Dovetail Joint

 

Many woodworking enthusiasts have told me they are put off trying to make dovetail joints as they think it is too difficult for them to try,so I have decided to explain how easy this joint  is to make by hand.

Once your wood has been cut to size, you will need to mark a gauge line on both pieces to form the shoulder line to cut to.Place one of the pieces in a vice & begin cutting the tails using a dovetail saw(there is no exact formula for these,but I usually cut 1 tail per inch – eg. if the wood is 3″ wide,I use 3 tails if it is 6″ wide I use 6 tails & so on)the tails can now be cut out either using a coping saw or a chisel,depending on the size.

 

dovetail joint Dovetail Joint

Now put the second piece of wood in the vice & place the first piece on top and use this as a template to mark the position of the cuts for the tails to fit into.Again cut these using a dovetail saw & finish off with the coping saw or wood chisel,you may have to gently go over again with a chisel if your joints are a little tight.If this is the first time your attempting this joint,I would recommend using a few scrap pieces of wood first,until you get the hang of how to make this nice strong dovetail joint.

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Dovetail Joint

Filed under: Wood Joints

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