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 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 size are standard dovetails?
Dovetails come in several different types and sizes depending on manufacturer, but the most common are the 11 mm and 3⁄8 inch (9.5 mm). Some other less known, but currently commercially available dovetail mounts, are 12, 13, 13.5, 14, 14.5, 16, 16.5, 17 and 19 mm.
What are the proportions of a dovetail?
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 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.
What is the best dovetail angle?
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.
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.
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 is the difference between English dovetail and French dovetail?
French dovetails have sliding joints and are shorter in height. A piece of furniture with a curved front will always have French dovetails, because English dovetails will not work with that shape.
What ratio is a 14 degree dovetail?
This 14° marker equates to a ratio of 1:4. When used with thinner stock, the 14° angle results in a better looking joint. This different angle also gives you a slightly stronger dovetail interlock on the thinner material.
What angle is a 1 in 8 dovetail?
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.
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 is the slope of a dovetail joint?
There are different types of dovetail joints. The angle of slope varies according to the wood used, purpose of joint and type of work. Typically the slope is 1:6 for softwoods, and a shallower 1:8 slope for hardwoods. Often a slope of 1:7 is used as a compromise.
What ratio is a 14 degree dovetail?
This 14° marker equates to a ratio of 1:4. When used with thinner stock, the 14° angle results in a better looking joint. This different angle also gives you a slightly stronger dovetail interlock on the thinner material.
Is 11mm dovetail the same as 3 8?
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.
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 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.
Are dovetail joints difficult?
This is a relatively complex joint that takes time to fit together. But it’s absolutely within the capabilities of anyone who knows how to use a hand saw. In my opinion, the hardest part is cutting the sides of the pins and tails accurately. Luckily, this is made a lot easier with a good dovetail jig.
Is dovetail the highest quality?
Dovetail joinery is a benchmark of high-quality construction because these fasteners are all potential weak points that can degrade or break-down over time.
What size chisels for dovetails?
After years of dovetailing, I noticed that two of my chisels were seeing almost all the action: the 1/4″-wide and a 3/4″-wide tools. I use the narrow one for removing waste between the tails and the larger one for removing waste between pins.
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.
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.
What is the difference between Martin simple dovetail and dovetail?
The simple dovetail is Martin’s official term for the improved M&T style neck. Basically it too is considerably narrower than the dovetail, but it does splay out more toward a V shape when you look at the mortise and tenon, which provides more contact surface.
What is the formula for measuring dovetails?
To obtain dimension x for measuring male dovetails, add 1 to the cotangent of one-half the dovetail angle α, multiply by diameter D of the rods used, and add the product to dimension α.
