Customer told me my dovetails were too tight, and they were right

Had a guy bring back a cherry nightstand I made last spring because the drawers were sticking in humid weather. He pointed out I left zero room for wood movement in my joinery. I always thought tight dovetails meant quality work, but after that I started leaving a 1/32 gap on the pin sides. Has anyone else had to adjust their tolerances after getting feedback like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

david_palmer9d ago

I gotta push back on this a little. If a customer buys a solid wood piece it's on them to keep it in a climate controlled space, not on us to build in gaps that look sloppy. You can do a bit of wiggle room on the pins without making it obvious, but 1/32 is pretty visible if you know what you're looking at.

angela7289d ago

Honestly, that's a fair point about climate control, but how many customers actually understand that when they buy a piece? They see solid wood and think it's tough, not that it'll move half an inch in summer. Ngl, seems like the real issue is setting the right expectation upfront, not just blaming the buyer later.

michael_williams9d ago

That bit about "1/32 is pretty visible" made me laugh because it reminded me of this old desk I bought from a guy who restored antiques. He told me the drawer was designed to "breathe" and I was like okay sure man, whatever you say. Six months later that thing wouldn't close in July without a good shove, and I realized he wasn't just making stuff up lol. I guess wood really does have a mind of its own.