Thread: Secret Mitred Dovetail

Yeah, I rethought the project a bit and I was overthinking it before. I definitely planned to have a crown moulding, and the door would likely cover the front, so a bunch of fanciness on the edges is unnecessary.

Originally Posted by Luke Maddux

.....so a bunch of fanciness on the edges is unnecessary.

Hear hear! I have very occasionally used dovetails on side grain, but purely for effect, & where the join was never going to be subjected to stress. Assembly is a heart-stopping procedure - those side-grain tails snap off at the slightest provocation!

I'd be using a pretty 'standard' approach if I were tackling a job like you describe. For the carcase, I'd make a box, either solid-sides (you can go bananas with your D/Ts on the corners of a solid-sided box), or frame & panel. A rebated-in back would supply the necessary anti-wracking & hold the carcase square. Ply of appropriate thickness would be the most simple & stable, but I confess to preferring a frame & panel back on anything meant to be a bit above 'ordinary'. It can still give sufficient stiffness, especially if there's a shelf or divider (or two) dovetailed into the sides. Whether or not I'd use a face-frame would depend on a few factors, such as if drawers are to be included, & how thick the sides are to support the doors &/or take hinge screws, etc....

Cheers,