# Sliding dovetail joint (dovetail housing)

> What are the proportions of a sliding dovetail?

- Category: Joinery › Dovetail joints
- Kind: Hardware
- Basis: Xem Studio design — geometry computed in the generator from traditional proportions
- Page: https://xemstudio.com/objects/sliding-dovetail-joint/ · JSON: https://xemstudio.com/api/geometry?object=sliding-dovetail-joint · Plain text: https://xemstudio.com/objects/sliding-dovetail-joint/sheet.txt
- License: dimension sheet CC BY 4.0 (Xem Studio); files Xem Studio Design License (free to use and sell from, not to redistribute as files: https://xemstudio.com/license/)
- Use in every chat: add https://xemstudio.com/mcp as a connector (https://xemstudio.com/use-with-ai/)

## Overall (mm)

| length | width | height |
|---|---|---|
| 95.0 | 80.0 | 100.0 |

**Exact dimensions.** True size, with no printing tolerance added.

## Notes

- Woodworking joint drawn for 3D printing: the parts lock together by shape, so a print can be joined without glue or screws. Drawn at true size with the parts line to line (zero gap) in their assembled position — add your printer's fit allowance to the mating faces (your AI or slicer can do this).
- A dovetail-shaped dado: the shelf slides in from the front and cannot pull out sideways.
- Great for printed shelves and drawers: print the panel flat, housing up.

## Sizes

| dimension | value |
|---|---|
| stock | 15 mm side panel, 10 mm shelf, 80 mm deep |
| parts | side panel, shelf |
| housing | 5 mm deep, 6 mm at the surface → 7.67 mm at the bottom |
| slope | 1:6 |
| assembles | the shelf slides in from the front |
| holds | pulling the shelf out of the side; no glue needed |

## Where the files are

- Xem Studio: [Joinery design (geometry computed in the generator from traditional proportions)](https://xemstudio.com/) — web — Xem Studio design

## Free STEP/STL (3 parts, Xem Studio Design License, Xem Studio)

Index: https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sliding-dovetail-joint/index.json · license: https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sliding-dovetail-joint/LICENSE.md

- sliding-dovetail-joint-side-panel: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sliding-dovetail-joint/sliding-dovetail-joint-side-panel.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sliding-dovetail-joint/sliding-dovetail-joint-side-panel.stl) — Side panel with a dovetail housing
- sliding-dovetail-joint-shelf: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sliding-dovetail-joint/sliding-dovetail-joint-shelf.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sliding-dovetail-joint/sliding-dovetail-joint-shelf.stl) — Shelf with a dovetail tongue
- sliding-dovetail-joint-assembled: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sliding-dovetail-joint/sliding-dovetail-joint-assembled.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sliding-dovetail-joint/sliding-dovetail-joint-assembled.stl) — All parts in their assembled position (each part its own solid)

## Questions

**How deep is a sliding dovetail?**

5 mm into a 15 mm panel here — about a third of its thickness.

## Fits with

- [Dado joint (housing joint)](https://xemstudio.com/objects/dado-joint/)
- [Through dovetail joint](https://xemstudio.com/objects/through-dovetail-joint/)
- [Ari kake (dovetail beam housing)](https://xemstudio.com/objects/ari-kake-dovetail-housing/)