The dovetail is the drawer joint of choice in many a classic drawer, but for a more mechanized world, the drawer joint of choice is often the half-blind tongue-in-groove. Sturdy, interlocking, mechanical without the need of nails, and quickly made on a table saw this joint often appears in commercial cabinetry (in a good way). This drawer joint can be used for inset drawers (as shown in the video excerpt below from Alan Turner’s Craftsman’s Tool Chest), or overlay drawers, requiring only a few adjustments on the saw.
I’m not suggesting you give up dovetails, but the next time you’re faced with a bank of eight of more drawers you may find the half-blind tongue-in-groove a valuable time saver.
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can you explain how the levered handle on the jig was created to hold the work piece into place?