Dovetails!

So we finally tackled one of the skills that I had most been anticipating...dovetails.  I had tried in the past, with very little success and then given in to frustration.  Robert's method, however, has me excited and feeling like I will indeed be able to include some beautiful hand-cut dovetails in the pieces I build.  Many students are considering burning their completed cabinets as sort of a ritual but I'm thinking that I will be throwing in the book I bought, written by one Rob Cosman, on cutting dovetails.  That will be satisfying enough for me.

The front, sides and back of my drawer.  We did through dovetails on the back corners and half-blind or half-lap dovetails on the front so that the drawer front isn't interrupted by visible joinery.

The slot that will hold the drawer bottom has been rabbeted and the pull has been cut, carved and filed to accept a curious finger.

 

The drawer, dryfit, awaiting glue, a bottom and then on to being fit in the cabinet.

 These were some practice dovetails in ash and maple.  The ash is a little harder than the poplar sides we used on the drawers.  The joint is harder to get right because there is less compression in the harder ash so it doesn't just squeeze to gether.  I was really pleased with how this one turned out.  I plan on continuing to cut a joint here and there when I have a chance because it is definitely something that gets better with practice.