In the overall scheme of things I might reason that in over 97% of cases, woodworkers cut the tails first and make the pins follow. So in this case, the tails predetermine that pins follow the tail in like fashion that form always follows function in the real world of non-fantasy craftwork.
Should dovetails or the pins be marked and cut first?
Traditionally, many craftsmen would lay out and cut the pins first. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, the pins are generally perceived as being easier to cut (and easier to square to the baseline if they are off a little bit).
Which part of a dovetail is cut first?
Cutting the dovetail pins first makes sense. It’s easier to hold the pin board in place to mark the tails than it is to hold the tail board against the end of what will be the pin board. Also, the walls of the pins provide a good surface for the awl as you mark the tails.1 Feb 1996
What is the difference between tails and pins on a dovetail board?
They’re comprised of interlocking wedge-shaped components: the tails and the pins. To tell the difference, look at the sides of the components. The edges of the tails are square to a board’s face (and look like a dove’s tail), while the pins are angled to the board’s face (they look more like end grain trapezoids).
What are the rules for dovetail?
What are the rules for dovetail joints?
The space between half pins is divided between pins and tails. Fine work the pins 4mm > 6mm, larger work 7mm > 12mm. To have a desirable appearance the pins smaller than the tails. Your tails should be around 18mm > 35mm for fine work like drawers and 35mm > 55mm on larger work like a chest.
How deep should a dovetail joint be?
Typically we use 1 ½” – 2” deep dovetails that are about 2” less deep than the joist, and 4” less deep than the girt – but that is just a starting point – the loads and reactions have to be calculated from there.
How difficult is a dovetail joint?
Hand-cutting a dovetail joint is kind of a woodworking high-wire act; one slip of the saw or chisel and the joint either won’t fit together or will look sloppy. It takes a lot of time to master the ability to cut dovetails quickly and well (by hand or machine), without a lot of fussing around.
What are the disadvantages of a dovetail joint?
The disadvantages of dovetail joints are that they can be fairly difficult to mark out and cut, and if they are made badly these joints lose the advantages listed above. Depending on the project, function, and design, there are a number of different types of dovetail joints to choose from.
Are dovetail joints worth it?
Making sure that you pick a drawer joint that can withstand this type of wear and tear is crucial to the longevity of your kitchen cabinets. Dovetail joints are considered one of the strongest joints used in kitchen cabinetry construction and are the best solution for a kitchen cabinet drawer box.
What is stronger dovetail or finger joint?
Although the finger joint is not mechanically interlocking like a dovetail, the joint is amazingly strong. Today’s modern adhesives and the large glue surface make the finger joint equally as strong as the dovetail throughout the life of the adhesive.
What tool for marking dovetail joints?
The Crucible Dovetail Template marks out dovetail joints – both the tails and the pins – and allows you to easily and accurately lay out the angled and straight parts of the joint. This template marks out the two most common dovetail slopes, 1:6 and 1:8 (9.5° and 7.1° respectively).
At what angle to the horizontal is the dovetail cut?
Should dovetail joints be glued?
Michael Dresdner: The only areas that require glue on dovetails are the diagonal faces. All the diagonal faces are long grain, all the square faces are end grain, and all the flat faces abut end grain. Therefore, you need only apply glue to the diagonal faces on the tails or pins, or both.
What is the common angle for a dovetail joint?
Although softwoods are more compressible than hardwoods, you needn’t change the dovetail angle to add strength to the joint. Any angle between 7° and 15° will work, regardless of the wood. But stay within that range. If you go below 7°, you’ll start to lose the mechanical strength of the dovetail.
What if the dovetail joint is too loose?
If the joint is too loose, lower the bit by the amount of looseness. If too tight, raise the bit by that amount. Flushness is adjusted by changing the position of the fingerboard. Tails should be recessed by 1/64″ or less.
Are 3 8 and 11mm dovetail the same?
However, that is not the only difference between the two dovetails. They also have different groove angles as shown below. The 11 mm dovetail has a 60-degree angle, while the 3/8” dovetail has a 45-degree angle.
Is a dovetail joint strong or weak?
Dovetail is arguably the strongest joint in millwork. It’s made so that it can’t be twisted or pulled in any direction except for one. This means that it’ll take more force to break or damage the joint. Because of the preciseness of each piece, this joint is held into place without the need for extra reinforcement.
What is the hardest joint in carpentry?
A mortice and tenon joint is generally recognised as the toughest around. As a result, they are sensible to use for commercial joinery projects. In simple terms, it allows two pieces of wood to be connected together.
What is the strongest joint in woodworking?
Mortise and tenon joints are widely regarded as one of the strongest and most reliable woodworking joints. They involve creating a mortise, or a hole, in one piece of wood and a tenon on the end of the other piece, which fits into the mortise.
Can you make a dovetail joint by hand?
Of the four types of dovetail joints (through dovetail, half blind dovetail, secret mitered dovetail, and the sliding dovetail), the through dovetail is the most basic method, and a perfect one for hand cutting. Contrary to what seems to be popular belief on the internet, they are not really all that hard.
What is the weakest wood joint?
A butt joint uses a simple technique whereby two pieces of material are joined together at their ends, without any special shaping or cutting. Although it is simple, the butt joint is also the weakest of the wood joinery types.
Is dovetail joint permanent?
The strongest and most permanent right-angled joints made in wood are the ‘dove-tail’ joints, as illustrated below. The so-called tails and pins fit together to form a secure joint.
Do they still use dovetail joints?
Dovetail joints used to be the best way to join pieces of wood, especially a box or drawer. I used to cut them by hand but now you can buy jigs. Modern glues, like Gorilla Glue, are so strong I rarely use a dovetail joint unless it’s going to show. I usually use a rabbet, or sometimes even a butt joint.
What is stronger than a dovetail joint?
Frid wrote that finger (or box) joints are stronger than through dovetails because the fingers offer much more glue surface.
How long does it take to cut dovetails?
Business issues aside, hand cut dovetails are not that big of an issue in our shop. My time per drawer averages about 1.3 hours. That’s going from rough stock to parts ready to sand (insides) and assemble.
