You could substitute a scale and a bevel gauge for the marking and dovetail gauges, but having dedicated tools is better especially if you take the time to make them yourself. Marking the end grain of the waste is helpful to keep from removing the wrong material. I will show my basic method for building these boxes either with a top or open. Other good choices include white oak, walnut, cherry, vertical grain Douglas fir and hickory. Lee Laird's Method for Cutting Dovetails. A table saw, miter saw, and planer make sizing stock easier. Materials 1" (7/8") x 6" x 30" Pine (or wood of choice): One Piece for the Front, Back, and two Sides More Nesting Box Plans. Remember that if you use plywood it will almost never be a full 1/4-inch thick. Now we are ready to cut dovetails. If the box is more decorative I usually use red oak as there always seems to be some good left-over stock from my other projects. You can email Rod at For outside box measurements cut pieces to the exact length. When the glue is completely set the top can be separated from the bottom at the table saw. I use a marking gauge, a dovetail gauge, and a small square to do the layout. I use a coping saw to complete the pin and socket spaces. Set the marking gauge to the stock thickness. If you want the pins ends showing on the side, place the front and back inside faces together with their bottom edges mated and clamp in a vise with one end up. Dovetail Boxes – A Tale of Two BoxesHow To Make Dovetail Boxes, by Rod Scott Finally, you will need a router to hog waste. However, if you want the ends of the grooves to not show, cut stopped grooves after lengths are cut. Make a Dovetail Box in 12 Minutes -- WOOD magazine - YouTube (The tray in the Walnut Box is another dovetailed box.). I have made boxes with sides as thin as 1/4-inch and furniture cases with thickness as great as 7/8-inch. The marking gauge and dovetail gauge I use are handmade, but there are many good commercial ones available. If a solid bottom is used rabbet the edges to fit the grooves if the stock is more than 1/4-inch thick. If the pins are too tight either widen the spacing or narrow the pins until the joints slide together. You will need a backsaw or dovetail saw to saw both the pins and socket sides. The sides and ends can now be cut to length. Do not glue tops or bottoms. . Be careful setting the depth as the blade will almost always saw higher than expected. Mark both ends of both faces of all side and end pieces. I often use 1/4-inch plywood for bottoms but will show how to use solid wood for tops and bottoms. When the box has dried, add some scrap in the groove holes. Doves prefer shallower nesting areas, which can be provided by building cones instead of boxes. Dry fit three of the sides and measure for the bottom and top. If the box is utilitarian, you could use plywood, poplar, or cedar and then finish with oil or paint. I will discuss types of router bits later. Knotty or figured woods can make a statement but can also overpower a piece. When all pieces fit correctly, take the box apart and apply glue to the mating parts of the pins and sockets. Cut both bottom and top slightly smaller than needed as they will slip in and not be glued. License Plate Birdhouse : Most of this birdhouse is built with wood, but a metal license plate makes up the roof. I have used bits as small as 1/8-inch on very delicate projects. Whether solid wood or plywood, cut the bottom and/or top about 1/2-inch larger than needed in both directions and set aside. Try to apply glue so any squeeze-out is on the outside where it more easily cleaned up. I have put together a variety of birdhouse plans for you so that you can make your own birdhouses and enjoy watching birds breed and raise their young in your own backyard. Remove the clamps and clean up next to the pins with a chisel or coping saw. I cut all the socket pieces separately in case there is any variation in the pin spacing. Thickness is strictly a preference, however smaller boxes look better with thinner stock. Next, decide if you want the pins to face the side or end. Both have plans for a variety of bird species in the United States and Canada. Then extend the lines down to the thickness mark on both sides. Although my dovetail method avoids chopping either pins or sockets, a sharp chisel is a requirement. As you cut, mark the pieces so mating ends remain together during the marking process. If you have a set inside depth add 3/8-inch for the bottom and 3/8-inch plus a saw kerf for the top. In this video, WOOD magazine's Bob Hunter shows how to make a dovetail box in just 12 minutes from start to finish using a template and a router table.Products, supplies, and plans used (WOOD receives commissions for purchases made at some links):Keller dovetail system: https://amzn.to/2uClsRDPlans for Bob's router table: https://www.woodstore.net/Router-Table-and-Organizer-p/gr-00729.htmSubscribe to the WOOD YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=WoodSubscribe to WOOD magazine: http://www.woodmagazine.com/subscribeGet digital issues for iPad, Kindle, and more: http://www.woodmagazine.com/digitalOfficial website: http://www.woodmagazine.comShop for woodworking project plans at: http://www.woodstore.net?a=youtubeRead tool reviews from WOOD editors and other real woodworkers at: http://www.reviewatool.comFacebook http://www.facebook.com/woodmagazineTwitter http://www.twitter.com/WOOD_MagazinePinterest http://www.pinterest.com/woodmagazine/ Start by sizing your stock. Finish sand the outside and add your choice of finish. For the closed box, adjust the fence to widen the groove to approximately 1/4-inch (several passes may be required). dyle.scott@yahoo.com Sometimes I finish the interior surfaces of the pieces at this point as it is easier than trying to get into corners later. Mate the sides with the appropriate end and mark the sockets using the pins as a pattern. Using the dovetail gauge, mark the pins on one face and extend with a square across the end and down the other face. Clamp the soft wood scraps on and hog out the pin spaces. Don't get too close to the pins as the excess will be cleaned up later. If you want a detailed, step-by-step instruction book on how to build, mount, place and protect birdhouses, along with a nest box … I have used this technique for making drawer boxes, furniture carcasses with stile and rail fronts, baby cradles, and presentation boxes. 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