Half-blind dovetails are more than just pretty — and not because love is blind (lies, lies I tell you).
They’re actually a super utilitarian woodworking joint.
Sometimes called lapped or half-lapped dovetails, they’re used for drawer faces or on any piece where you don’t want exposed end grain on one side.
But don’t be intimidated by their looks.
If you can cut through dovetails, you can definitely master their myopic counterparts.
Most of the joint is hidden — so you really only need to worry about precision on the show faces.
I’m going to walk you through how to cut half-blind dovetails by hand — and throw in a few tips to make them look like the work of an expert.
A lot of the process is the same as regular dovetails, so I’ll breeze through some of the steps. If you’ve never cut dovetails before, I recommend you first look at this.
Peter Radbourne
April 25, 2022
I really enjoy your posts. I used to struggle with cutting the pins accurately not getting the on the correct side of the marked line. I have now made a jig which makes it perfect every time as it takes in to account the thickness of the blade .it’s a very simple jig and very easy to make.
Pete