Cutting dovetails

[sawdust maker]

Hi Not sure if I have just reinvented the wheel, but this is my way of cutting dovetails.
I start by putting masking tape over area where the tails are cut. I find marking out onto the tape makes it so easy to re-do it if it you get i wrong. I use a marking knife and remove the tape from the areas to be cut out. Ending up with this.

I then tape the side ready for the pins to be marked.

The front part of the jig is clamped to the side and set level with the end.

The top is then clamped to the jig. So the pins can be marked out.

Once marked out the top is removed and the tape in areas to be cut away is removed.

The next step is to clamp on the rear part of the jig.

The router cutter depth is set to the thickness of the top.

[The first two cuts are carefully cut to the full length of the tails.

These cuts are used to set the fence to make the cutting the areas between the pins easier.

The areas are cut away by eye. The end result looking like this.

A chisel is used to clean up and cut right to marks and the joint is made.

What do you think?

 

[PeterBassett]

I don't think you can argue with the results...Nice.

 

[Night Train]

Interesting method.

I've found that tape moves a little and there is the thickness of the tape to take into account where it matters. I do mark on tape when the wood is dark though and I also use tape when marking shiny surfaces like worktop and prefinished flooring.

 

[bob321]

did you get those black clamps from lidl coz i have loads of them

 

[sawdust maker]

No Bob, nothing but the best for me, they came from Aldi :lol:

 

[Argus]

Interesting method.

I've found that tape moves a little and there is the thickness of the tape to take into account where it matters. I do mark on tape when the wood is dark though and I also use tape when marking shiny surfaces like worktop and prefinished flooring.

Tape is very flexible and often leaves a penetrating residue that only shows up when you apply a finish.

My personal method is to always use a very sharp marking awl and to mark in a descending direction to the grain so that it doesn't get diverted into a line of grain.

Marking dark timber can be a problem. On dark timber you can get a very good visual indication by filling the mark with chalk and wiping off the excess - it leaves a tiny white line. (One of Jim Kingshott's tricks). On light timber fill in with a pencil point, then go over it with a rubber, but that not always necessary as you will often see the mark.

.

 

[bob321]

i only paid £0.99p per pack are lidl and aldi part of the same company :?

 

[sawdust maker]

A few have warned about tape moving and it leaving a deposit that makes finishing difficult. All I can say is that I have not encountered any of these problems. I find using tape makes marking out much easier. especially if like a lot of amateurs, are not into doing dovetails every day, or year foe that matter. By cutting the tape to form the line gives a much clearer line to cut to than anything else, and if the tape had moved it would have been noticeable because the wood is cut as well.

Sorry if my method is not the traditional way and may not be as good as a expert could do, but for the amateur who only rarely cuts dovetail joints it works well and the jig is easy to make.

 

[Night Train]

No need to apologise.
If it works for you then that is great. It is the sort of thing I may run by my students to see if they find it helpful.

 

[Night Train]

Update:

I suggested this method of marking out to a couple of my students today and they have been using it all day quite happily and they seem to think it is quite effective as there is no doubt as to where the cut is and which bit is waste.

It even saved a bit chipped off a pin for one student as it stuck to the tape rather then falling off and being lost on the floor.