Holiday Greetings!

When you hear the words dovetail joint, you probably think about drawer boxes or  blanket chests. While this application is the most common, there are several other ways to make and use dovetails. One of these is the tapered sliding dovetail. To make a successful tapered sliding dovetail joint requires careful milling, but the results are very rewarding. The feel of this joint perfectly sliding together is similar to the satisfaction of using a freshly honed chisel or hand p***. I first used this joint while building a Boston Bombé Chest (photo below). The chest's sides are joined to the top with a tapered sliding dovetail. The joint is amazingly strong and rigid when assembled. Click here to view a larger view of the Bombé chest.


The tapered sliding dovetail is also wonderful choice when attaching shelves to the side of a bookcase or cabinet. To learn how to make a tapered sliding dovetail joint, check out  our Homepage Feature Article.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christsmas and Happy New Year!
Randy Johnson
Editor - American Woodworker magazine
rjohnson@americanwoodworker.com