Bottom panel Dado in a dovetail box?

[Tony Shea]

I have just completed my first complete set of hand-cut dovetails for a chisel storage box im making. It's really my first box in any style for that matter.

My issue is creating the dado for the bottom to sit inside. How can I cut this dado so that it doesn't show through the endgrain of my sides? I must have to stop the dado before the end of the boards. Is this the right way to build this? Without a router table, what would be the best method in creating this dado that doesn't extend to the ends of the boards? Should I have cut this dado before making my dovetails? This is basically a practise piece but it turned out so well that I intend to use it for my chisel storage. Some opinions would be appreciated. Sorry if this is a dumb question, just starting out in this wonderful hobby.

[Stephen Reid]

Check out Derek Cohen's site.He has a tut on exactly what you're looking for,using a router plane for the stopped groove.

[Tony Shea]

That would be another tool I do not own. Would chiseling these out be the way to go or do something with my plunge router?

[Karl Brogger]

Center the dado on the bottom pin/tail, and no deeper than tail. (crap, I think its the tail, I get them confused. Anyway, it would be the front and/or back of the drawer box.) Then it won't show, and you can run it all the way through.

[Joe Cunningham]

Plunge router, then square up the ends with a chisel.

Another option is to attach some drawer slips to the sides. See here for what I mean (Woodworking Magazine (http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/About+Drawer+Slips.aspx)).

[Karl Brogger]

Like this:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=133989&d=1259539234

[Justin M Rovang]

What I'd do is dry fit the box without the bottom - mark the 4 inside corners where the perpendiculars meet.

Let's say it's 3/4" stock, and you want a 1/4" wide and deep groove to accept a panel bottom -

You'd then run your groove/dado to your lines PLUS the depth of the groove (in this case, 1/4").

On two pieces, this will (should) make the groove go all the way across, and on the other two pieces it should stop ~1/2" from the edges, (or 1/4" past your line) - kinda what Karl has drawn out except that shows a half blind joint and the groove should -stop- before the end of the pin if it's not half blind.

Plunge with a 1/4" spiral or mortise/straight bit. or whatever size you want your groove

[Jeff Willard]

Try this.


http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=47818&cat=1,46168,46176&ap=1

[Chris Friesen]

I'm assuming you used through-dovetails. If you put the groove right in the middle of a tail, you can run the grooves full-length on the pin board but you need to stop the groove on the tail board. With half-blind dovetails you can run the groove the full length of both boards because the end of the tail isn't visible.

If you've got a router, slotting bit or a straight bit can be used. With the straight bit you can probably go far enough that no chisel work is needed to square up the ends...with the slot cutter you might need to do a bit of chiselling.

The full-on hand-tool way of doing this would involve a plow plane, chisels, and optionally a router plane.

[Tony Shea]

They are through dovetails, have not yet moved on to half-blinds by hand yet. I do own a router with a plunge base and have a 1/4" straight bit. I suppose I will just use my edge guide (which is not a very nice one) to get me straight. Just am afraid of slight movement in the wrong direction when using an edge guide. A jig of some sort in combination with a certain size bushing on the router would probably be more accurate. Any ideas or links to a jig that could perform this function?

[Justin M Rovang]

An edge guide could work - you'll have to be a bit careful to where you apply your pressure as you near the edges.

Personally I draw my grooves - then clamp a straightedge across the piece as a guide to run the base against - it's a bit more forgiving since you can twist the base as you move across it.

I'm sure there's plenty of youtube videos out there on jigs as well.

[Will Brauneis]

Hey tony here the three methods i use when i make dovetailed boxes with full length dados. I work mostly with all hand tools and don't own a router so these may work for you instead if your afraid of the router moving while your cutting the stopped dados.

1) Cut a rabbit across the tails facing the inside of the box the depth of the dado and it wont show through. ( just make sure to space your dovetails so the dado doesn't go through a pin because that will show)
2) (This one is my favorite but it is a little complex and hard to explain if you have or can get a copy of the #176 issue of Popular Woodworking it explains it well on the tool chest article.) You make the dado for the bottom panel and then mark out your pins and tails so the bottom half pin is just below the dado. Then cut your tails and for the bottom tail with the dado running through it saw and chisel the tail to the depth of the rabbit so it makes a little mini rabbit in each of the 4 corners of the box. Then adjust the depth of the cut for the bottom pin so it fits into the rabbit made on the tail.
3) The simplest put a piece of trim around the bottom of the box tall enough to cover the gap up. I do this on many of the boxes i make it looks great on jewelry boxes and such.


Hope that helps