In Tricks of the Trade

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Chiseling and paring away the waste between dovetail pins can be largely eliminated by using a Forstner bit to remove the waste. Set up a Forstner bit (the diameter equal to your drawer side thickness) in your drill press and set the depth stop to just shy of the bottom layout line. Drill into the rear face of the piece, then simply pare the remaining waste for a perfect fit. This trick saves a lot of time.

Robert Poole

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