How to Cut Dovetails for Drawers

A detail to look for when buying antique furniture is dovetail joints on dresser drawers. Furniture was made to last, crafted by hand in many cases. The dovetail joint is one of the strongest corner joints made. There is one piece of wood called the socket, where tail-shaped sockets are cut out. The narrow pieces of wood that are left between the sockets are called pins. Another piece of wood is cut to match the socket piece by leaving the tails, which fit into the spaces -- sockets -- of the first piece. On both pieces of wood, the joint at the top or bottom is called a shoulder once the two pieces have been glued together.

Carpenter's tape measure
Gauge for marking
Carpenter's pencil
T-bevel
TriSquare
Dovetail saw
Coping saw
Hammer
Chisel
Vice
Wood glue
Shop rags
Water source

Instructions

- 1
  
  The thickness of the wood used for making drawers is a personal preference.
  
  Cut the front, back and both sides of the dresser drawers. Use a marking gauge to mark both ends of each tail piece. The depth of the mark should be the thickness of the board. For instance, if your drawers are made of 3/4-inch oak, mark the distance from the edge of the board to 3/4-inch in, leaving a minimum of 1/4-inch between tails.
- 2
  
  A coping saw makes cutting bevels easier, due to the ability to change the angle of the blade.
  
  With a T-bevel set at the angle you have choosen, draw the tails on the board. Measure the board's width, then determine the width of each tail, remembering to keep the tails all the same size. Clamp the tail piece in a vice and use the dovetail saw to make the cuts for the shoulders and between each tail. Use a coping saw to cut each piece out.
- 3
  
  Use a chisel that is the same width as the sockets on the socket piece.
  
  Finish making a clean tail by using a hammer and chisel.
- 4
  Hold the socket pieces vertically in a vise. To trace out the spaces between the tails you just cut, hold the tail piece horizontally at the end of the socket and make marks to indicate the placement of the sockets.
- 5
  Continue the marks by using a TriSquare on the socket piece. Cut out the sockets. Do a trial fitting of the dovetail joints and make any needed corrections.
- 6
  Apply glue to the sockets and both sides of each tail. Press the two ends together, wiping excess glue off with damp shop rags. Once the glue has dried, sand the surface of the boards to remove any dry residual glue. Wipe sawdust away with a dry cloth.

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