Hundereds of Dove Tails

Tom Hoffman

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I started making a new kitchen for our cabin. In the process, I made a total of 24 drawers and a custom roll out garbage can cabinet as well. About half way through the project, a lady who works at the hospital where my wife works asked if I would be interested in giving her a bid on new doors and drawer fronts and veneer for her kitchen.

I went to see her and she commissioned me to do hers too. Of course ours has come to a stand still and I am working on hers. Getting paid for it. I have built 32 drawers for hers.

The pictures of 20 of her drawers are here:

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/579861684eyDMWB

:D
 
3/4 inch thick drawers, nice, interesting. Please let me know what jig you used to cut the dovetails if it isnt some 10 thousand dollar professional machine and how did you find it working with it.
 
Allen, I use the Keller Dove Tail System. I bought it about 18 years ago or so. It is suppose to be clamped on to the end of the board and the router is used free hand to follow the fingers. I found that was to uncomfortable and down right dangerous. I reasoned that it would work on the router table and it works wonderful. I use a Porter Cable 3.5 hp variable speed router in the table. I use toggle clamps to hold both sides of the board and the board is indexed in the correct place on the jig with two pices of wood. You have to set up on both sides of the jig for the pins and tails, once set up, it just amounts to putting the board between the guide blocks and clamping with the toggle clamps and start cutting.

Youy can use thinner wood just adjust the depth of cut with the router.

I think I have the model 2200. Back when I bought it, it was around $80.00 today the bits cost that much.

Here is their page.

http://www.kellerdovetail.com/models.html
 
Larry, Yes, I used pre finished birch plywood (European import). I used 1/4" for the drawer bottoms and 3/4" finished one side for the cabinet sides and bottom, 1/4" for the backs.

1/4" was $18 per sheet and the 3/4" was $40 per sheet. The supplier has several different species of pre finished ply.

My exposed cabinet sides will be done with 3/4" White Oak Quarter Sawn plywood both sides are useable, but not pre finished. That is a lot more expensive. The 1/4" is $60 and the 3/4" is $82 I believe.
 
whats the brand on the prefinish ply tom, i am looking for a supplier up my way?
Sorry Larry, That info, I don't know. My supplier is Liberty Hardwoods of Ankeny, Iowa and Kansas City, Ks. They are a wholesale cabinet ply and lumber supply house to the trade.
 
This is where the 100's of Dove Tails went.

Here is the kitchen where the 100's of dove tails went.

Finally finished.

Refaced old built in place kitchen cabinets with 1/4" Quarter Sawn White Oak, Maple drawer boxes.

Shaker Doors and Plain simple drawer fronts.

Here are the pics.

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/579927235vKerJr

While it was fun, I will never reface a kitchen again.

:D:D:D:D
 
worse than this?

154918_1585766255298_1570037517_31384423_4935465_n.jpg
 
Kitchen Update

I started this thread a long time ago. I finally have some finish pictures. The thread originally started about my cabinets for our kitchen. In the middle of it I got a job making a set of doors and drawers and re facing a complete kitchen for a lady who works with my wife. Our kitchen went on hold.

Here is the before, during and after shots. Just got these last Monday. The wifes husband finished them with water based poly as he has severe breathing problems.

They are done the same as mine. Quarter Sawn W. Oak.:)

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/579927235vKerJr
 
Nice work! That kitchen came out great!

Making drawers is always fun when there are only a few. When I have that many to cut, Im usually talking to myself in a corner after the first 100...
I actually started buying my drawers pre made (dovetailed solid maple)
when I found I could buy an average drawer box for around 45 bucks. I couldnt justify the cost to the customer for me to make them since mine wouldn't really be anything different....
 
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