Drawer Fronts: Leaving space for wood movement

[beagles]

I have been building a dresser since Thanksgiving and am now to the point where I need to decide how to cut the drawer fronts. The four sides of the drawer will be solid cherry with dovetailed corners.

The drawer opening is 7.5" high. The width is 27.5". Right now, the drawer pieces are in my basement in upstate NY. The dresser will be traveling with my son to SC for 2 years and then places known only to the US Navy. I'm told it will be air conditioned in SC.

The drawer fronts will be fully inset. The sides and back, already cut to height & dovetailed, are 0.25" short by design.

I am leaving about a 32nd total gap on the sides.

The question is: How much space to allow for seasonal movement.

Thanks...

[Ruffnek]

There are tables for determining wood movement relative to temperature and humidity if you really want to get it down to a gnat's a$$. Personally, I would leave a 1/16" gap top and bottom.

Assuming kiln dried wood of <10% MC to start, it's probably as dry as it will ever get right now. So, it will expand as the humidity and temperature rises in the various locales where you take it as it seeks EMC.

I can't see it expanding 1/8" total across the 7 1/2" width. Now, if you want to decrease the gap to 1/32" like the ends, you had better get out the calculator and google one of those wood expansion tables.

[TDHofstetter]

A sixteenth top & bottom is probably fine. It may not be, but it may be. If it's not... does your son not know how to operate a hand plane? Surely he does... and he can take a skim where it's needed, when it's needed, if it's needed.