Drawer Dovetails – Part 2

2013.08.18

I transferred the dovetails from the sides to the back and started working on those.

Transferring dovetails from drawer side to back
Sawing dovetails in drawer back

Then I rip sawed the drawer back at the groove.  This traditional arrangement of making the drawer back shorter than the drawer sides allows the drawer bottom to expand and contract below the back.

Ripping excess from drawer back
Drawer back and sides with dovetails dry fit

2013.08.22

Now it was time for the half blind dovetails in the drawer front.  Because they do not show on the front face, the dovetail saw cannot reach all the way into the corner.  Also, in through dovetails I prefer to use a coping or fret saw to remove most of the waste, but in half blind dovetails it all has to be chopped and pared with chisels.  This is where a pair of skew chisels (or a fishtail) are really helpful as you work into the corners.

Sawing half blind dovetails in drawer front
Chopping waste in half blind dovetail, two skew chisels

This project is my first experience with madrona (Arbutus menziesii), so I don’t know if this particular board is typical.  It planes and saws beautifully, but it is a very hard, brittle wood and really wanted to blow out as I was chopping end grain for the dovetails.  Ultimately this will never be seen, and there’s still more than enough glue surface to hold, so it’s not a disaster.

Chopping and paring waste in half blind dovetail
Half blind dovetails in madrona with end grain blowout