If you have a router consider using a corner lock cutter

**LINK**

Gives you a positive location and a strong glue line. You can get a mitre version to make the corners look nicer too.

regards Martin

Good luck with your project.

I cheated and sliced up an early 60s Kitchen Unit Top Box which I saved . Good quality wood and machined Dovetails. Too nice to break up-

Glued-n-screwed Old Marine Ply for the bases. The 2 boxes will take 20kgs of Lathe accessories each with no issues-

Making the partitions out of mahogany at the moment.

I think HowardT makes a valid point. If it's pretty you want with fancy timber then handcut dovetails and a pat on the back. If it's utilitarian then gorilla snot and a butt joint will do. When i built all the storage in my shed and some 20 drawers I made up a square jig on the table with wedges to tighten. The 'timbers' (MDF) was sawn up to size and just buted together with fast set brown glue… assembled a new one every 10-15 mins. The bottoms were just glued and stacked like a pargoda with a weight on top then ran a wheelie routet bit aroiund all edges to tidy up. Utilitarian job done

pgk

Mick70, have you seen the dovetail cutter advertised in this site ?

**LINK**

Don't know the size of it but its a top brand unit, not an expert when it come to woodwork but some now and then, I have a biscuit jointer – bought on a whim at B & Q for a £10 note — reduced and reduced and on clearance ! Used it more than anticipated but never for corner joints, personally I don't think it is the right tool for this ? Its meant for joining timber together in lengths or widths IMO.

For the storage boxes from ply I would mitre at 45 deg for the corners with a fillet glued inside each corner plus panel pins if you wish but good adhesive will be fine. For a tool box I would use dovetails or comb joints.

Just my five penne'th !

P S have a look on the sister mag website/forum good woodworking

And MFI make furniture, but it doesn't mean its heavy enough for use in the workshop ! As you say Jason, its the board that fails and that is my point.
BobH

Well you have got to soak up the tea in those MEM mugs with something

Spend a few quid on a dowelling jig and few bags of dowels.

Just and good as biscuits and you can save your cash for a dovetail jig when you feel the urge.

The first thing to conceder is the look of the box as previously stated do you want it to just be functional or look good and be functional.

If the first then go for the biscuit joiner if you want good looking then dovetail jig. As for the size of a dovetail jig depends on the size of the piece and the design of the box. I have both the 12" dovetail jig as well as a biscuit jointer both function very well and you can produce a strong unit with either.

Which of the two will you get the most out of in the future as like many jigs they can end up on a shelf just collecting dust.

If you have a router then a biscuit jointer router bit could also be a cheaper option but it does have its limitations over a dedicated biscuit jointer