Tongue and screw for no-roll rails
Some of the cabinets I build use narrow rails between drawers. I used to reinforce the joints with dowels, but found over the years that they sometimes worked loose and even rotated slightly.
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Some of the cabinets I build use narrow rails between drawers. I used to reinforce the joints with dowels, but found over the years that they sometimes worked loose and even rotated slightly. So I developed a hybrid joint to fix the problem. First, I make the rails 1⁄4 " deeper than the stiles, with a tongue to overlap the back of the stile. Then, a dab of glue and a pocket screw hold the rail and stile together for a twist-free fit.
—Doug Spencer, West Jordan, Utah