Working on some cabinets where I want to use sliding dovetails -- this will
be my first attempt. Got the basics down but the more I read I keep coming
across the recommendation to use a tapered dovetail vice a straight one --
the intent is to avoid the build up of force needed to seat the dovetail as
the width of the material gets larger. The stuff I am making is 24"
wide -- is it wise thing to do to try a regular, straight, dovetail over
this width ? My thought is I may have to narrow the tail to get it to slide
such that the exposed edge would then not look decent. Any advice from those
that have gone before ?
Another thing you can try is to make only the front 2" or so a dovetail
joint and the rest (22") a regular dado. More or less you use a router
to cut the dado just into the dovetail joint (say 22.5") and then cut
the dovetail pin in the front section. Then you only cut the tail on
the front 2" (or so) of the shelf (or whatever it is). Only you will
know that it's not a full dovetail and the dado will slide in quite
easily. It's still a strong joint and you get the look you want as
well. I believe this is an acceptable way of doing this type of joint
as I have read about it in multiple books (if you're going for accuracy
or something).
Good luck and do quite a few practice joints. One thing to watch for
(that bit me the last time I did this) was to make sure as you cut the
tail that you make sure the bit is level on both sides. I did it on a
3" wide piece and my Rouseau router plate is slightly crowned and I
ended up with slightly different depths on each side of the tail (or is
it pin, I can never remember). Anyway, if I had it to do all over
again I'd use my Leigh D24 to cut the tail so it stays parallel all the
way across on both sides. My problem in not recognizing it with the
scrap test pieces is that they were wider than my final pieces and
though they slid in well (so I had the width right) they weren't flush
at the front so I wasn't able to pick up on the slight parallel problem
with the "shoulders" of the tail (is that the right way to describe
it?) until I actually glued in the final piece. It's only about a 16th
off on each piece but damn that bugs me. No one else will probably
know but I always will ;)
Mike
I used the Leigh and had no problem on 24" wide red oak desk deck,
other than slight bow in the pin panel that straighted out as I slid it
in. The Leigh clamped the panels perfectly flat. I amazed myself
when it went together.
Jim in KY
"Mike in Idaho" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Another thing you can try is to make only the front 2" or so a dovetail
> joint and the rest (22") a regular dado. More or less you use a router
> to cut the dado just into the dovetail joint (say 22.5") and then cut
> the dovetail pin in the front section. Then you only cut the tail on
> the front 2" (or so) of the shelf (or whatever it is). Only you will
> know that it's not a full dovetail and the dado will slide in quite
> easily. It's still a strong joint and you get the look you want as
> well. I believe this is an acceptable way of doing this type of joint
> as I have read about it in multiple books (if you're going for accuracy
> or something).
>
> Good luck and do quite a few practice joints. One thing to watch for
> (that bit me the last time I did this) was to make sure as you cut the
> tail that you make sure the bit is level on both sides. I did it on a
> 3" wide piece and my Rouseau router plate is slightly crowned and I
> ended up with slightly different depths on each side of the tail (or is
> it pin, I can never remember). Anyway, if I had it to do all over
> again I'd use my Leigh D24 to cut the tail so it stays parallel all the
> way across on both sides. My problem in not recognizing it with the
> scrap test pieces is that they were wider than my final pieces and
> though they slid in well (so I had the width right) they weren't flush
> at the front so I wasn't able to pick up on the slight parallel problem
> with the "shoulders" of the tail (is that the right way to describe
> it?) until I actually glued in the final piece. It's only about a 16th
> off on each piece but damn that bugs me. No one else will probably
> know but I always will ;)
>
> Mike
>
The only sliding dovetail I have done is to seat the legs of a Shaker
"chandle stand". These were about 3 inches long and *not* tapered. I think
that your gut impression is spot on. I would be loath to try to slide
together (if there was glue involved) 10 inches of untapered DT never mind
24. Its a pretty unforgiving joint.
-Steve
"Sam the Cat" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Working on some cabinets where I want to use sliding dovetails -- this
will
> be my first attempt. Got the basics down but the more I read I keep
coming
> across the recommendation to use a tapered dovetail vice a straight one --
> the intent is to avoid the build up of force needed to seat the dovetail
as
> the width of the material gets larger. The stuff I am making is 24"
> wide -- is it wise thing to do to try a regular, straight, dovetail over
> this width ? My thought is I may have to narrow the tail to get it to
slide
> such that the exposed edge would then not look decent. Any advice from
those
> that have gone before ?
>
>
>
"Woodhead" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I used the Leigh and had no problem on 24" wide red oak desk deck,
> other than slight bow in the pin panel that straighted out as I slid it
> in. The Leigh clamped the panels perfectly flat. I amazed myself
> when it went together.
