Carcasse joinery...

[pslamp32]

Hey all, things are getting back to normal around here after recently losing our little puppy last week. :crybaby2: Time to start buggin' y'all with some more questions I guess.

How do you guys join hardwood carcasses? I'm thinking something with a bit of depth, maybe 16-18". Is there a way to use a dovetail jig on something this wide? I'm not a neander type so if not, perhaps a different joint? I could do butt joints with rabets and dadoes but thought I'd experiment with a better, more stylistic method, since I'll be using real wood as opposed to ply. Whay are your thoughts on finger joints? Seems like a reasonable alternative, is making a jig for this purpose fairly straight-forward?

I guess I'm really asking what you would do to build a fairly substantial wood carcasse ~ 48x34x16". It will probably be the basis for a sideboard or credenza type piece. Not quite sure, just throwing ideas around in my head right now. I'm a powertool guy so handtools or methods are not really applicable, sorry neanders! :lol: ****, maybe plywood is the way to go for a project like this, if it is, that's not a problem either, easier for me actually.
Thanks! Peter

 

[DavidF]

Hey all, things are getting back to normal around here after recently losing our little puppy last week. :crybaby2: Time to start buggin' y'all with some more questions I guess.

How do you guys join hardwood carcasses? I'm thinking something with a bit of depth, maybe 16-18". Is there a way to use a dovetail jig on something this wide? I'm not a neander type so if not, perhaps a different joint? I could do butt joints with rabets and dadoes but thought I'd experiment with a better, more stylistic method, since I'll be using real wood as opposed to ply. Whay are your thoughts on finger joints? Seems like a reasonable alternative, is making a jig for this purpose fairly straight-forward?

I guess I'm really asking what you would do to build a fairly substantial wood carcasse ~ 48x34x16". It will probably be the basis for a sideboard or credenza type piece. Not quite sure, just throwing ideas around in my head right now. I'm a powertool guy so handtools or methods are not really applicable, sorry neanders! :lol: ****, maybe plywood is the way to go for a project like this, if it is, that's not a problem either, easier for me actually.
Thanks! Peter

Hi Peter, first of all really sorry about your puppy:crybaby2: get another one - FAST!

Anyway, I have just made a case with through dovetails to join the sides to the top using a very simple jig and they look very nice. Not that hard if you are careful. Another option if you would like a slightly sunken top look which can look nice; is to use stopped dados 1/2" down from the top. If the case is ply then the dado could be glued, if solid then dovetail the front 2" and glue that to hold the case sides together. If you chose a top thickness that is greater than your dovetail bit you can make the dado starting from the back, change to a dovetail bit for the front part and stop it if you don't want the risk of it looking nasty on the front face. Run the top over a dovetail bit in the table and dovetail the front 2".

The same could be done at the bottom, but raise the bottom a little more for aesthetics

Hope that makes sense

Fine Furniture Maker :: February :: 2005

 

[pslamp32]

Hi Peter, first of all really sorry about your puppy:crybaby2: get another one - FAST!

LOL! The LOML didn't last a week. I guess she figured since we lost one, we should rescue one...Here's Maya!!!

She's a great Treeing Walker Coonhound!

Hey Dave, could you show me some pixs of your carcasse and dovetail jig to help me understand? I'm a little SSSLLLOOOWWW! Sorry. Thanks, Peter

 

[DavidF]

LOL! The LOML didn't last a week. I guess she figured since we lost one, we should rescue one...Here's Maya!!!

She's a great Treeing Walker Coonhound!

Hey Dave, could you show me some pixs of your carcasse and dovetail jig to help me understand? I'm a little SSSLLLOOOWWW! Sorry. Thanks, Peter

That is one cute looking puppy! how old is she?

My gallery section under "bedside table" shows the construction so far. I will try and take some pics tonight of the assembled carcass showing the joinery.

