Build a Small Dovetail Tray With a $15 Backsaw

Make a 10-by-6-inch catchall tray from four pieces of clear pine or poplar: two long sides, 10 inches by 2½ inches, and two short sides, 6 inches by 2½ inches. Add a ¼-inch plywood bottom later. Expect to spend $15–$25 on wood if you buy short boards, plus about $15 for a basic backsaw.

You’ll need a fine-tooth backsaw, combination square, sharp pencil or marking knife, one chisel about ¼ inch wide, a small hammer or wooden mallet, clamps, sandpaper, and a flat work surface. A sharp chisel matters more than an expensive one. If it won’t pare a thin shaving from end grain, sharpen it before you begin.

Start with one short board and mark three dovetail tails across its end. For a 2½-inch board, make two angled lines about ⅜ inch in from each edge, leaving a wider central tail. Aim for a slope around 1:6; it does not need to be mathematically perfect. Transfer those marks squarely across the board’s face and down both sides to a depth of ⅜ inch. That depth is your baseline.

Clamp the board upright. Saw along the angled lines, stopping exactly at the baseline. Saw on the waste side of your pencil line—the side you plan to remove. Then make two straight relief cuts down to the baseline and knock out the waste with your chisel. Keep the chisel bevel toward the waste when removing the first chips, then pare carefully back to the lines.

Use the finished tails as a template. Stand the short board on the end of a long board and trace the tails onto it. Mark the waste areas clearly with an X. Saw the pins straight down to the baseline and remove the waste just as you did before. Test-fit the joint. It should slide together with firm hand pressure. If it needs a hammer, shave the tight spot; do not sand the entire joint loose.

Repeat for the other three corners, checking that the tray stays square. Glue the joints, clamp lightly, and measure diagonals corner to corner. If both diagonal measurements match, your tray is square. Glue in a plywood bottom from underneath, then ease the sharp edges with sandpaper and apply oil, wax, or finish.

The mistake nearly every beginner makes is cutting on the wrong side of the line. One saw kerf can make a joint noticeably loose. Mark the waste with a big X before every cut, and leave the line visible until you pare to it with the chisel. Wood forgives a cautious cut; it rarely forgives optimism.