Material. - 1/2" dressed mahogany.

Work. - To construct a box 9" long, 6" wide, and about 4" high, with hidden joints.

The box will consist of two portions, the lower or box proper, and a 1 1/4" lid. To secure perfect coincidence between lid and box, these are built together, and, after the box has been glued up, are separated with the saw. An allowance from 1/8" to 3/16" must therefore be made for the saw-cut and finishing. The joints between the sides are dovetailed with a mitered edge. The top is grooved and mitered to the sides, and the bottom tongued, to fit a groove in the sides.

Fig. 1, a, shows the details, drawn one half size of the end piece, c a perspective of the same, b a perspective of the adjoining piece. At d, d, d, is shown the separation to form the lid.

Fig. 2 gives the full-size details of the joint for the top and also for the sides of the lid. The groove and miter are worked with the plow and plane all around the top.

Fig 3 gives the details, also full size, for the bottom.

The dovetails are 3/8" long, and the mitered edge 1/8". At the top, bottom, and adjoining the line of separation (d, Fig. 1) of the sides, the joints are mitered, as shown in b and c, Fig. 1.

In working the joints, cut all the grooves and rabbets first, then the dovetails, and lastly the mitered surfaces. On the ends of the sides, saw and chisel a rabbet 1/8" wide and 3/8" deep; mark out the dovetails; saw both tenons and mortises, as shown in Fig. 4, Example 26; chisel out and fit the dovetails and miters.

To make the joint between the lid and box dust-tight, strips 1/8" thick and 3/4" wide may be glued around the inside of the box, projecting above its edge about 3/16", and with mitered joints. The projecting edge should be round.

Or a tray about 1 1/4" deep may be made of thin material, to rest on an inside lining about fa" thick and 1 1/4" high.

In Fig. 4 the mitered edge, is shown rounded, as frequently seen in cabinet-work. Fig. 5 is a simpler joint than the above. Sometimes the corners are left open to be afterward filled with a narrow strip of some fancy wood.

Ex. 27.

Exercise 27 Construction Of A Blind Dovetailed Box 229

Fig. 1

Exercise 27 Construction Of A Blind Dovetailed Box 230

Fig. 2

Exercise 27 Construction Of A Blind Dovetailed Box 231

Fig. 3

Exercise 27 Construction Of A Blind Dovetailed Box 232

Fig. 4

Exercise 27 Construction Of A Blind Dovetailed Box 233

Fig. 5