Sliding dovetails with a router - advice

[Peter Keen]

I'm building a chest of drawers out of walnut - a repeat of Glen Huey's Line and Berry Chest of Drawers. I don't like some of the features of the original, so I'm making a webframe. The webframe is built by having the stretchers, which will ultimately have a double bead moulding applied, attached to the solid walnut sides, using sliding dovetails.

The front and rear stretchers will be 2" wide. The runners will be attached to them using mortise and tenon joints. The front mortise and tenon will be joined, the rear will be free to move. Both the front and rear stretchers will be glued into position.

How long should I cut the sliding dovetails?

As I am using a router, the end of the sliding dovetail socket inside the cabinet will be rounded. Should I cut them slightly too short, and then pare the pin to permit it to rest against the back of the socket, thereby preventing unnecessary movement, or should I cut them slightly too long - less work, easier fit, but it means that the only thing preventing the socket from being pushed back is the glue joining the dovetail to the tenon.

So - how long should I cut the dovetail sockets?

[John TenEyck]

I cut the socket the same length as the male and then round over the end of the male with a chisel and file. If anything, I make sure the male end is a little short so that I know the fronts will be flush during glue-up.

John

[Robert LaPlaca]

I use webframes for all the furniture that I build..

I would say that 2" of sliding dovetail is getting to be the hairy edge of a non-tapered dovetail. I usually try for 1 1/2", the issue is attempting to get the joint home after application of the glue, its amazing how the glue swells the joint..

I build the webframe just as you propose, the drawer runners are M&T to the front and rear stretchers, glued only the front M&T the rear M&T is dry, maybe with a tad of wax on the tendon. You definitively want to leave room in the sliding dovetail so the socket is longer than the pin..

Just so you know the sliding dovetail is an extremely fussy joint to fit,+ .010 to much on the pin the joint will not go, +.025 its too sloppy..

[John TenEyck]

Here's a picture of some I did on some white oak dressers last year:

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I fit the web frame in place pretty much as described above, the stretchers glued both front and back, but the runners glued at the front only, using loose tenons.

307777

It wasn't hard to fit the dovetails. As long as you can slide them in place w/o using a mallet, they will go in fine when glue is applied. Worst case, you have to pull them home with a clamp, but normally a gentle tap or two with a mallet is all that's needed.

John

[Peter Keen]

Thanks - got them all 'rough' cut last night. I cut the slots 1 7/8 deep at the surface - so they will be about 1/8" deeper or so inside the joint. I used a Leigh D4R Jig to do the work - and it went really fast. The whole operation (including learning and test cuts) took about 2 1/4 hours.