What is the best length for a dovetail saw?

Even if you’ll use your saw mostly for run of the mill drawer dovetails, the longer length will give much straighter cuts, and be much faster. It will also help you to see square. Go for around the 10″ (250mm) mark. Maybe a little longer if you work thicker stuff.Even if you’ll use your saw mostly for run of the mill drawer dovetails, the longer length will give much straighter cuts, and be much faster. It will also help you to see square. Go for around the 10″ (250mm) mark. Maybe a little longer if you work thicker stuff.

How long should a dovetail saw be?

Overall length, including handle, is 15″, with a blade length of 10″.

What saw is best for dovetail joints?

The Japanese saw used for dovetailing is called a dozuki. It cuts on the pull stroke, so the working blade is in tension, meaning it can be made thinner without danger of buckling under pressure. Being thin, it removes less material, and so tends to cut faster.

How long should a tenon saw be?

16in option for a tenon saw. 16in seems to be typical for mass-produced tenon saws today (Lie-Nielsen, Veritas), but I’ve seen references that 18in was a more common choice for professionals back in the heyday of hand tools.

What size is a dovetail saw?

How long should a saw be?

Using a tape measure, run through the motions of sawing a few times, noting the measurement each time. This is your saw stroke length. Add about 2″ for proper saw length. So the goal is to size your saw just an inch or two longer than the length of your saw stroke.

What are the rules for dovetails?

What is the difference between a gents saw and a dovetail saw?

‘Gents saws’ are similar to a dovetail saw, however they can be identified by their inline handle. Dovetail Saws – These are the smaller backsaws which are mostly used for dovetailing, these are small versions of the tenon saw.

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.

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.

Why is it important to use the full length of the tenon or any hand saw to cut timber?

The longer blade wanders less, and its weight helps you cut with less downward effort. Small saws meant for fine work (top and middle) have tooth counts of 12 teeth per inch (tpi) or points per inch (ppi) and up. Tenon saws (bottom) have a lower tooth count for better rip cuts, and wider blades for deeper cuts.

How thick is a dovetail saw plate?

Can I use a tenon saw for dovetails?

I find I have greater control with say a ten inch tenon saw and this just happens to be the ideal saw for dovetails too and so I keep my so-called dovetail saw close to hand for the shoulder-cutting aspect of cutting tenons.

What is special about a dovetail saw?

A dovetail saw is the most commonly purchased backsaw, since it is used so much in cutting dovetail joints. It has a rip tooth configuration (again, discussed in my hand saw buyer’s guide), which enables it to cut with the grain, but also works acceptably well at cutting across the grain on small cuts.

What is a dovetail saw good for?

What is the minimum length you should cut on the table saw?

The minimum length for ripping wood is: the wood must be longer than the length of the blade exposed above the table. Avoid working with short pieces of wood whenever possible. Plan ahead and don’t cut your boards Page 5 too short too soon. A minimum length of 12″ is a good standard to use.

What is the standard length of a hand saw?

Hand Saw Length They can vary from 6” to 12” and 22” to 24” plus more depending on the type of saw. Short sawa are designed for short strokes, and long saws for longer strokes. Long hand saws require you to use the full range of motion of your arm whereas shorter saws require shorter arm movements.

What size dovetail chisels do you really need?

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.

What is the average length of a hand saw?

Hand saws have a handle and a flexible metal saw plate with no rigid back or frame. Hand saws typically have the largest teeth of all the three types of saws and are generally used for quickly rough-cutting boards to length or width. They generally range in length anywhere from around 32 to 18 inches.

What is standard length of hand saw?

26″ Hand Saws Are One Size Fits All The Disston Company made millions of saws and of the handsaws they made a sizable percentage of them were 26″ saws. That is because this is the optimal saw length for the human body. Regardless of your height or arm length, this size just works.

What tool is commonly used to cut dovetails?

You can do this with either a dovetail or crosscut saw. Flip the board sideways, set your saw edge in the marking gauge line, and cut down to the first tail at 90°. You can use the 90° side of my dovetail jig as a guide. If you don’t have one, make a knife wall to help guide your saw.

Can you cut dovetails with a jigsaw?

If you have a jigsaw table, a few simple angle jigs can help you create fast, precise and repeatable dovetails.

What is a gentleman’s saw?

The “Gentleman’s Saw” is a western type back saw. It was generally of a smaller size and features a simple turned handle. A Gent’s saw cuts on the push stroke and has a brass spine to keep the blade straight and stiff.

Are dovetail saws crosscut or rip?

The difference, as was mentioned, is the a dovetail saw is a rip filed saw as both haves of the joint are sawn down the grain. A higher point count and narrower saw plate of most dovetail saws do give more control (as you mentioned) but also work well in thinner stock found in drawer sides and backs.

What are the disadvantages of a dovetail joint?

Hand cut dovetail joints require precise handsaw and chisel skills, and can be fiddly to mark out and cut. If dovetail joints are poorly made they will lose the advantage of strength and durability.

Should you glue dovetail joints?

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.

Mike Walker

Repair and Construction Expert. WoodiesDIY.tv Owner