SLIDING dovetail. There is no pin panel. we are discussing a different
animal.
There is an article in the latest, October issue #117, of American
Woodworker on making
a jig to cut tapered sliding dovetails for deep cabinets. The idea is that
the dovetail
will tighten fully only after it is slid in most of the way.
Chuck
"Sam the Cat" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Working on some cabinets where I want to use sliding dovetails -- this
> will
> be my first attempt. Got the basics down but the more I read I keep
> coming
> across the recommendation to use a tapered dovetail vice a straight one --
> the intent is to avoid the build up of force needed to seat the dovetail
> as
> the width of the material gets larger. The stuff I am making is 24"
> wide -- is it wise thing to do to try a regular, straight, dovetail over
> this width ? My thought is I may have to narrow the tail to get it to
> slide
> such that the exposed edge would then not look decent. Any advice from
> those
> that have gone before ?
>
>
>
Mike -- Thanks for the idea -- I'll give this a try
Cheers
"Mike in Idaho" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Another thing you can try is to make only the front 2" or so a dovetail
> joint and the rest (22") a regular dado. More or less you use a router
> to cut the dado just into the dovetail joint (say 22.5") and then cut
> the dovetail pin in the front section. Then you only cut the tail on
> the front 2" (or so) of the shelf (or whatever it is). Only you will
> know that it's not a full dovetail and the dado will slide in quite
> easily. It's still a strong joint and you get the look you want as
> well. I believe this is an acceptable way of doing this type of joint
> as I have read about it in multiple books (if you're going for accuracy
> or something).
>
> Good luck and do quite a few practice joints. One thing to watch for
> (that bit me the last time I did this) was to make sure as you cut the
> tail that you make sure the bit is level on both sides. I did it on a
> 3" wide piece and my Rouseau router plate is slightly crowned and I
> ended up with slightly different depths on each side of the tail (or is
> it pin, I can never remember). Anyway, if I had it to do all over
> again I'd use my Leigh D24 to cut the tail so it stays parallel all the
> way across on both sides. My problem in not recognizing it with the
> scrap test pieces is that they were wider than my final pieces and
> though they slid in well (so I had the width right) they weren't flush
> at the front so I wasn't able to pick up on the slight parallel problem
> with the "shoulders" of the tail (is that the right way to describe
> it?) until I actually glued in the final piece. It's only about a 16th
> off on each piece but damn that bugs me. No one else will probably
> know but I always will ;)
>
> Mike
>
It would be very cool to do a tapered sliding dovetail, but one option
that hasn't been mentioned is cheating by doing a standard sliding
dovetail but with most of the middle of the tail chopped out. This way
it would only bear at the ends. In choosing how much to cut out you'd
have to balance ease of assembly with strength, depending on the
application.
Come to think of it, you don't even have to cut the tail out all of the
way down to the edge of the board, you could leave it just 1/8" or so high.
"Sam the Cat" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
My thought is I may have to narrow the tail to get it to slide
> such that the exposed edge would then not look decent. Any advice from
> those
> that have gone before ?
I have made straight sliding dove joints that are short, maybe 5 or 6 inches
long. However, they are not easy to make. The difference between too tight
to assemble and sloppy loose is minute. I wouldn't attempt a straight
sliding dovetail 24" long. I have no experience with a tapered sliding
joint but suspect that would be the way to go if you get a good setup to cut
them. Something else you might consider is a one half dovetail joint where
the angle is cut only on one side leaving the other side straight. You can
cut them a little tight and then sand the straight side to achieve a good
fit.
Earl Creel
"Earl Creel" <[email protected]> writes:
> "Sam the Cat" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> My thought is I may have to narrow the tail to get it to slide
>> such that the exposed edge would then not look decent. Any advice from
>> those
>> that have gone before ?
[...]
> them. Something else you might consider is a one half dovetail joint where
> the angle is cut only on one side leaving the other side straight. You can
> cut them a little tight and then sand the straight side to achieve a good
Wrong set of tools. If the dovetail is too tight a slight pass with
the dovetailing plane is all thet's needed.
http://www.fine-tools.com/G301049.htm shows how that tool looks like.
--
Dr. Juergen Hannappel http://lisa2.physik.uni-bonn.de/~hannappe
mailto:[email protected] Phone: +49 228 73 2447 FAX ... 7869
Physikalisches Institut der Uni Bonn Nussallee 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
CERN: Phone: +412276 76461 Fax: ..77930 Bat. 892-R-A13 CH-1211 Geneve 23