Penguin Tool Chest #2: Routes and Many Dovetails

I wanted this toolchest to be fairly traditional, so I worked on the setup for wooden runners early in the build. I used a 1/2” router bit to make dados that run most of the length of the side panels, stopping 3/8” shy of the front. This involved very delicate adjustments and stop-block placements:

The dados will give extra support for the runners, and make them easier to position. I also routed a sliding dovetail for a horizontal divider, and a normal dado for the plywood bottom to the top box/shelf thing.

I made the stupid mistake of routing into not just one, but TWO of my pocket screws :(. Fortunately, the carbide MLCS bit worked like an end mill and sheared right through the heads of the screws, leaving the bit unscratched. Hopefully I’ll learn to watch my screw placements in the future.

Next I started on some of the many dovetails in this project. The sides and bottom are joined by hand-cut (with some help from the bandsaw for the tails) through-dovetails:

Next came the large half-blind dovetails for the top rails. I changed to half-blind from my initial design of through dovetails in order to hide the dado for a plywood bottom. These were also hand/bandsaw cut:

Test-fitting the dovetails give me a slightly tool-chest-looking thing: