# Dovetail Layout and Cutting with Convex Curved Front Joined to Sides



## basswood (Dec 18, 2013)

I did this vanity drawer retrofit a few years ago with a curve that wraps around the sink bowl.

I have been thinking about how nifty it would be to have used dovetail joints. Has anyone here done that?


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## Hammerthumb (Dec 28, 2012)

I posted some dovetails I did in the furniture makers thread. Doing this on my phone so I can't give you the link. If you have any questions, send me a pm or post it on that thread.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

I've done some on a curve like that and it's not much harder than standard dovetail joints if you cut the tails on the sides first then transfer the layout to the bowed front. Mine was even simpler because I just did half blind dovetails on a thick board then cut the curve afterwards.

The bowed front shown in the picture would probably need a rabbet cut into it so the tails don't end up poking through the back. It's hard to explain in writing and I don't have pictures on hand.


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## Hammerthumb (Dec 28, 2012)

Its not hard. The only thing you really need to consider is the angel of the side going into the face. Here is a picture of a half blind I was laying out.










Notice the angle that the side sits on the edge of the drawer face. I started with the same angle cut on the drawer side before I cut the tails. You can see it in this picture.










Good luck!


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## basswood (Dec 18, 2013)

Thanks JA and Paul,

Do you run the sides "long", ignoring the curve and then mark and trim to match the curve at the front edge?


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## Hammerthumb (Dec 28, 2012)

Will these be half blind, or full through DTs? If they are through dovetails, you can make them a little longer and then plane them down to match the radius of the face. With half blinds, I cut the angle that I need to make the sides parallel to each other on the tails, as well as when I chop out the sockets. If you don't take the angle into account, the back end of the drawer sides will pont in towards each other.


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