Making Tapered Sliding Dovetails

[Charlie Woody]

Just saw this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nifnfn7i ... re=mh_lolz and wondered how I could use this method when making a bookcase. The shelves will be about 850mm, so my concern is to stop this long board from rocking when running vertically through the router table.

My router table is the Triton and the fence is only about 75mm high. I know I could attach a secondary higher fence to this, but unless I bolt it to the original which would be difficult, I fear that the shelf will rock as I push it through?

Any ideas please?

 

[adidat]

attached a large false fence to the face of the original fence using g cramps or similar, but put a packing piece so not to damage the original fence. then cut into the fence carefully with the router. remeber there is a very fine line between a tight join and a sloppy one, but bashing a bit of veneer in can help :lol:

adidat

 

[AndyT]

Seriously, if you have long unwieldy boards, I would not want to stand them up on end - the slightest wobble will be magnified into an error. Instead, lay them flat on the bench and do them by hand like these, which were on my last bookcase:

You don't need a special plane; just a block of wood cut to the right angle clamped on as a guide, and a wide chisel. It's really not that difficult. You could cut a square rebate on the end of the shelf with your router, then just do a tiny bit of chisel work to make the angle.

Top tip: make the dry fit slightly sloppy; when you put the glue on, the swelling effect from wetting the fibres will exceed the lubrication effect and it will tighten up nicely.

 

[Charlie Woody]

Thanks adidat & Andy

I will think about both options as I have concerns about both.

As the fence on my router table is low then even attaching a large false fence as suggested it might still wobble as I push the shelf through. By using my magswitch feather board I might be able to keep the shelf from wobbling.

My hand skills are rubbish and I am therefore not confident that I could cut the joint accurately enough.

 

[adidat]

another idea Charlie, take your fence off the table and knock up something like this below out of mdf or ply.

then just clamp it down to the table and cut a little hole for the cutter, to adjust slacken the clamps slightly and tap the corner gently with a mallet and do a test cut.

 

[Charlie Woody]

aditat, I took your advice

Started off with this

Then made this

And this

Finally this

Still have to let the dovetail bit through, but at 500mm high I think that should support the 850mm boards quite well when I use a magaswitch feather board to keep it tight to the fence. What do you think?