Replies

1. 
   CajunDan | Feb 15, 2005 09:47pm | #1

   Not a problem.

   In fact, antique drawers sometimes had sides that were thicker at the bottom than the tops. Instead of laying out the dovetails with a cutting gauge, the adjoining boards were simply butted up against one another and the layout line was marked directly from the other board. If you are careful, you should have no problems.

    

   Regards,

   Dan

2. 
   VomSorb | Feb 15, 2005 09:52pm | #2

   I'd use half blind (lap) dovetail joints for this...

1. 
   jackhall | Feb 15, 2005 10:41pm | #3

   I thought about half blinds but didn't look forward to all the extra chisel work needed.  I also felt that the exposed dovetails would be a nice indication of the quality of the work.  Maybe that is not really a good viewpoint. 

1. 
   VomSorb | Feb 15, 2005 11:18pm | #4

   If you do decide to plane to uniform thickness gauge your thickness off the flattened face and plane a chamfer on the the other side just down to your gauged line on all four edges.  Then all you have to do is plane down until the chamfer just disappears and you will be at finished thickness.  This beats eyeballing the gauge line(s) the whole time you're working.

   Edited 2/15/2005 3:23 pm ET by cstan

1. 
   jackhall | Feb 15, 2005 11:25pm | #5

   Sounds like a good tip.  Will try it.

3. 
   joinerswork | Feb 16, 2005 04:05am | #6

   jackhall,

   There's no reason the ends have to be the same thickness as the top and bottom, or that the top and the bottom be the same thickness.  Just be careful to lay out the joints to match your stock.

   An alternative to planing the thickest panel down to match the thinnest:  Rabbet the ends of all the panels to the same thickness, on the inside of the panel.  Then set the marking guage to this dimension when laying out the dovetails. 

    Be aware tho that the inside measurements of the cabinet will change with the thickness of the panels.  Could make fitting doors and drawers...interesting.

   Regards,

   Ray

1. 
   jackhall | Feb 16, 2005 10:02pm | #7

   I had thought about using a rabbet on the back of each panel to get a common depth.  That would certainly speed up the marking part of the job. 

1. 
   tailsorpins | Feb 25, 2005 10:53pm | #8

   My 2 cents:

   Don't bother to plane the boards to the same thickness, nor even just the ends.  I once reproduced a Tennessee sugar chest in figured cherry that had a 1 1/4" thick top, 1 1/8" front, 1 1/16" right side, 1" left side and 7/8" back.  The poplar bottom was inset into a 7/16 rabbet, flat on the inside, but varied in thickness from 1/2 on one end to 15/16 on the other, roughsawn surface underneath(imagine a raised panel turned downward).  No un-necessary planning for that maker. (The chest was almost identical to the one appearing on Antique roadshow from Memphis just recently).  This original chest was made from single boards, 15" wide, and I was fortunate to be able to copy that feature as well.  My first piece replicated the original, even to thickness, but on the several I've made since used 7/8" material.  It used  half-blind dovetails at the front (not visible in front view) and through dovetails elsewhere.

   Keeps it interesting!

   John in Texas

1. 
   jackhall | Mar 14, 2005 07:43pm | #9

   Thanks John.  Encouraging info.