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 glue to use on dovetails?
I use Titebond III. I use a small glue brush and only apply glue to the long grain. Never had any problems with the glue setting. Using a small glue brush really speeds things up.
What are the rules for dovetail joints?
The ‘pins’ are the bits of wood between the tails so there are two half-pins; one each side. The general rule is that they measure half the thickness of timber plus around a mm, so the two dots on the shoulder line are 7mm in from each edge.
What is the weakness of 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.
What makes a dovetail joint strong?
Methods. The dovetail joint is very strong because of the way the ‘tails’ and ‘pins’ are shaped. This makes it difficult to pull the joint apart and virtually impossible when glue is added.
How tight should dovetails be?
If you can use your fist as a hammer to nudge them together, they’re just right. By the way, when you realize they will fit nice and snug, (hopefully by the time they are less than half way down) take them apart and don’t put them together again until you glue them.
Is a dovetail joint strong or weak?
Dovetail joints are very strong by design and they also offer an attractive finish that is a true sign of craftsmanship. Professionally cut and glued dovetail joints are virtually impossible to separate.
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.
When did they stop using dovetail joints?
By 1730, through dovetail joinery was abandoned in English furniture making in favor of the lapped construction. As furniture became more refined, furniture makers began to take pride in the construction of their drawers as well.
What is the weakest joint in carpentry?
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.
What is the best angle for a dovetail joint?
Lower (7° to 9°) angles are often advised for joining hardwoods, while higher angles (10° to 14°) are recommended for softwoods and even higher angles (14° to 18°) for half-blind dovetails.
What is the best angle for a dovetail?
Percy Blandford, who has been writing about woodworking for a long time, writes in “The Woodworker’s Bible” that any angle between 7.5° and 10° is acceptable. The ideal, he says, is 8.5° for softwoods and 7.5° when joining hardwoods.
How thick should dovetails be?
Structurally I have looked for pin strength in dovetails as the dovetailed aspect is always strong because it is always at least as wide and mostly wider than the pins. In my own work I aim for a minimum size of 1/4″ and mostly 3/8″.
What are the 2 types of dovetail joints?
Types of Dovetail Joints Half-Blind dovetails: In these, the pins and tails are hidden. Half-blind dovetails are only revealed when moved, opened or seen from a certain angle, like behind a drawer face. In a through dovetail, both the dovetails and pins are visible.
Which is stronger box joint or dovetail?
For this test, the box joint proved stronger. Plus, the box joint is strong in both directions, whereas the dovetails are useful only for pulling from one piece, but not the other. So really, to use a dovetail joint for the sake of strength is obsolete, mostly on account of the strength of wood glues.
What is the best adhesive to joint wood?
Polyvinyl acetate (PVA) glue is the most common type of wood glue. This type includes typical white and yellow glues, or what are commonly called “carpenter’s glue.” Iit can be used for many – but not all – projects. Hide glue is made from animal products.
What is the best way to glue a joint?
One good way to ensure a strong glue joint is to use the ‘rub joint’ method. Simply apply glue to the edges of one or both boards and rub them together to help spread the glue evenly before clamping.
Can I use wood glue on twine?
Now that you’ve wrapped the twine, take the wood glue and brush it over the twine. This will keep the shape in place. Wait 24 hours for the glue to dry completely. Once the glue is dry, the twine should stay in the shape of the sphere.
What is the best glue for webbing?
Contact cement, an industrial-strength adhesive, can be used in many situations to glue nylon webbing and is generally strong enough to grip the nylon and the surface you’re adhering to. Contact cement should be applied to both surfaces you’re bonding together.
Why are my dovetail joints loose?
Looseness is adjusted by changing the bit depth. If the joint is too loose, lower the bit by the amount of looseness. If too tight, raise the bit by that amount.
Do you need to clamp dovetails?
Well cut dovetails don’t need clamps, but it’s always nice to have clamps and cauls laid out just in case. I also like to have a piece of wood slightly thinner than my tails to use to tap the tails together to make sure they are fully seated. Before walking away, I check the case for square, then let the glue sit.
What is the strongest joint in carpentry?
MORTISE AND TENON JOINT 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.
Is a half blind dovetail joint strong?
In half-blind dovetails, the tails are embedded in the pins board without going all the way through. They give you the strength of regular dovetails with uninterrupted grain on one side, which is why they’re often used for drawers.
Are dovetail joints difficult?
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.
Which is better English or French dovetail?
While both English and French dovetail construction are very sturdy and high quality, English dovetail construction is slightly sturdier with the trade-off of being more expensive and time-consuming to produce.
Can you make dovetail joints with plywood?
A wide variety of methods can be used to make dovetail plywood drawer boxes. They are generally considered by the woodworking industry as time-consuming and difficult to make. The dovetails can be cut by hand with a dovetailing saw and chisel or you can use a dovetail jig and router.
