Making a hand-cut dovetail drawer

This was a fun one!

I filmed a little start-to-finish look at making a custom dovetail drawer in the shop. It starts with getting the parts surfaced, clean, and cut to width. Then I cut the dados and miters so everything lines up perfectly. After that, I biscuit the frame, glue the main box together, and start dialing in the joinery.

The dovetails are the best part. I used a homemade router jig to cut the mortises, glued the parts in, then cut and cleaned up the final fit by hand. It’s fussy work, but it’s worth it: strong joints and gorgeous craftsmanship.

Once the drawer was together, it got sanded, finished, sanded again, and finished again. The first coat of finish raises the grain quite a bit, so that second sanding is what makes it dead smooth.

I’m pretty stoked on how this one came out. Dovetails take time, but they make the whole piece stronger and just beautiful. Real craftsmanship is rare nowadays, and I’m proud to put boxes like this in my own kitchen and other people’s.