Dovetail Joints

by Mario Rodriguez

by George Huron

A locking joint with a forgiving nature, the tapered sliding dovetail is ideal for open bookcase shelving that is rigid and sturdy. San Antonio woodworker George ...

by Christian Becksvoort

Pins first, or tails first? Either will do when cutting dovetails, says longtime woodworker Christian Becksvoort (who happens to be a tails-first guy). Becksvoort, ...

by Steve Brown

Compound angles can add visual interest to many projects where standard square joints can’t. And cutting compound-angle joinery doesn’t have to be intimidating. ...

by Janet A. Collins

Dovetailing a drawer is not the daunting task you might think -- all it requires is a little know-how and practice. Janet A. Collins, an instructor at the North ...

by Steve Latta

Steve Latta’s method of cutting dovetails on the tablesaw guarantees accuracy and lets you control spacing and size. It ensures square cuts, helping with an accurate ...

by Bruce Gray

Using the laboratory at the Wood Science and Technology Center of the University of New Brunswick, Bruce Gray tested joints and talked to experts about why joints ...

by Charles Durfee

The dovetail joint can inspire both confidence and alarm; it can also inspire a lively discussion. Pins first or tails first? Handsaw or machine? In this article ...

by Garrett Hack

Curved parts can add physical strength to a design while preserving its visual lightness, according to Garrett Hack who details in this article how to use drawings ...

by Tony Konovaloff

Tony Konovaloff makes furniture with a lot of knockdown joints to keep big pieces manageable in his small shop. He devised a strong connection method using housed ...

by Jeff Miller

Jeff Miller uses his tablesaw and bandsaw to make dovetails that look hand-cut. He made a tablesaw jig that is fast to set up and helps him cut dovetails of any ...

by Vincent Laurence

Vincent Laurence of Fine Woodworking introduces different points of view on cutting through dovetails. He asked Tage Frid and Christian Becksvoort, who have 99 ...

by Charles Durham, Jr.

Accurately fitted and squared dovetail corners are crucial to the success of large projects. Here, Charles Durham Jr. details the problems that beset furniture ...

by Frank Klausz

Half-blind dovetails are no more difficult to cut than through dovetails. Frank Klausz prefers not to let the joint show through on the face of a piece, so he uses ...

by John Lively

John Lively of Fine Woodworking prefers the strength and durability of dovetails when he makes utility drawers, without spending the time it takes to do them by ...