What are the standards for dovetail design?

As a rule of thumb the dovetail’s maximum width should occupy approximately 1/ 2 to 3/ 4 of the gasket’s width (leaving a 1/ 4 – 1/ 8 of gasket width on each side). For larger gasket widths, multiple dovetails can be made side-by- side, facing the same direction or inverted.

What is the standard size of a dovetail?

What is the standard 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.

What dovetail ratio is best?

Dovetail angles are usually expressed as ratios — the most common being 1:6 and 1:8 (said “one in eight,” and also written as 6:1 or 8:1). As a general rule of thumb: Use 1:6 for softwoods. Use 1:8 for hardwoods.

What is the important information about the dovetail joint?

Dovetail joints are known for their inherent strength and resistance to being pulled apart (tensile strength). A dovetail joint has a series of pins and tails in a trapezoidal shape and once glued a dovetail joint has no need for mechanical fasteners.

What is the minimum thickness for a dovetail?

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 rules for dovetail joints?

The general rule is that they measure half the thickness of timber plus around 1 mm along the shoulder line. So these two awl dots are 7 mm in from each edge. These two dots, which mark the corners of the half pins, are now converted into a 1:8 slope at each side.

Is 11mm and 3 8 dovetail the same?

The 3/8 Inch is measured across the bottom of the dovetail whereas the 11 mm is measured across the top of the dovetail. A 3/8 Inch dovetail is about 12.7 mm across the top. The measurements 3/8 and 11mm are not the same for this reason plus the angles are different.

What is the difference between English and French dovetail?

The English tended to use mahogany and oak in the drawer sides and secondary woods. These hard woods allowed finer dovetails. The French also used oak, but the Germans used softer pine, which more or less required a larger dovetail.

What is a 1 to 6 ratio dovetail?

A 1:6 ratio – that’s one unit horizontal with six matching units drawn vertical – lays out as a 9.5 degree angle. A 1:8 ratio – one unit horizontal with eight matching units drawn vertical – is an angle of 7.1 degrees.

What ratio is a 14 degree dovetail?

Commonly accepted ratios are 1:8 for hardwoods and 1:6 for softer timber. This 14° marker equates to a ratio of 1:4. When used with thinner stock, the 14° angle results in a better looking joint.

What is the most popular dovetail joint?

Single-lap Dovetail The single-lap (known to many folks as a half-blind dovetail) is the best known of the dovetails since it’s used to join the front to the sides of a drawer.

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.

Is 11mm and 3 8 dovetail the same?

The 3/8 Inch is measured across the bottom of the dovetail whereas the 11 mm is measured across the top of the dovetail. A 3/8 Inch dovetail is about 12.7 mm across the top. The measurements 3/8 and 11mm are not the same for this reason plus the angles are different.

What is a 11mm dovetail rail?

Description. This 11mm dovetail rail attaches to the receiver of Savage MKII rifles to allow the use of Gehmann, Anschutz, or other rear sight options. This is the same rail included with our complete biathlon sight set for the Savage rifles.

What size dovetail chisels do you really need?

Sketch out the joint and get a chisel that fits into the pin slots. Or design the pins around your smallest chisel and get chopping. I use a 1/4″ and 1/2″ more than the rest of the sizes for all types of work (including dovetails) Erich. The next most used would be a 3/4″.

How deep should dovetails be?

But keep in mind that if you machine the dovetail groove across the work piece you will be weakening it because you are removing some of its thickness. Try to keep the depth of the dovetail groove between 1/3 and 1/2 the thickness of the part.

What are the weaknesses of dovetail?

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 size dividers for dovetails?

I recommend using two dividers for marking dovetails: one to mark the half pins and one to mark the full tails. I prefer the 4″dividers because I find them more comfortable to use than the larger sizes. In addition to dovetails you will find lots of uses for dividers.

What is the angle of a 11mm dovetail?

The 11 mm dovetail has a 60-degree angle, while the 3/8” dovetail has a 45-degree angle.

What is a 11mm dovetail rail?

Description. This 11mm dovetail rail attaches to the receiver of Savage MKII rifles to allow the use of Gehmann, Anschutz, or other rear sight options. This is the same rail included with our complete biathlon sight set for the Savage rifles.

What size dovetail is CZ 452?

Our hd cz 452 mount is available for 3/8″ and 11mm dovetails.

What is the weakest wood joint?

A butt joint is the easiest of all simple wood joints, but also is the weakest. The cut end of one board butts up against the edge of another piece at a right angle. The key to every type of wood joint is having smooth, square cuts on the boards, and the butt joint is no exception.

When did they stop using dovetail?

Hand-cut dovetailing was the default until 1860 when uniform machine-cut joints were introduced. But fine cabinetmakers persisted in fitting their joints by hand until the early 1900s, and cabinetmakers in Europe cut dovetails by hand well into the 1930s.

Why is a dovetail called a dovetail?

The dovetail design is an important method of distinguishing various periods of furniture. The etymology of the name comes from the resemblance between the tenon or mortise of the joint to the shape of a dove’s tail .

What degree is a 1 8 dovetail in degrees?

It would be extremely difficult to be able to pick these differences up in your dovetails on a piece of furniture by eye. So in closing your 1:4 Saddle-Tail is for all practical purposes 14 degrees, the 1:6 is close to 10 degrees and the 1:8 is about 7 degrees.

Mike Walker

Repair and Construction Expert. WoodiesDIY.tv Owner