Dovetail Drawers Keller Jig

Number of sessions: 1
Course Fee: $35

Prerequisites:

Materials: Material provided; cost included in fee

Objectives:

  1. Students will design, mill, and assemble a drawer box with strong dovetail joints on all four corners using the Keller Dovetail Jig. No complicated layouts and no test cuts are required.

Description:

Dovetails remain the sine qua non of fine drawer building, and often pose a challenge to woodworkers. Students will learn to select and mill the stock necessary to build a drawer, and will use the Keller Jig to cut dovetails on the drawer corners. Attention to detail in stock preparation combined with use of the jig eliminates complicated set-up procedures. Perfect joints will be obtained without measuring and without time and stock-wasting test cuts. A simple design and assembly technique will produce square drawers without the stress normally resulting from simultaneous glue-ups of multiple joints.

Class Agenda:

1. Review the theory of dovetail construction and the various methods for producing dovetail joints. Drawer design and the use of the Keller jig will be discussed.

2. Discuss use of the jointer, planer, and table saw to mill stock necessary for building a sample drawer.

3. Layout a sample drawer and cut precise dovetail joints on the prepared stock using the Keller jig.

4. Demonstrate a technique for assembling the drawer that will make the process easy and stress-free, resulting in a strong and square drawer box.