Uploaded October 2020 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Sliding dovetails, lapped dovetails, mortise & tenon... You betcha! I pulled out all the stops for the drawer frame structure.

I build a 5-drawer vanity table with only hand tools!

In the second video of this series, I build the main drawer structure and the internal divider. I used tapered, sliding dovetails to join the two main supports to the upper rail, which is dovetailed into the legs. Everything else is mortise and tenoned in. That created a problem. Because the center support stile is dovetailed in, and there are mortises in that and a sliding dovetail, that means I have to muscle it into place. So, this is a design flaw. It actually caused a break in one of the pieces that I had to fix during glue up (not shown). Even so, it turned out fine! Next up is the rest of the internals, the drawers, paint, et voilà!

Watch me turn the legs on a pole lathe: youtu.be/IWviIFoip3g
Build the pole lathe: youtu.be/iubYnvf-jhU
Building a writing desk: youtu.be/3-AmF-116YI
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Thanks!
Andrew