Bedside tables (nightstands) - Part 10d - Drawers front pin boards

I'm making half blind dovetails on these table drawer fronts - they are also flush mounting drawers. This is still very easy to do but you can only use the saw to cut a 45 degree kerf into the pin board. I had already cut the drawer front Again start by lightly marking a line with your marking gauge on the end grain and on the inside face of the pin board.
Then using a method I have described in another article clamp the pin board vertical in the vise protruding very slightly above the benchtop. Use a square to ensure the adjacent face is square. (I'm showing through dovetails on these next few photos but the principle is exactly the same.)

Mark up the tailboards to ensure you don't get them mixed up. Place one of the tailboards with the chamfered tails inner-most onto the pin board and line up the base of the pins with the edge of the far (the edge furthest from you). Then using the square make sure the tail board is square to the bench apron and level with the edges of the pin board.

Mark around the tails with a 0.5mm mechanical pencil or a knife.

Using a 0.5mm mechanical pencil

Then after removing the pin board from the vise use the marking gauge to make more distinct lines in the waste of the pin board. Some people mark the waste with an X to avoid confusion.

Clamp the pin board in the vise, waste towards you and use your favourite dovetail saw to cut in the waste side. You should start at around 45 degree angle and aim to be as close to the graphite as you can without cutting into it much, keeping the saw plate vertical.

Then you can use the same method of chopping and paring as before to remove the waste. Vertical chop needs to be around 1/16" from the baseline (Franks method) Finally finish off with a shallow vertical chop at the base line. Regular bench chisels work well with this as long as they have bevelled edges. Square edged firmers are not a good idea but bevelled edge firmers are the best (tapered slightly front to back).

Of course you may get the management occasionally inspecting the work.

"What's going on here? You're slacking"

Anna's seal of approval

It is time consuming to do this by hand and you have to make sure you get into the corners of the sockets to remove all waste. The Veritas marking gauge is great to use as a depth gauge to check progress too. It can be used to gauge both the height and depth of the pin.

Veritas gauge used in depth mode to ensure
the pins and to depth

and length

Pin board after clean up

Do a test fit and if you have to remove any stock remove it from the pin board. First undercut the pin slightly and then pare the sides of the socket on the face that is tight. In general if you have been accurate with your sawing and chiselling you should get it to fit first time.

Remember when doing a test fit you need to keep the boards square to each other and you are aiming for a light press fit. If you get a sloppy fit it's not the end of the world as look down at your feet. You see all those bits of end grain shavings? Well you can slide them in the loose fit afterwards and when sanded and finished it'll look just like the surrounding wood (assuming you use the same species!)