# dovetail alternatives



## acol (Feb 17, 2014)

Has anyone got any good suggestions for aesthetically pleasing alternatives to dovetails?


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

finger joint?


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## TheBoxWhisperer (Sep 24, 2012)

+1 to finger joint.

Pinned rabbits
Keyed miters

I did a set of boxes not long ago with pinned rabbited corner posts, looked nice.


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## Nicky (Mar 13, 2007)

Google images


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## Net55 (Jan 20, 2014)

corner splines are quick and painless….and look good


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## exelectrician (Oct 3, 2011)

Double dovetails!

How to here


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

You have to stack those bat house pieces to put them together, don't you?


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## Farkled (Jan 23, 2012)

Assuming you are asking about end grain to end grain joints, your options are:

Through DTs
Full blind DTs
Half Blind DTs
Finger/box joints - anything from many narrow fingers to 3 or 4 huge fingers that are pinned.
Simple pinning

IMO & YMMV


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

Locking Rabbet -

Sometimes can add a contrasting dowel to add interest 
For interest - if it is rustic, can use a cut/forged nails for interest - but still have a good glue joint in place.



















Or go French Dovetail (basically just a sliding dovetail) so you see the Tail on the top of the drawer instead of the side


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

Even a rabbeted corner reinforced with dowels looks nice.


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## exelectrician (Oct 3, 2011)

@ JJ

Yes they stack one on top of the other I had a 1/16" gap between the pieces which I caulked, after I pocket screwed each end together. This made the whole thing very sturdy with titebond III in the dovetails.
I could have used glue alone but I was in a hurry to get-er-done so the pocket screws doubled as clamps.


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## 49er (Jan 3, 2014)

Lock miter is another option.


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