# What's the thinnest wood worth dovetailing?



## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Assuming I can get time in a heated shop (which looks likely) I'm planning to make a bunch of small boxes, picture frames, and things like that for friends and family for holiday gifts this year. With the boxes, though, I've run into an odd question: how thick should I make the sides? 

I built a pencil box as an experiment, and I ended up making the sides with rabbets on the long sides for the short ends to fit into. That was 1/4" stock, so I felt like dovetails would be both hard to make and possibly not reliable. With 3/4" stock dovetails are the obvious joint, but that's a bit thick for the size boxes I'm thinking of.

So what's your line? Where do you stop making dovetails and start with some other joint?


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

3/8" is my limit. But, I'm not thrilled doing it.


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

Andy, I've made a couple in stock as thin as 3/16" just to see if I could. You just have to be a little careful as it will splinter easily when cutting and chiseling. 

I've made quite a few from 1/4" stock with no problems. Joint integrity in thin stock is probably better with the dovetails than other type joints.

A finer toothed gents saw (>17 tpi) makes it easier and an 1/8" chisel is a necessity.

Most have been little "keepsake" boxes. 

I'll post a couple of pictures later if I can find some.


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## Drobbins329 (Oct 11, 2013)

I am interested to see where this topic goes. I too have trouble with soft woods. I don't have much of an issue with sharpening chisels. Just proper technique I guess.

Sent from my iPhone using Wood Forum


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

I won't likely use softwoods: the big box I made from 3/4" was pine, but I'm planning on mostly maple and red oak for these. They're easily and inexpensively available in various sizes near me, and they dent a lot less easily. Maybe poplar, if I decide to paint or can find some that doesn't have the usual green tint.


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

Here's a picture of one of the small boxes I've made. The sides are 1/4" material and the box is white oak about 4" square and 2 1/2" high. I cut them using my 14 degree marker. The really tough part is cutting with a very light touch - it's very easy to cut past the baseline with a heavy hand. 

I hate cutting dovetails in softwood and would never try any this small with it.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

That's a nice looking piece! Thanks! I think at my current level of skill I probably don't want to go quite that thin, but at least it's reassuring that it's possible.


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

I do a lot of 1/4 " in small jewelry box drawers. Always hardwood- would not try pine.


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