A Dovetail Box with Wooden Hinges, Part 1

Practice your dovetail skills while you build this beautiful box.

By Doug Stowe Apr 05, 2021

By tradition, dovetails are associated with only the finest craftsmanship. For many, cutting dovetails by hand is a woodworker’s rite of passage. Putting such egotistic notions aside, there is, in fact, a great deal of satisfaction in the quiet work of using traditional tools and techniques to gradually master a skill. From a practical standpoint, dovetails are an effective way to hold the parts of a box together and their presence is a sure sign of the time and attention of careful hands. Even if your dovetails are less than perfect, they will serve as evidence of your growth as a craftsman.

The oversize wooden hinges used in this box were inspired by the work of a British box maker, Peter Lloyd, whose rustic boxes are beautiful and engaging. They are fairly simple to make using a drill press, router table, and box-joint jig. This is the first article on how to make this box. The second article will show you how to assemble the box and make the hinges.

Exploded drawing showing parts and sizes

A chart of parts, materials and size specifications

Cutting Dovetails Starts with Tails

Once your stock is milled to thickness and cut to size, you’re ready to start cutting dovetails. I use very simple tools for cutting dovetails: a marking gauge, a sliding T-bevel, a machinist square, a Japanese dozuki saw, and a few chisels. My own dovetails are never perfect, but with a bit of cleanup and an occasional sliver of thin wood to fill unwanted gaps, they result in a handsome box.

Set the marking gauge about 1/32 in. wider than the thickness of the stock. Hold the marking gauge tight against the end of the stock, then pull it toward you to mark both sides of each end on all four box sides. A
In laying out the arrangement of the dovetails, there are both practical and aesthetic considerations. The space between the dovetails needs to be wide enough for your chisels to fit. Too tight a space leads to more work and a sloppy fit. On the other hand, a wide space between the pins is a look associated with dovetails cut by router jigs. On this box and many others I make, I laid out the dovetails with 3/16 in. of space between them (when measured at the outside corners). This allows a 1/4-in. chisel to be used to finish the cut. Lay your dovetails out in an even pattern. I chose to do three dovetails per side, with a 1/4-in.-wide half pin at the top and bottom of each side. Measure the location for your dovetails and then use a sliding T-bevel and pencil to mark the tails on one of the ends. I place the tails on the ends of the box and the pins on the front and back. B
Transfer your markings from the first marked end to the others. This is faster and less confusing than measuring the tail locations on each ends of both pieces. C
Use a square and a pencil or pen to mark the cut lines for each dovetail on the end of the stock. D
Cut along the marked lines, stopping at the marking-gauge lines on the front and back of the stock. Begin by cutting with the saw angled in toward the marking-gauge line facing you. Then gradually change the angle of the saw until it is level and the cut reaches the marking-gauge lines on the back of the stock. E
Use a chisel to remove the waste from between the sawcuts. To keep the edges of the stock crisp, your first cuts should be made slightly shy of the marking-gauge line. When the bulk of the material has been removed from between the tails, place the chisel in the line and give it a few taps to finish the cut. Chisel in from each face of the board, meeting in the middle of the stock. F

Scribing the marking-guage lines — Scribe the marking-gauge lines. Begin laying out the tails by using a marking gauge to scribe lines on both sides of the end of each piece of stock. The marking gauge should be set to the thickness of the stock plus about 1/32 in. (to be sanded away after assembly).

Marking the shape of the tails with a sliding T-bevel — **Mark the shape of the tails. Use a sliding T-bevel set at a 1-to-8 angle (approximately 8 degrees) to lay out the dovetails on the side stock.**

Marking the rest of the parts — Mark the rest of the parts. Marking directly from one set of layout lines to the adjoining part speeds the layout process. It also helps to limit mistakes because it guarantees that all of the tails are uniform in size and location. Once you mark the end of the stock, use your sliding T-bevel to mark out the tails.

