Adjusting Dovetails

[Colarris]

My sawing/marking was a bit poor and some of the tails are a little wide, stopping the joint from fitting snuggly. Whats the best technique for reducing the size of the tails slightly?

 

[brianhabby]

Sharp Chisel?

regards

Brian

 

[Colarris]

Just worried I'm going to slip and take out big chunks. Wouldn't sand paper be easier/safer?

 

[adidat]

saw them off and start again, best way to learn. or each attempt, glue them together and plane them flat, then line your attempts up and see your progress.

adidat

 

[adidat]

saw them off and start again, best way to learn. or each attempt, glue them together and plane them flat, then line your attempts up and see your progress.

adidat

 

[Peter Sefton]

I know poeple have different ways of cutting dovetails but for me always cut the tails first for through or lapped dovetails they should be finished off the saw then scribe around them to make the pins. Never retrim the tails - any fitting should be done on the pins if required. If you are making double lapped or secret mitred dovetails, cut the pins first.

I hope this video might help http://www.peterseftonfurnitureschool.c ... ng_videos/

cheers Peter

 

[Jacob]

I know poeple have different ways of cutting dovetails but for me always cut the tails first for through or lapped dovetails they should be finished off the saw then scribe around them to make the pins. Never retrim the tails - any fitting should be done on the pins if required. ....

Or to put it another way - cut the pinholes first, then the pins. The "dovetails" are a secondary feature - just the wood left behind between the pinholes.

 

[Colarris]

Thanks all.

 

[Benchwayze]

Col,

You could always widen the tails, to accommodate the larger pin, (Naughty!) but were it me...
I'd start again. and again, and again, and again... :wink:

Doesn't sound helpful, I know, but it works.

John

 

[Colarris]

Yeah, thanks Bench I may as well, its not like its a huge amount of wood. Will be more careful with my marking this time!

 

[moz]

It's good advice to start again but everyone cuts a dodgy one now and then and it may be worth trying to trim the pins. I wouldn't just drive down from the top of the pin as it's likely to just follow the grain. First, choose a chisel that is wider than the thickness of the part. Rest on the knife line with the bevel towards the waste, and give a light tap; you don't want to penetrate more than a millimetre or two. Having established clean edges at the show face, trim the pins from the face, using a backing board at the back, or from both faces to avoid breakout. Choose a chisel that is slightly narrower than the height of the pin so that, even if you slip, you will not disturb the show edges. Also, this joint can be successully patched with wedges in many cases. Always patch the pin since it is much easier to hide the end grain joint. Use an offcut from the same piece lining up the grain as carefully as you can. Bear in mind that even a poorly cut dovetail joint can be incredibly strong. It is good advice to start again and benefit from the extra practise but that isn't always the best plan when you may have cut 40 odd joints in a carcase for example, so I do think the above techniques are worth practising in their own right. HTH.

John

 

[drillbit]

Is it a really bad thing to use a bandsaw to shave down joints? I have done this with tenons and box joints - you can just shave off a blade's width or less and keep offering it up until snug. I'm a novice, so possibly this is a rubbish idea....

 

[woodbloke]

I know poeple have different ways of cutting dovetails but for me always cut the tails first for through or lapped dovetails they should be finished off the saw then scribe around them to make the pins. Never retrim the tails - any fitting should be done on the pins if required. If you are making double lapped or secret mitred dovetails, cut the pins first.

I hope this video might help http://www.peterseftonfurnitureschool.c ... ng_videos/

cheers Peter

Pete's correct here...whatever you do, don't adjust the tails. Adusting the pins with a sharp chisel is much better as you've generally got more room to work and the shape of tails won't be affected - Rob

 

[Benchwayze]

You could always cut out the pin altogether, and let in a new section, so you can re-cut the pin, especially with lap dovetails.
It depends on the class of work of course, and whether or not it might be more labour than to start again.

I have made more than one box that finished up an inch or so smaller all round, than was originally planned.
I suspect I am not on my own here! 8)

John