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I can think of only a few 18th c furniture forms where carcass dovetails can be seen at all. As I recall, none can be seen from the front.
Dovetails have become for modern woodworkers what Alfred Hitchcock called a “MacGuffin” . They are meaningless to the execution of the piece and have distracted woodworkers from the real effort of cabinetmakers past and present.
The carcass dovetails above are not perfect or even beautiful. They are what I can produce quickly. There are some gaps. Get a long last look because soon they will be covered by a molding forever.
What I’d like to say about dovetails is this: Learn how to saw. In my opinion, sawing is the gatekeeper for dovetailing and a whole range of other joinery. Beyond that, be happy with your dovetails and turn your attention to more important things. There’s a lot more to making furniture or executing traditional joinery than dovetails.
