Switched from pocket screws to dovetails on drawer boxes

For ten years I used pocket screws on every drawer box I built. Fast and cheap, but last year a customer in Portland had a runner break after six months and I had to drive out and rebuild the whole drawer. Took a weekend class on hand-cut dovetails and now I do machine dovetails on all my custom work. It adds about 45 minutes per drawer but I haven't had a single callback since. Anyone else make the switch and see fewer warranty issues?

2 comments

2 Comments

mila_mitchell1mo ago

Did you notice any difference in how the dovetails hold up over time with seasonal humidity changes? That's one thing I've been wondering about since Portland has that wet winter and dry summer cycle. I switched to box joints on mine after having pocket screws strip out on a few bigger jobs. Curious if you're doing full blind dovetails or just through dovetails for the drawer fronts.

oliviadixon1mo ago

My uncle used to say the only thing worse than a stripped screw is a stripped marriage, and he was an old-school cabinetmaker who swore nothing beat a dovetail on a humid Portland afternoon.