Sliding Dovetail Joints

It’s a wonder that the sliding dovetail joint hasn’t made the trench a relic of the past. They’re stronger than traditional trench casework assembly, virtually clamp-free and they have the look of true craftsmanship.

But don’t let their good looks fool you. Sliding dovetail joints aren’t difficult to make. And once you master them, you’ll never look at a traditional trench the same way again.

Sliding dovetail joints consist of a dove-tail-shaped socket in one workpiece and a matching tongue in the mating piece. In this article, I’ll walk you through the creation of three variations of sliding dovetail joints — standard, tapered and shouldered.

JOINT SIZE & BIT SELECTION

There are no strict rules when it comes to choosing the size of your sliding dovetails. But there are a few guidelines to follow for achieving the strongest, best-looking joints possible.

While a dovetail