Number of tails for a Dutch tool chest?

[Tony Wilkins]

About to cut my joinery for a Dutch tool chest. Those of you who have built one, how many did you do? For those who haven’t, for a tool chest made out of a 1x12 what do you think you’d do?

Just trying to think it through? Is 5 enough?

[william sympson]

I built one 4 yrs or so ago out of soft eastern red cedar. I used 5 tails because I liked the look- it has had no issues and has been moved around a fair bit.

R/
William

[John Schtrumpf]

As my boards were around 3/4" thick. I marked 3/4" intervals on the baseline of the tail board and angled my tails up from those marks.

[Laurent Marshall]

I used 4 tails. They're painted over, and now you wouldn't even know it was dovetailed, so they really just need to hold things together - there isn't any real concern for aesthetics or showing off here, unless you aren't going to paint your chest. Overall the chest is very strong once you screw on the front panel, and all the tongue and groove back panels. I feel like 4-5 tails is enough strength, more is just more work in this case.

[lowell holmes]

I looked on line for a Dutch tool chest. I saw wooden tool boxes with tools in them.
Can someone define exactly what one is?:)

[John Schtrumpf]

I looked on line for a Dutch tool chest. I saw wooden tool boxes with tools in them.
Can someone define exactly what one is?:)
Popularized by Chris Schwarz:

https://www.popularwoodworking.com/oct13/dutch-tool-chest/

https://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/chris-schwarz-blog/details-on-the-dutch-tool-chests/

[David Bassett]

I looked on line for a Dutch tool chest. I saw wooden tool boxes with tools in them.
Can someone define exactly what one is?:)

And to be precise, we had a Dutch national show up and school us: the style's origin is German and it technically should be call the "Deutsch Toolbox". (Like the the "Pennsylvania Dutch" are of German ancestry. We American's are just sloppy about our pronunciations.)

[Tony Wilkins]

Thanks for all the replies. I also went back to the article. It doesn’t mention in the article but the picture showed one with 5 tails. My next thought, as an inexperienced dovetailer, is if I want to do the 140 trick.

[David Eisenhauer]

The 140 trick does work, but it is another step that would then have to be done correctly or accurately to be of use. Your call.