How to cut dovetail joints guide to joinery in woodworking. In this video, i show you the various ways to mark out a dovetail joint for superior. Now, lets move on to the more challenging halfblind dovetail joint layout. The method you showed for refining the fit of the joint seems particularly helpful.
Click here to visit our frequently asked questions about html5 video. You will be able to cut dozens of joints without inaccuracy. A comprehensive guide to cutting dovetails tips and. With the ability to cut two joints at a time, these dovetail machines can produce a 4sided drawer in under. Each type of sliding dovetail requires a different jig. Cutting dovetails the oldfashioned way is more than a link to the past. With a router and a dovetail jig you can cut a perfectfitting joint in. The way two pieces of wood fit together is a thing of beauty and a great way to spot a quality piece of furniture. No need to scrub though long videos, with just a couple clicks you can find just the information you need and get back cutting perfect dovetail joints for your guitars. Dovetails can be complex, but they do not need to be. That is, make the dovetail extrawide at first, then reduce the dovetail s width by a. A different technique to cut dovetail joints is to use a router and a jig. Its just a pity ive already cut all of the dovetails in my current project.
My porter cable jig i have does through dovetails, half blind dovetails, rabbeted halfblind, sliding dovetails, box joints and miniature versions of all these joints. This is a comprehensive video breaking down every step of the. Each machine is outfitted with stops and clamps, so you can quickly insert pre cut boards, clamp them in place, and start cutting. A dovetailing trick for beginners popular woodworking. Illustrations by mike del rizzo in this article kevin shows you how to cut such dovetails using the incra ls positioning fence system. Dovetails are widely viewed as a hallmark of craftsmanship, and a durable form of joinery that many view as a pinnacle of woodworking techniques. To lay out the tail board, i use two sets of dividers. In this series, ernie conover clearly demonstrates how to lay out, cut, and assemble the most popular types. Through sliding dovetail a more complicated joint, this is made in three steps. How to make a mortise and tenon joint the three joints paul sellers duration. How to cut a dovetail housing joint by hand youtube. I do find the overall volume level quite low but thats the same on all the videos i just turn up the dial and its all good. After using both fusion360 and jointcam to create a cutting file, noah resurfaces the wood, then plunges and cuts the wood using dovetail router bits on his homemade cnc machine to make a dresser. Hand cutting dovetails imparts a look thats impossible to duplicate with a router jig.
It is the perfect marriage of form and function both strong and attractive. As hand tool woodworking skills go this one is very easy once you master a few basic skills. Someday i will cut a dovetail joint by hand, but ive got a lot of drawers to fix and i appreciate the efficiency of using power tools for this task. But if you want to make narrower pins than your dovetail jig will allow or the freedom to space the dovetail pattern as you like, then the best option is to cut your dovetail joints by hand instead. Personally, i am a little more resultsoriented than processoriented. This means the dovetail will be visible from the back, but not the front. Learn how to set up for through dovetails using a porter cable dovetail jig for joining in your woodworking shop. So nailing dovetail joints is a must when youre looking to up your woodworking game precision is the name of the game here, and the right tools make all the difference between a bummer project and a win. The entire video will soon be available from our vimeo channel for rent or purchased download. This is the simplest and easiest way i know to hand cut a dovetail joint. Up next make a dovetail box in 12 minutes wood magazine duration.
Watch our woodworking videos to help you with your next project in the woodshop. Dovetail joints in furniture and cabinet drawers are considered a hallmark of quality craftsmanship thanks to their mechanical strength and beauty. How to set up and use a dovetail jig wood magazine youtube. You set up the machine, cut a joint, adjust and away you go. The following technique, which i learned from frank klausz, is a particularly efficient way to work. Although this jig can execute finger joints, sliding dovetails, and even through dovetails when equipped with suitable templates, i use it exclusively to join drawer parts with halfblind dovetails. I have made several tests on the fablabs shopbot cnc usin.
If the dovetail cuts do not permit a perfect fit, use a small chisel or sandpaper to remove debris or wood from the crevices. Second, the shoulders of the dovetailed piece hide the edges of the slot, much as a tenoned workpiece hides a mortise. The iron rule for this setup is to start fat and finish lean. The gadgets create the angular dovetail joints from the top of the material down rather than the traditional method from the side and using a special tool, this top down approach allows you to use a regular end mill to create the desired joint. Cutting, routing and sanding the pieces of the chair. In this video, ill show you how to mark out, cut and refine a stopped dovetail housing joint.
