# Sliding Dovetail joints for Elevated Garden Bed



## gtaus (Feb 11, 2016)

I am planning on building elevated garden beds for use this summer. One commercial setup I read about uses 4X4" posts with sliding dovetail joints so you can just quickly drop in the 2X6" side lumber tail pieces in place. I would like to try to build something like that myself. This is a new adventure for me and I have a few basic questions about dovetail joints.

Most of the dovetail bits I see are 1/2" wide. That does not appear to be very much holding power for what I need, using 2X6" lumber as the tail pieces. The 2X6" boards would be 4' long, and I am thinking the elevated garden bed would be either 2X4' or 4X4', about 12" deep, 3' high. Filled with potting soil/compost mix, I don't want the tail pieces to break off the 2X6" boards and the garden bed to pull apart. How big/wide should the dovetail joint be for max holding power? Thanks.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

You can make multiple passes when cutting the dovetail socket. Really it can be as wide as you like.
Sliding dovetails lay out much like mortise and tenons. Leave enough meat so the side walls aren't too weak.


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

You can also make the dovetail slot by bevel ripping two strips of wood, and applying these to the post. This is an easy way to make them as large (wide and deep) as you want. I've even used this method to make undermount drawer slides.


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## gtaus (Feb 11, 2016)

> You can make multiple passes when cutting the dovetail socket. Really it can be as wide as you like.
> ...
> - pintodeluxe


OK. Was looking at some DIY instructions and they used a straight bit for the inside cuts and the dovetail bit for the final outside cuts. Don't know if the straight bit was used because it cuts easier, or maybe they wanted to save the dovetail bit by reducing the number of times it was used. Either way, I guess a single 1/2" dovetail bit would work fine and I can make the socket as wide as I want. Thanks.


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## gtaus (Feb 11, 2016)

> You can also make the dovetail slot by bevel ripping two strips of wood, and applying these to the post. ...
> - runswithscissors


I had not thought of that, so thank you. I can see where that approach would be very easy and fast. Thanks for the suggestion.


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