Box Joints - an Alternative to Dovetails?

As many regular readers of this column are well aware, I'm a big fan of dovetail joints. Personally, I think a well-crafted dovetail is about the most attractive part of many woodworking projects, and a pretty good barometer of the woodworker's skill level.

That being said, there may be times when a dovetail joint is not the best choice for your woodworking project. I don't particularly care for the look of dovetails on plywood drawers, for instance. Or maybe the builder didn't have a dovetail jig and router, or just didn't want to cut the dovetails by hand.

In these cases, a simpler option is the box joint. There are a few ways to create a box joint, and they all work well and are easy to complete. Learn the different ways to make a box joint and when to use them in Box Joints - an Alternative to Dovetails. We'll even show you how to build a jig to cut perfect box joints every time on your table saw.

(c) 2008 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.