Hand-Cut Dovetail Joints
The dovetail joint is the hallmark of fine craftsmanship — its distinctive interlocking wedge-shaped pins and tails resist pulling apart in one direction due to mechanical geometry. A through dovetail is visible from the end grain on both pieces (used for drawer backs and box sides). A half-blind dovetail conceals the joint from the front face (used for drawer fronts). To cut by hand: (1) Lay out the tails on one board at approximately 1:8 slope for hardwoods (1:6 for softwoods) using a sliding bevel or dovetail marker. (2) Saw the tails with a fine dovetail saw, always keeping the saw on the waste side of the line. (3) Remove waste between tails with a coping saw and pare to the baseline with a chisel. (4) Use the tails to scribe the pin board — place the tail board on the end of the pin board and mark with a sharp knife. (5) Saw and chop the pins. (6) Test fit: the joint should slide together by hand with light mallet taps — never force a dovetail, as the wood will split.