Sideboards, cupboards, desks, lowboys, highboys, and chests of drawers have legs or posts that continue up to the top, and a special lapped dovetail joint is needed (the carcase dovetail). This video is an exercise in creating the carcase dovetail joint in SketchUp. The example I use is a stand-up desk shown below.

If I “Hide” the upper section of the desk, you can see the Carcase Dovetails at the top of the front legs in the lower section of the desk as shown below.

Here is the joint pulled-apart showing the dovetails that connect the top front stretcher to the top of the leg and side. This provides a strong and rigid structural connection that locks-up those two corners of the carcase.

Here is a dimensioned view of the three parts connected by the carcase dovetails. Note that I used 10 degrees for the angles of the dovetails.

The Tape Measure (for guidelines), Line Tool, and Protractor are the main tools for setting out the shape of the joint.

And here is the joint under construction in the shop in walnut.

And here is the video.

 Tim

@KillenWOOD

Launch Gallery