Mahogany Curved Blockfront Top & Molding Step 3

After gluing up the top from book matched pieces that I resawed from 8/4 mahogany, it was time to square it up with my crosscut sled.

Now that it was cut to size 21 x 36, I need to make a sliding dovetail from a stopped front to the back.
I chose to use my radial arm saw to cut a 1/2 x 1/2 slot from back to the stopping line in the front.
There are other ways of doing this. You could use a router with a guide, table saw where you drop the board on the dado stack.  I think it is dangerous but there are people who do it.

Now I use a router with a guide to put a dovetail socket on one side of the slot.  The guide is tapered 1/16 inch from the back to the front.  This makes a loose fit in the back to a tight fit in the front. The router has a good cut on the left slot and a climbing cut on the right slot, since the dovetail is toward the outside of both slots. Be careful when cutting with the climbing cut, the router can get away from you an ruin the slot.

Putting the half dovetail on the outside of each of the case sides.  This is a straight dovetail only taper the slots.

Test fit, it takes some whacking to get it to go the last inch or so.  But that is the way it is suppose to work.  If it is too tight, I use my shoulder plane to ease a little off the dovetail.

Here is the top dry fitted to both dovetails.  Later, I'll remove it and put the edge treatment and curves on it before gluing in place.

I need to make the bottom molding. This piece is about 5 inches wide and has a round over and follows the curve on the front. I used a template I made at the start for the curves.   The ends need to be cut off and mitered for the side molding.

Before I could mount the molding, I needed to glue up the case.  Doug Moulder was visiting so we glued it up with Old Brown Glue.  Gluing was just to the bottom with the sides and the 3 drawer dividers into their sockets. The top is not glued on, I will do that later after shaping.

I milled a couple of 3 inch pieces for the side molding and mitered it in the front.  I will attach it to the bottom with screws.  Gluing the side pieces to the bottom would create a cross grain potential problem.

All clamped in place ready for the screws.

I used 1 1/2 inch #10 screws.  I will have to cut a mortise in the bottom here to attach the ball and claw foot.

Attaching the side matching cove molding with a little glue in the front and pin nail in the back using my 18th century pneumatic pin nailer.

Cutting out a practise foot out of poplar.

One foot without the tenon under the case. I need to make a template from that so I can locate where to cut the mortise.  The other foot is cut out from poplar for practise carving.  I have to curve the side toes toward the back .
Carving will be in the next post.

Here is today Video: