EDH Deck Box Holder + Learn Dovetail Joint

It is done! Now funny enough, the whole project went almost as expected, until the end. I started off the project wanting to make a small box to hold 3 EDH decks and I wanted it to have dovetail joints because I think they look really good and it would level up my craftsmanship. Most Dovetail joints are done with a router, but I wanted to do it with handtools. Main reason - didnt want to spend 300+ dollars on a router with the proper bits :).

I got all the tools needed to do so and went to work. It was a rough start, but this was my first real small wood project. Im used to crafting large crednezas and/or cabinets but not anything so small. So i had to approach it differently and ensure everything was right down to the mm. I spent about 3 - 4 hours on the last 3 weekends of dk30 getting the dovetail process down and it was sometimes frustrating, but so reqarding when you had joints finally clip in together.

After about 5 dovetail joint attempts, I finally got one good one in and made a box out of it. I was happy with it, but something in me didn’t feel right about it. It also felt HUGE. it fit in my bag with a laptop though so I didn’t think much of it.

I was still riding on the “proud of myself” high and I was at the store for last minute supplys and it was 3 days before the end of dk30 and I stumbled upon a different design and I knew right then and there I had made a mistake and picked the wrong design. So i immediatley got suppyls for a second box and told myself to just attempt it again for round 2 and see what happens. I knew i didnt have time to do the dovetail joints, so i went with the classic box look of 45 degree miter cuts for corners.

Box 1 and Box 2 for scale :)

Low and behold, the last 3 days of the challenge I had a box made from scratch that I was much more happy with (kudos to my wife for painting it). It was smaller, more compact, more clean and just overall better. It needs a coat of poly and a mechanism at the front to keep it closed and then its 100% done. I wish i could go back and tell myself to do the dovetail joint method on the second design. but thats a future dk3 project ;)

This was my first dk30 and I am really happy I did it. Sean has been a guy I look up to since I was in college 6+ years ago and I was happy to do something with his community. I am a casual woodworker at best but its events like this that push me out of my comfort zone and motivates me to get better at it as i get older because I do enjoy doing it a lot. I learned a lot with this project and I am actually really happy I did a pivot in the end. Handmade Dovetail joints is not easy to master and I want to do it next time with actual real craftsmanship wood like african padauk.. For now though, ill just enjoy my new box and wait patiently until I can Actually use it and play paper commander when this pandemic is over. Thanks Sean for hosting this dk30! It was a huge blessing to be a part of bud :)

Final pics below. Here is a whole album of my journey of this effort with pictures. I was terrible at giving updates on this site but i cant take plenty of pictures :)

PS - yes i am a Timmy player :) Gruul for life.

Old box, new box and unfinished dovetail box

Finished product :)

a few days ago I watched this video for dovetails with hand tools. VERY HELPFUL and took tons of notes. ordered some of the tools and should be here by monday. Going to clean the garage and buy some wood this weekend to start work on it as early as next tuesday .

So far so good. WE had family over the first day DK30 started so i was limited to research only. I have found GREAT inspiration though. Ill be going for something similiar to this . I will make the box a bit taller + narrower, but it will pretty much be the same. Its a BIT similar for what i wanted in the first place, but a one key things is how it all comes together - Dovetail joints - I have ALWAYS heard of these. they look pretty and are perfect for boxes. PRoblem is though, I have NEVER done them nor have the power tools for them. BUT lots of people say doing them with handtools is pretty simple, you just gota know the “formula”. So today, ill try to watch a 30+ min video of the small details on how to and order the tools I need.

The cool thing about going this route, is that I am going otuside my comfort zone and learnign something, so its appropriate for DK30 :). This is also a big step in the wold of actual “woodcrafting” so im pretty hyped to level up.