Chest in Pop Woodworking

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Lonnie Bird's chest in Popular Woodworking incorporates a design feature that I have never seen before. He used dovetails to join the sides to the top and bottom, then applied a crown around the top of the case. This leaves all the joiniery visible on the top since the chest is only about, well, chest high. I've never seen a chest this size without a seperate top to cover the dovetails and junction between the crown and case. Is this construction normal or is it an unusual adaptation to show off woodworking skill?

BTW, what do you think of his way of "Hand cutting" dovetails using a router?

[Jim Becker]

This is not an uncommon method in casework...Thos Moser also uses dovetails on some pieces with moldings to dress the edge. The joinery is still visible on the top. Others, such as Becksvoort have done the same. But it also brings something else to the conversation...the need for the molding on the edge to move on the cross-grain "sides" of the piece. All of these folks have shown a method whereby the molding is held to the case with a sliding dovetail and only glued at the front of the piece. I used a simpler technique for the crown molding at top of my armoire project since there was less (no) visibility problem...the molding was attached to a secondary piece at the top which had an elongated screw hole towards the back and on top of the case.

I have not seen the article, as I don't take that magazine, but "how" you cut dovetails is really personal preference. The end result is what counts. IMHO. I've been cutting them by "really" by hand on a couple of projects, primarily to learn how, and would do so again whenever time allows. But I would not hesitate to use a router, bandsaw or other power tool "just for grins" or when it better suited the project schedule and my personal needs. Learning and using different techniques is a good thing. And I do believe that the so-called "masters" would have used power tools if they had them available...they are just tools.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

I have not seen the article, as I don't take that magazine, but "how" you cut dovetails is really personal preference. The end result is what counts. IMHO. I've been cutting them by "really" by hand on a couple of projects, primarily to learn how, and would do so again whenever time allows. But I would not hesitate to use a router, bandsaw or other power tool "just for grins" or when it better suited the project schedule and my personal needs. Learning and using different techniques is a good thing. And I do believe that the so-called "masters" would have used power tools if they had them available...they are just tools.

Jim, Lonnie lays out the dovetails like he is going to cut them by hand, then uses a router freehand to remove the waste from the sockets. He doesn't undercut the back edge with the router and uses a chisel to square up the socket to accept the tails. It amazes me that anyone can do that with a router free hand. That would be a good way for me to make a lot of firewood.

[lou sansone]

Jim, Lonnie lays out the dovetails like he is going to cut them by hand, then uses a router freehand to remove the waste from the sockets. He doesn't undercut the back edge with the router and uses a chisel to square up the socket to accept the tails. It amazes me that anyone can do that with a router free hand. That would be a good way for me to make a lot of firewood.

couple of thoughts
exposed dovetails on the top of case pieces is not that uncommon on 18th century pieces. I have even seen them on many "dressers" of that period.
Secondly, I tend to cut all of my dovetails by "hand" but as others have said, I use a combination of hand tools, some powered and some not powered. I have found that I can cut them quicker than trying to set up a "dovetail jig" for just one or two sets of joints. I have to admit though that some of the new jigs like the akedia ( sp?) seem interesting. For case pieces you are going to need one with at least 16" width though.

lou