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 is the most common dovetail angle?
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 is a standard dovetail?
The dovetail joint drawers are typically used to link the edges of a drawer to the front and are known for their tensile strength to being pushed apart. Pins or tongues cut from one board’s end interlock with the groove or tail on the other board’s end.
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 most popular dovetail joint?
The through dovetail joint is the most popular dovetail joint because it is strong, attractive, and versatile. It is commonly used in furniture-making, cabinetry, and woodworking. The through dovetail joint is a traditional woodworking joint characterized by the interlocking triangular shape it creates.
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 are the traditional dovetail angles?
The angle of a dovetail joint should be between 7 and 15 degrees: too broad and the joint won’t be strong enough, too skinny, and the pin can snap. So the angle of the dovetail mainly depends on the use and wear the joint will get. 5. They are called ‘dovetails’ because they are shaped like the tail feathers of a dove!
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.
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.
What are common dovetail sizes?
What is the difference between 11mm and 3 8 dovetail?
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 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 is the common dovetail ratio?
Anything from 1:6 to 1:9 looks good and works well. Too little rise leaves corners with short grain that easily breaks off, too much rise looks like a poorly made box joint. As long as it looks good, and assembles without breaking, its a good joint.
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 is an English dovetail joint?
A dovetail joint is a locking joint. The English dovetail construction tends to allow for the largest possible drawer storage capacity. French dovetail construction is used for more elaborate features such a curved, bowed design.
How deep should a dovetail joint be?
so with our current scenario of 3″ we would have 2 x 3/16″ = 3/8″ plus the full pin of 3/8″ so 3/4″ pin accumulation. This then leaves 2 1/4″ for two tails so 1 1/8″ dovetails. As I said, for me, generally, I simply use 3/8″ equally for all of my pins as my standard size in my more general work.
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.
What is the typical angle of a dovetail metal?
Angles used on dovetails On large industrial scale machines the angle is usually 45º. For smaller dovetails the usual angle is 60º. Any less than this, i.e. 60° on a small machine, complicates the design of the adjustment mechanism. The angle produced is set by the dovetail cutter used.
What is the common dovetail ratio?
Anything from 1:6 to 1:9 looks good and works well. Too little rise leaves corners with short grain that easily breaks off, too much rise looks like a poorly made box joint. As long as it looks good, and assembles without breaking, its a good joint.
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 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 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 is a 6 to 1 dovetail?
The left-hand photo shows the “ratio” method to layout the angle of your dovetails. (I used SketchUp to draw and show the angles.) A 1:6 ratio – that’s one unit horizontal with six matching units drawn vertical – lays out as a 9.5 degree angle.
Is a finger joint stronger than a dovetail joint?
For box joint, some people put a lot more fingers than it is possible to do with Dovetail. In this case, the gluing surface is larger, and the joint is likely stronger. Also, some find a way to hide a finish nail in the joint. Dovetail has the advantage of a mechanical lock independent of the glue.
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.
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.