 

[DaveO]

Solid wood carcases has been made for many, many years. Plywood hasn't always been used in furniture construction. Knowing your affection for a more contemporary look, I think that finger or box joints would be an excellent look to the piece. They can be cut either on the tablesaw, bandsaw or by hand...using a jig saw of course :lol:
There is a link in our library for a sweet box joint jig, but working with 34" tall pieces on a TS can be a challenge LeeWay Workshop -ynn Sabin's Basic Box Joint Jig
Many DT jigs can do pieces that wide also, probably the simplest jig for wide pieces is the Keller jig, and it isn't too expensive. Woodworking tools : Models of the Keller dovetail jigs
And there is nothing wrong with making the carcass out of plywood either.
Cute puppy :icon_thum

Dave

 

[pslamp32]

That is one cute looking puppy! how old is she?

The Humane Society thought she looked about 1 year old. She was found on the Tenn./NC stateline wandering in the woods by some rafters! I guess she had almost made it to 'Happy Hunting Ground', they said she was pretty emaciated. She looks great now! Awesome dog and breed so far.

Thanks for the link to your pixs. Much appreciated.

 

[pslamp32]

Solid wood carcases has been made for many, many years. Plywood hasn't always been used in furniture construction. Knowing your affection for a more contemporary look, I think that finger or box joints would be an excellent look to the piece. They can be cut either on the tablesaw, bandsaw or by hand...using a jig saw of course :lol:
There is a link in our library for a sweet box joint jig, but working with 34" tall pieces on a tablesaw can be a challenge LeeWay Workshop -ynn Sabin's Basic Box Joint Jig
Many DT jigs can do pieces that wide also, probably the simplest jig for wide pieces is the Keller jig, and it isn't too expensive. Woodworking tools : Models of the Keller dovetail jigs
And there is nothing wrong with making the carcass out of plywood either.
Cute puppy :icon_thum

Dave

Thanks Dave!

 

[pslamp32]

Hey guys I have this dovetail jig from Rockler...
Rockler Dovetail Jig Combo with Half Blind and Through Dovetail Jig Templates - Rockler Woodworking Tools

It says that it does boards up to 11" wide. Does that mean I'm screwed on a carcasse 16" wide? Is there a way of doing DTs in 2 passes with these things? It's funny, this is one of the first tool type things I bought a few months ago when I began, but I've still never used it!:BangHead: Thanks!

 

[rhett]

You can use an elongated pinned finger joint. At 16" of depth maybe 4-4" fingers staggered on opposing sides. One template should suffice for all four sides. If you cut the sockets deeper than need be and do a slight round over of the fingers it makes for a nice pillow effect. Are you planning on putting a back in the box?

 

[pslamp32]

Yes. Would you use a router or TS for your technique Rhett?

 

[rhett]

Keep in mind if doing dovetails or finger joints, a stopped rabbet will need to be used on two of the four pieces to capture your back.

 

[DaveO]

It says that it does boards up to 11" wide. Does that mean I'm screwed on a carcasse 16" wide? Is there a way of doing DTs in 2 passes with these things?

To expound on Peter's question. I have always wondered if you could do thru DTs across a board wider than a DT jig by using two boards and carefully aligning the half pins on the end of the boards so that when glued together they would form a full pin :icon_scra :dontknow: :dontknow: :dontknow: :dontknow:

Dave

 

[DavidF]

LOL! The LOML didn't last a week. I guess she figured since we lost one, we should rescue one...Here's Maya!!!

She's a great Treeing Walker Coonhound!

Hey Dave, could you show me some pixs of your carcasse and dovetail jig to help me understand? I'm a little SSSLLLOOOWWW! Sorry. Thanks, Peter

Rhett is correct about the stopped rabbet in the top, but the sides can go straight through.

They do say that with careful alignment the MLCS and Keller DT jigs can be used on very wide case sides. I would go for the Keller system if I was going to do this as they use a unique bearing guided DT bit and therefore the edges of the jig are where the actual cut will be and that will make alignment with the next section easier. With the MLCS jig it uses a guide bush so continuing the line of DT's would be much more difficult.

 

[4yanks]

Finger joints are easy to cut on a tablesaw. However, you might find it dificult to balance a 48" board on a typical finger joint jig. I would recommend either at commercial router jig or as David recommended trying your hand at hand cut dovetails. If you want to keep the look contemporary use half-blinds. They are a little more difficult to cut but are more forgiving in appearance. Good luck.

 

[LeftyTom]

Nice joinery is beyond my 'cobbin' skills. Congrat on rewarding a stray dog with a good home. :eusa_clap