Sliding Dovetails

[ScaredyCat]

Why aren't they more popular on drawer fronts? It seems to my, admittedly untrained, eye that you'd get a pretty strong joint and it wouldn't take long at all.

There must be reasons that people don't seem to use them...

.

 

[DTR]

Just a wild guess, I'm probably wrong........ the dovetail housing on the drawer front would be very close to the edge of the board, and would be at risk of breaking off due to the short grain.

 

[custard]

DTR has nailed it, if the sliding dovetail joint is right at the end of the drawer front, as it normally would be, then it's a really weak joint. It's only really relevant where a drawer front passes across a drawer divider (or "flies over a div", as cabinet makers would generally describe it).

 

[dzj]

Yes, overlay drawer fronts, particularly when using drawer runners will afford you more than enough
material for a sliding dovetail.

 

[transatlantic]

Are we talking like this?

Seems like it would be pretty strong to me as you would be pulling the handle which is inbetween the two sides, so the force would be shared on either side :?:

 

[deema]

I’ve used them on all my drawers in my workshop. The two drawers shown are really heavy and after about 10 years there still holding strong.

[attachment=0]8A57F939-A283-485E-B328-2DF97D9DA04B.jpeg[/attachment]

I’d happily use them on furniture either with contrasting wood or alternatively stopped so that the tail does not show on the upper surface.