At some point youll realize handcutting dovetails can take less time than setting up a dovetail router jig, especially when doing smaller. When this happens and i need to cut dovetails, i quickly default to the method i use to teach students to dovetail. First, theyre stronger because they dont rely solely on glue. If you are cutting halfblind dovetails, especially with the clampon jig we featured in the january 2018 issue of stumpy nubs woodworking. I now teach city and guilds furniture making at rycotewood as of september 2018. The process is the same as for the halfblind dovetail but the tool has to go all the way through the horizontal piece of wood. Someday i will cut a dovetail joint by hand, but ive got a lot of drawers to fix and i appreciate the. The dovetail gadgets are a powerful addition to the vcarve pro and aspire software. With practice and patience, you can master the satisfying skill of hand cutting dovetails. Such wellmade joints add a oneofakind handcrafted appearance to your work. If you dont cut dovetails very often and need a quick refresher than this is the tutorial for you.
Its also faster than setting up a jig if you have only one or two drawers to make. Our dovetail machines make it fast and easy to produce strong and attractive halfblind dovetail joints. Bit of a twist on the way ernest joyce taught it in his book the. Dovetails are often seen as the pinnacle of hand tool woodworking and the sign of a good craftsman, usually intimidating beginners from trying them. Through dovetail joints are as beautiful as they are strong, and work great for all kinds of casework, including drawers. I prefer the look of a dovetail joint with half pins on the outside edges rather than half tails. Make dovetail joints without a jig weekend with wood 2015. Through dovetail joint jig how to make dovetails youtube. This weeks woodworking joint is a comprehensive guide to cutting perfect dovetails. Apply a small amount of wood glue inside the joints, and join the two pieces of wood. Scruffy dovetails richard rants video november 21, 2017 by richard. Dovetails are often seen as the pinnacle of hand tool woodworking and the.
Hand cutting dovetail joints with a simple jig youtube. Tools editor bob hunter shows how to cut four dovetail joints in 12 minutes. In this video, wood magazines jim heavey demonstrates stepbystep how to build. Its just a taste of some of the fun we have in the guild dovetails. How to make a sliding dovetail popular woodworking magazine. Cutting repeatable dovetails to perfection by hand by paul sellers 7 august 2016.
Dovetail joints are considered the finest hand cut joint in woodworking and are used to create both functional and elegant handjoined pieces such as drawers. The dovetail may be the most iconic joint in woodworking. This system creates beautiful dovetails as well as complex and beautiful box joints. You can cut dovetails with a router and dovetail jig, which is a perfectly acceptable option. Dovetail video the basics of the common dovetail paul. Rob cosman walks you thru a different way of transferring tails to pins. Even dovetails now are a bit over the top theyre easy to machine to a standard pattern but, given the. This method is used on the second part of the joint that you cut where deadon accuracy matters. This method helps build good habits when sawing and helps you fix any mistakes. Good photos, good use of clamps i used my woodworking vise. Cutting dovetail joints with a router jig root simple. Every time i watch one of your basic skills videos i pick up on another of your subtle tricks. A soft mallet can then be used to drive the joint home.
In this video, chris marshall demonstrates how a simple jig makes it easier to cut the pins and tails with a hand saw. Sliding dovetails provide several advantages over a dado joint. After watching cncwoodworkers video on youtube we decided to try and make our own dovetail joints. Learn furnituremaker gregory paolinis simple techniques for tablesawn through dovetails. In the notes at the bottom of this page youll find links to some videos about ways to cut the tails with a router or a table saw.
A through dovetail means that the male part goes all the way through the female part, making it visible from the outside. After discovering how easy it is to use my tablesaw to cut clean pins and tails, my dovetail saw spends a lot more time in its till. Make a dovetail box in 12 minutes wood magazine youtube. With the pieces removed from the jig, test the fit of the joint. Youll need this information to make a dovetail ramp for your band saw. That is if you dont include the time learning how to use the jig, setting up the jig and making all the necessary test cuts to. This style of dovetail can be done by cutting dovetails on the band saw. The simplest way to hand cut dovetails wood by wright. The jig cuts perfect radii with a router using a swinging arm. Using the jig is faster and more convenient than hand cutting dovetails and, for all practical purposes, the joints are just as.
You can tediously cut them by hand or you can use a router and dovetail jig to make them quickly and accurately. First the straight bit forms the shoulder, then the dovetail bit shapes the divider pin. The king of rht eh joints and the nemesis for many woodworkers. Ive practiced and practiced, read, studied the magazines, watched videos. And once youve mastered the technique, cutting dovetails still takes time and involves some risk. The jig can be used over and over again which makes cutting the dovetails a more time efficient activity. Autoplay when autoplay is enabled, a suggested video will automatically play next. Grizzly g0611x 1612 extreme series dovetail machine. Introduction to hand cutting dovetail series plans. Unlike the halfblind dovetails, the wood veins sould be vertically oriented on the male piece.
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