Using a square and pencil or pen to mark the ends of the stock prior to cutting. These marks will be useful for guiding the saw in a square — **Mark the ends. Use a square and pencil or pen to mark the ends of the stock prior to cutting. These marks will be useful for guiding the saw in a square cut.**

Using a dozuki saw or backsaw to make the angled cuts on the tails. — **Saw the tails. Use a dozuki saw or backsaw to make the angled cuts on the tails. Watch both sides of the stock carefully and be sure that you don’t cut below the marking-gauge lines.**

Using a narrow chisel to remove the waste from between the tails. — Chisel the tails. Use a narrow chisel to remove the waste from between the tails. Your first cuts should be made away from the marking-gauge line. To ensure that the last cuts are crisp and clean, set the edge of the chisel in the line created by the marking gauge.

Mark and cut the pins

Marking the shape of the tails onto the mating pin boards is more accurate if you use a marking knife. Clamp a piece of wood along the marking-gauge line to help hold the dovetailed stock in place. A
Cut along the lines to form the pins, stopping at the marking-gauge lines on the front and back. B
Use a scrollsaw or coping saw to remove the waste between the pins. This speeds your work without sacrificing the look of the hand-cut joints. C
Place your chisel in the marking-gauge line and chisel down toward the center of the stock. I angle the chisel slightly greater than 90 degrees, cutting in toward the stock. Once you’ve chiseled to the center of the stock, flip the board over and finish chiseling from the other side. D

Using a knife to mark the pins by making a crisp, accurate line — Mark the pins. The pins should be marked directly from the tails. To help with alignment, clamp a piece of scrapwood along the marking-gauge line on the inside of the dovetailed board. Use a knife to mark a crisp, accurate line.

Using a dozuki saw or backsaw to cut the lines marked out for the pins. — **Saw the pins. Use a dozuki saw or backsaw to cut the lines marked out for the pins. Cut down to the marking- gauge line on both sides of the stock.**

Using a scrollsaw to cut away some of the waste from between the pins, but a bandsaw or coping saw will work also. — **Remove the waste. Here, a scrollsaw is used to cut away some of the waste from between the pins, but a bandsaw or coping saw will work also. Take care not to cut into the pins themselves.**

Chisel the pins. Use a wide chisel to finish removing the waste between the pins. The chisel fits neatly by feel into the marking-gauge line. Angle the chisel back toward the stock, making a slight undercut. Cut to half depth from one side, then flip the stock over to finish the cut.

Assemble the Box

Before assembling the box, dry-fit all the dovetails, making certain there aren’t any obstructions and that each corner comes together in a good fit. A You’ll also want to sand all the inside surfaces of the box sides. Once you’re ready to assemble the box, be sure to have your clamps at hand before any glue is applied. To avoid leaving clamp marks on the sides of the box, have blocks of scrapwood ready to use as clamping pads. Spread a thin layer of glue on the surfaces of both the pins and the tails and then push the parts together. Use clamps to apply pressure and hold the parts together as the glue sets. As you can see in photo B, my box had a slight miscut in the dovetails, so I glued in a sliver of walnut to strengthen the joinery. Small repairs like this will be unnoticed in the finished box.

Dry-fitting the box prior to assembly to check for problems. — **Check the fit. A thorough dry-fitting allows you to pinpoint problems prior to assembly. If a joint won’t close up, careful examination will tell you where addition trimming is required.**

Assembling the box using glue and clamps. — Assemble the box. Before adding any glue, be sure your clamps and clamping pads are all at hand. Spread glue on the pins and between the tails. Wiggle the parts into position and then use clamps to pull the joints tight. Small repairs can be made now or later.

Excerpted from Doug Stowe’s book, Basic Box Making.

Browse the Taunton Store for more books and plans for making boxes.

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Veritas Precision Square

This precision square is incredibly versatile, from checking squareness to dialing in machine setups.

Buy at Lee Valley

Suizan Japanese Pull Saw

A versatile saw that can be used for anything from kumiko to dovetails. Mike Pekovich recommends them as a woodworker's first handsaw.

Buy at Amazon

Leigh Super 18 Jig

This jig is a value-oriented alternative to the Leigh D4R, but its template system is just as excellent.

Buy at Amazon Buy at Woodcraft

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Previous: How to Assemble a Dovetailed Box Next: A Dovetail Box with Wooden Hinges, Part 2

Comments

Jurgen01 | Apr 06, 2021 10:56am | #1
Inspired by Peter Lloyd's work, I have made many boxes such as these. They are great projects and VERY popular with gallery customers.