First hand cut dovetail project: jewelry box

[Andy Pratt]

I wanted to make something really special for my girlfriend for her birthday (today) and I've needed an excuse to finally make a project with hand-cut dovetails for some time, so I decided she would be the first person to get a hand dovetailed project. I've had the tools to do it for some time, my main ones are as follows: LN chisel set, LN dovetail marker, small crown square, crown marking guage, shop made western maple burl mallet, LV holdfast (put a leather pad on the face after this project), and a LN dovetail saw. I've been practicing dovetails off and on for a few months, but the last two small projects I started I kept chopping out the wrong areas and unofficially gave up for a while in frustration. I think by using more expensive wood this time I kept myself from making the same layout errors, I was just more worried and that kept me from taking shortcuts. I made this out of black walnut, it's about 11X6X6 with a drop in tray for smaller jewelry (cutouts made with forstner drill outs).

Here's why I wrote: A few of the dovetails (may not show in the pictures) had noticeable gaps in them, and a few of the others required significant fitting (see wood file in pictures) before they would fit. Do most people cut shy of the line and pare down to it even on really tiny dovetails (as you see in the middle joint)? If so, does cutting from the side tend to cause chip-out and how do you prevent that?

On a less analytical note, she really liked the box, and kept touching the dovetails and saying how nice they looked, even before I told her how much work went into making them, so it was definitely a rewarding experience. I'm greatful that I am able to have good tools to work with, as this was pretty hard even with good stuff, I can't imagine how much harder it must be working with troublesome tools.

One other quick question: What is the most common way of attaching the bottom to a box for completely handmade construction? I routed stopped dadoes for a floating panel in this one, but that would probably be quite a chore with a hand router plane, is there an easier way?

Thanks for reading, hope you liked the project.

[Jim Koepke]

Here's why I wrote: A few of the dovetails (may not show in the pictures) had noticeable gaps in them, and a few of the others required significant fitting (see wood file in pictures) before they would fit. Do most people cut shy of the line and pare down to it even on really tiny dovetails (as you see in the middle joint)? If so, does cutting from the side tend to cause chip-out and how do you prevent that?

Accurate marking, sawing and knowing how much of a kerf the saw will make and adjusting the cut for that should all come with experience.

It is also easier to leave a little extra and pare it off than it is to take off too much and try to find the tool that puts it back on.

Some will cut another kerf along the mating edges of a dovetail and glue in contrasting pieces of veiner. It can have a stunning effect.


One other quick question: What is the most common way of attaching the bottom to a box for completely handmade construction? I routed stopped dadoes for a floating panel in this one, but that would probably be quite a chore with a hand router plane, is there an easier way?

I find it quite easy to cut a dado with a chisel, then smooth the bottom with a router plane. I can do this more accurately and about as quick as using an electric router.


Thanks for reading, hope you liked the project.

It is pretty, any woman should be happy to get an empty jewelry box from a man. She knows someone will have to fill it.

Thanks for sharing,

jim

[Mike Henderson]

One other quick question: What is the most common way of attaching the bottom to a box for completely handmade construction? I routed stopped dadoes for a floating panel in this one, but that would probably be quite a chore with a hand router plane, is there an easier way?

Thanks for reading, hope you liked the project.
I always made stopped dados using something like a Stanley 71 plane with the guide on the bottom. The ends are finished with a chisel. The bottom is planed at an angle all around so the part that goes into the dado is thinner than the overall bottom - like a raised panel. The angled parts go down.

For an easier (but powered) way, put the box together after you make the dovetails (don't glue) and use a slot cutter with a router table. That way you're sure the grooves line up all around. But you still have to clean the corners up with a chisel.

Mike

[Eric Wong]

Nicely done!

[Don C Peterson]

Very nice Andy!

I'm not the world's foremost expert on handcut dovetails, but here's what I tell myself...

Handcut dovetails aren't supposed to be perfect, if you want perfect (stale and lifeless IMO) get an Incra jig and a router table...

That's not to say that we can't improve our technique, but you already cut some very nice DT's now that you have the basic technique it's a matter of practice in order to become consistent.

I cut to the line and try to avoid any paring, and when paring is necessary, I use a SHARP chisel, I woudn't use a rasp to pare dovetails because of tearout and also there is a strong tendency to round over.

[John Dykes]

Wow - you must have taken the hand tools class at the Denver Woodcraft. The instructor is a dovetails savant - Klaus, Kingshott, Cosman all rolled into one (;) towards Eric Wong)!!

- jbd in Denver

[Mark Singer]

Very nice!

[Jeff Craven]

What is the most common way of attaching the bottom to a box for completely handmade construction? I routed stopped dadoes for a floating panel in this one, but that would probably be quite a chore with a hand router plane, is there an easier way?
Last year, I made a similar box for my girlfriend. I cut through dadoes and used mitered dovetails to hide the through cut. I drew it to scale to layout the grove and the dovetail spacing, to make sure they didn't interfere. You can see it in this thread: http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=56566

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

looks like you're a dab hand at the DTs~!!

[Andy Pratt]

Thanks for the comments everyone, probably just being a little more careful with layout and practicing a lot will eventually make the fitting a bit easier. I would agree with the rasp not being an ideal tool, I definitely had problems with roundover and the side of the rasp sometimes cut into the body of the board, which was annoying. In the future I'll stick with really light paring if I need to reduce the size of a dovetail.

Thanks,
Andy

[lowell holmes]

The Rob Cosman videos from LN helped me. Good light so you can see the lines you are cutting to is a great help. I use an Ott lamp.
I've been making dovetailed candle boxes for years and I just recently was able to put the dove tails together without trimming the tails to fit. I still can't do it every time.

An article about proper sawing tecniques by Christopher Swarz in a recent issue of Woodworking really helped.

Often on a Shaker style candle box, the bottom is glued on.

[Mike K Wenzloff]

Hi Andy--good job! I like making gifts that have utility for the recipient.

No matter the size of the DT, I go for a fit with no paring. While some may say it takes accurate sawing, I find that the better the marking, the better the DTs fit off the saw.

As for grooving. I either do the mitered corner at the bottom/top or simply do a stopped groove. Once in a blue moon I do fully mitered half blind DTs for box corner.

To make the groove, I typically gauge the line that defines the top of the groove on all pieces. On the pieces that have the stopped grooves, I simply drill the stops using a brace and bit then line up a batten on the top gauged line and use a dado plane to deepen both the lines and use a router plane to create the stopped groove. On the through grooves, I simply use the batten to guide the dado plane.

Take care, Mike