how to cut dovetails

What do I mean by this: each cut has a finite width - one that's large enough to create unsightly gaps, if the cut is done on the wrong side of a marking, and also affect the joint's strength. Start with pieces of wood that are not curved or unevenly cut, so that the dovetails will fit tightly together. You can always chisel away material after the cut is done, if the fit is too tight, but there's no way you can add material back, once you removed it. Once you assemble the boards this task becomes exponentially more difficult. Sometimes I will use the square to put vertical lines down the face of the board to follow with he saw, but most of the time I just use the reflection in the saw to make sure it is square to the face. wikiHow's. Cutting dovetails by hand takes years of experience, but machines make the process much easier. The shape of the "tails and pins" in the joint make it nearly impossible to break. Step 3: Face Side, Face Edge. Dovetail joints are commonly used to build boxes, drawers, and cabinets. You will be removing chunks of wood the same size as the tails to create space between each pin. Once you put the two boards together you will see places where they are tight or overlapping. The jig can be used over and over again which makes cutting the dovetails a more time efficient activity. Next, it is time to just cut. A cut should be done by placing the saw slightly towards the material to be removed, not centered on the marking, so that ideally you cut down along the edge of the marking, not right through the marking. Unlock staff-researched answers by supporting wikiHow, https://www.finewoodworking.com/2006/05/23/hand-cut-dovetails-accurate-and-fast, https://www.canadianwoodworking.com/tipstechniques/hand-cut-dovetails, https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to-plans/how-to/a19197/how-to-cut-dovetail-joints-woodworking/, https://www.core77.com/posts/70642/How-I-Learned-to-Cut-Dovetails-By-Hand, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published, This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Again, make sure to X out the segments that need to be removed. How we test gear. Two things that I've found helpful. What they do is put a strip of blue painter's tape across the end of the board, then trace the tails onto the pins with a sharp knife. Take your marking gauge for about 1/32″ wider than the thickness of the boards you are joining. David Logan. You can cut dovetails with a router and dovetail jig, which is a perfectly acceptable option. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/31\/Cut-Dovetails-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Cut-Dovetails-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/31\/Cut-Dovetails-Step-1.jpg\/aid1387666-v4-728px-Cut-Dovetails-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"