraft viewport showing a complete four-wall Neutral Wood drawer box with validated box joints.

    Real GrainDraft capture · geometry validated before publish

    If no bit fits the finger width, no Origin file is offered at all.

    The drawer · Step 7 of 12

    A box-jointed drawer

    Set the finger width and the joint band. GrainDraft solves the parity so the two halves actually interlock, and adds dogbone relief by default.

    • Box joint
    • Finger parity
    • Dogbone relief
  8. The real GrainDraft viewport showing the four-wall drawer and its quarter-inch bottom seated in two dados.

    Real GrainDraft capture · geometry validated before publish

    The drawer · Step 8 of 12

    Bottom and back

    The quarter-inch bottom seats in dados cut into both drawer sides, keeping the box light and square.

    • Dado / groove
    • Sheet goods
    • Cut geometry
  9. The real GrainDraft viewport showing four Neutral Wood walls, a captured bottom, and an applied face fitted flush to the table front.

    Real GrainDraft capture · geometry validated before publish

    The inner front is the fourth wall; the applied face sits flush with the front frame rather than floating behind it.

    The drawer · Step 9 of 12

    Four walls and a flush face

    The box has two sides, an inner front, and a back. Its applied face bears on that inner front and finishes flush with the table legs, with a 1/8-inch reveal.

    • Components
    • Formula position
    • Material assignment
    • Violet designed contact
  10. The real GrainDraft viewport showing the complete table after topLength re-solves from 22 to 24 inches.

    Real GrainDraft capture · geometry validated before publish

    Most software resizes the stock and leaves the assembly in pieces.

    The payoff · Step 10 of 12

    Change one number

    topLength goes from 22 to 24. The top, rails, opening and drawer all re-solve while the seated frame stays together.

    • Assembly solver
    • Joints replayed in creation order

    Variables

    NameExpressionResult
    stockT3/40.75″
    legWidth1 3/41.75″
    overhang11″
    topLength2424″
    apronLengthtopLength - 2*overhang - 2*legWidth + 2*tenon19.5″
  11. The real GrainDraft viewport showing the validated wide table used by the material-aware cut list.

    Real GrainDraft capture · geometry validated before publish

    The payoff · Step 11 of 12

    What it costs

    The complete build uses Neutral Wood, with one editable project-wide rate. Board-foot and linear-foot pricing remain available for the estimate.

    • Board foot
    • Linear foot
    • Material pricing
    • Kerf
    • PDF / CSV

    Cut list

    PartQtyMaterialBd. ft.
    Leg4Neutral Wood2.04
    Apron (back)1Neutral Wood0.41
    Apron (side)2Neutral Wood0.65
    Rail1Neutral Wood0.08
    Top1Neutral Wood3.33
    Drawer side2Neutral Wood0.19
    Drawer front/back2Neutral Wood0.25
    Drawer bottom1Neutral Wood0.33
    Drawer face1Neutral Wood0.21
    Total board feet
    7.5
    Estimated cost
    $45
  12. The real GrainDraft viewport showing the final validated table whose joinery feeds the fabrication deck.

    Real GrainDraft capture · geometry validated before publish

    Every listed operation is derived from geometry validated in GrainDraft.

    The payoff · Step 12 of 12

    Send it to the Origin

    The Fabrication Deck lists the model's machinable operations: mortise pockets and complementary box-joint files, with real depths and bit callouts.

    • Fabrication Deck
    • Encoded cut depth
    • Bit callout
    • ZIP + manifest

    Fabrication deck

    • J1Mortise pocket · leg 1
    • J2Mortise pocket · leg 2
    • J7Box joint · drawer side L
    • J7Box joint · drawer side R

    Grey is registration only — never cut.

    Package: per-operation SVGs · manifest.json · shop sheet

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