Despite having a BIG crick in the neck ( must of slept wrong) decided to try again with these fancy dovetails..

Place is still an organized mess, but things are moving along.    Fine tuning the first corner, and also laying out the cuts for corner "B".  There IS a knife to mark the lines, sitting there.   The sharpie is more for marking the mating corners, like "A-A"  so I can keep things in order.   Almost cut the wrong end, so the sharpie came out.

The idea is to stand one part up onto the other, and then mark the lines with the knife.  That saw there then cuts ( or tries) on the "waste" side of the lines.  Then a bunch of chopping with the stable of chisels.

 

There is an area on the sides of each joint that are just miter cuts.  After chopping out the tails on this one, there miter cut is carried across the short rebate on the end.   Takes a bit of cut, fit, cut, and try again.  When it looks like

I'm getting close.   Clamping it up will close things up further, as there is a knife edge at the corner.  At least it is still square

 

Need to do the last side, both ends.    Then cut a bottom piece to fit in those grooves.    Then, maybe a walnut lid, of some sort?    This would have been easier in Pine, but I didn't have enough pine scraps of the same size. 

 

Might work a little more tonight, after going over to the ER for this neck...

Neat! I've never tried this type hand cut dovetail.

Figured that these full blind dovetails were a pain in the neck, and I have a big crick in the neck to show for it. 

 

 

Think half-blind meets miter joint.    If done right, nobody knows that there are dovetails inside the miter joint.    Yet, the miter joint will stay together without any glue.    Just a bear to get the miter part to fit right, just like any other miter joint.   

 

 

 

 

Have to work the next two nights, then maybe get this box done...

 

 

Corner "C" is now completed.    Will try tomorrow for corner "D".      Cuts were on the correct side of the line, the waste side.  Still a lot of cut, fit, cuss, chisel, fit, cuss, chisel, fit......Ah the H with it....SMACK !!   Mallet got things a wee bit tighter...

There is a side "benefit" to having that Tool Chest sitting there......I can sit on it and saw those lines.    Easier on the back, I guess? 

 

 

Kind of hard to saw on  the waste side of the knifed lines, saw wants to drop into the cut lines.  Have to try to leave the lines when i saw these.    I can always pare a bit more off.  

 

 

 

 

About the only saw I haven't tried on this project is a coping saw ( happen to have three of them) but haven't found a need for that saw, yet.  

 

 

 

 

LOTS of chisel work to get those miter cuts to look right.  Trying not to shave too much off, either...

 

 

Had a eye opener!    By modifying  an old "beater" chisel a bit on the grinder, I can NOW clean out the back corners of them dovetails.

Top of the chisel is now almost a point, edge has a bit of a skew to it.   I can clean clear to the back corners, to get rid of the waste that my normal chsels can't get to..   Even made the "A-A" joint go together tighter....

 

 

Profile is almost a triangle shape.    Bit of a bear to get it sharpened, though.    I do have a second old beater about the same width, maybe skew the edge the other way, and have a matched set?     Neither of these were "GOOD"  chisels, just wood handled one from Harbour Freight.    I already have a good "Fat Max"  1/4" one that is the go-to in that size.  The two H-F ones were also that width.     Hmmmm, might HAVE to go out and BUY a new chisel, or three>>>>>>>

 

 

Ok, ok.  Photos or it didn't happen, right?  Ok, first a look at the floor of the shop, since it has been raining all day

 

Comes in on the south side of the basement, and finds the drain on the northwest corner.   Rain?

 

It does look a LOT better than that white crud.   Even have GREEN grass showing up.  now, about that chisel

 

triangle shape to the profile.   It will get into about any nook & cranny i can find.   Cost?    NADA. That thing of walnut it is sitting ?    Well that LOOKS like a miter joint, don't it

 

 

This is corner "C"  my third try.    Dovetails.   Kind of fancy ones, too

 

 

The outside edges were sawn to a basic profile, then a big old SHARP 3/4" wide chisel cleaned things up, that is why this is so shiny.    A sharp edge will leave a nice shiny surface.   That "New & Improved"  chisel can get into all of them corners, too.

Now have corner "D" ready to fine tune.   Most of the cuts were done, just supper got in the way of getting the last joint done. 

Maybe i should turn this into a blog????