Dovetail Box 2

  The box is nearly finished, once the glue dries I will sand and stain it.  This is the first time I made all four corners dovetails.  In the past the boxes have had two dovetails and two mitre or butt joints.

   What have I learned from the experience?  This is a slow method for me to use, the method is not slow (I've seem Rob Cosman), I am slow.  I can also see why wood workers that use dovetail joints often make a special vise to hold the wood while they saw.  It is important to have the wood solidly clamped and at a good working level.

   I also learned that cutting dovetails by hand is enjoyable and something I will turn to more often, I think.

Hand Cut Dovetails

I begin with this box just in  case you didn't know what a dovetail joint was.  Of course, if you didn't know about dovetails, you probably aren't reading this blog.

none of the hand cut dovetail people would ever be caught dead working in Plywood,  that is why I used this photo, clearly it is not any of the people listed below, so I have shown no favouritism or preference 

YouTube video showing both tails and pins being cut.


Wikipedia's entry on Dove Tails.


Chris Schwarz's "Five Dovetails Personalities" 

Hand cut dovetails after 50 , an internet entry that inspired me give it a try again


The Village Carpenter , a very good video showing technique


  All of those entries influence my thinking, I have books in the basement and once sent three days watching Rob Cosman cutting dovetails in a sales both next to mine at west coast wood show. Certainly i have a high level of dovetail awareness, now the question is whether awareness will lead to a change in behaviour. 


    I have cut a few dove tails for projects.  Note: I am not showing  mine when there are so many good examples out there to show.


  Maybe, when the weather cools down I will get more active in the shop and give it a go on more time.


cheers, IanW