How to Cut Dovetail Joints

Overview of Dovetail

There are many different designs to box building and they all have pros and cons. When building a box, such as a cabinet drawer, the need for something that is going to be enduring is a pressing issue. The dovetail joint is the most common and can be made to be fully seen or not seen at all. The through dovetail is readily seen as pins and tails are cut on the ends of the two pieces that are joined. Half blind, sliding and full blind dovetails are exactly what their names imply. The easiest of these is the blind dovetail because it doesn’t require a lot of setup time. The lumber used for these purposes is usually solid and at least ¾ inch thick.

Things You'll Need

• Lumber for boxes
• Scrap lumber
• Router Table
• 18 degree dovetail bit
• Pin Template
• Tail Template
• Hammer
• Wood block

Instructions

The Sliding Dovetail

1. 

   Set the dovetail router bit in the router as specified by manufacturer. Approximate the height of the bit by the dovetail desired. This bit cuts a ¼ inch dovetail. Cut the desired lengths of the lumber to be used.

2. 

   Set the fence of the router table to cut the dovetail on the end (not the edge) of pieces that the pins will slide into. This can be done so the pieces make a smooth corner rather than offset as seen in the illustration. This cut is the horizontal one in the illustration.

3. Once this is set, cut the ends of all parts that are going to receive the pins that will be cut next.

4. 

   Set the fence of the router table up to cut the pins. This will take two passes as the pin is cut to fit the tail previously made. Use scrap lumber to check accuracy. The vertical piece in the illustration is a pin.

5. 

   Once accuracy is obtained, cut all remaining parts to fit into the tails. Assemble joints with glue and by tapping the pins into the tails with the hammer and woodblock.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wear safety glasses.

• Cut the pins a little shy of a tight fit taking care to not cut too much material away.

• Use caution when operating the router table.