I am building a blanket chest from spalted sycamore following plans in WOOD magazine no.194, November 2009. The plans present three options: 1 using cherry with dovetail joints and a traditional american base, 2, using pine with rabbeted joints and square nails and a "country-fresh" base: 3, using ash and walnut with rabbeted joints and plugged screws and a "casual-contemporary" base. My sycamore is not clear, it has a lot of knots, voids, etc. so I am going for the "country-fresh" look. However, I feel the rabbeted joints will not be strong enough to withstand the ravages of time and use. The chances of blowout of nails and screws are also pretty high since there is some pretty wild grain involved. In my opinion, the dovetails would be the best of the three options for durability and strength yet, they seem a little formal for use in this wood. I do not have a dovetail jig. I am thinking about making 2 inch wide finger joints to provide more strength and still retain the "rustic" look. I would like comments on how this would look Also, I am looking for suggestions on the easiest way to make these. The front and back panels are 16 X 45 so I don't want to try any vertical holds. I have a 14 inch bandsaw and a large router table. Thanks for any help you can provide.