Tired of Stopping Grooves? 140 Steps In for a Job

[C. in Indy]

I like to make dovetailed gift boxes but I hate making stopped grooves.   So, "the 140 trick" is taken to new depths here (after some judicious miter-box and tenon cuts):

   

   


More to come later.  Happy 4th of July!

Chris

[bandit571]

Something like these?
 

   
Needed a groove to house the headboard's padded panel....

   

[barryvabeach]

Chris, nice work.  I just made a small box, has been a long time since I did one, and realized the groove for the bottom ran out the end of the pins-  so I just glued in some blocks in the end of the groove, but I like your approach better.

[Mike Brady]

I like that way of handling the problem.

[Scoony]

I am currently making a small box and forgot to layout the grooves before marking the DTs. I miter the ends to hide the grooves, but this time marked out the DTs and cut before considering the lid groove.

[hbmcc]

I thought the #140 trick was dead? 

Actually, that's a great way to fix the grooves. Now, does anyone know how to cut the end board so the lid will slide in and out? After it is glued up? I think I will get one of those special grenade-shaped Japanese saws and attack the face board. 

[bandit571]

Like this...
 

   
And closed up
 

   

[knockknock]

... Now, does anyone know how to cut the end board so the lid will slide in and out? After it is glued up? ... 

I do it before the glue-up. I make the end piece where the lid slides out, a mirror image of the other end piece complete with a groove for the lid. Then I saw off at the bottom of the lid groove, make a pass or two with a plane, and it is the right height for the lid to slide out.

[hbmcc]

I have a box like Bandit's. With the other box I was on another star when the second "bottom" was glued up. 

Need to go out and work on the step railing. Wood for that includes WRC clear posts, 2x2 incense cedar pickets (balusters), Alaska cedar hand grip, and WRC fence pickets for the rails. Incense cedar is Calocedrus decurrens. It has little fragrance that I can determine.

[adamcherubini]

I think I’d have trouble remembering if I have ever cut a stopped groove. They are pretty rare in traditional hand tool projects. There’s almost always a way around doing them.