Dovetail Marker

[jimi43]

Hi All

On Sunday I picked up a few odds and ends at the bootfair but digging in boxes of rusty tools sometimes brings up some gems...

I have wanted a dovetail marker for sometime and so....finding this little baby in the bottom of a box of junk was a real find for me..

Someone has obviously made this in metal probably for metal dovetails but it worked fine on wood of course...but the interesting thing for me was the holes in the plate...these make excellent depth markers...clearly for standard tails....and for 50p a real bargain!

Just posted it up in case anyone was into making one...really simple bit of square stock...nicely finished with a piece of plate riveted to it.

Cheers

Jim

 

[Racers]

Hi,

Nice find.

I had to make mine from a couple of bits of brass.

Its dovetailed together you can just make out the one in this side of the picture. One side is 1 in 8 the other is 1 in 6 and the top is 90 deg to the tongue so you can mark out the sides.

Pete

 

[Jacob]

Yebbut then you can only do 2 angles. What if you want something different? Ordinary sliding bevel makes more sense IMHO.
The holes for a pencil idea is really useful. I do it with a bit of ply and a pinned on stop - made for the job in hand.
Or a long lath instead of compasses - pin in one end, pencil in the other. 0.5mm propelling pencil fits neatly into a 1/16" drill hole, with a countersink to make more room for it. Once made (matter of minutes) it will stay accurate indefinitely, unlike compasses or trammel bars. New holes can be added as necessary.

 

[Racers]

Hi, Mr Rimsdale

A sliding bevel gets a bit unwieldy towards the end of the wood and doesn’t have a fixed 90 deg. It only took an hour or two to make so I think it was worth it.

Pete

 

[jimi43]

Personally...I don't need "anything different"...but that's just me.

:wink:

Jim

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Hi Jim

Interesting find. But what is the angle?

Here is my favourite angle for 1/2" thick boards, 7:1 ... an infilled and dovetailed dovetail marker (Tasmanian Blackwood and brass) ..

Jake askes about a variety of angles. Well these were made out of brass angle ... 5:1, 6:1, 7:1 and 8:1

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[jimi43]

It's 8.2 degrees Derek....although obviously I could file it to any angle I want really...that is about 7:1 isn't it?

I just liked the sliding idea with the holes...I know it's not exactly original but I don't believe I have seen this on a dovetail marker gauge before....

Jim

 

[Benchwayze]

Some nice examples of dovetail markers. 'Slope-worthy' items I think!

Does anyone just use a sliding bevel, as I do... I wonder?

Just a thought folks.

John

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Hi John

I have used a sliding bevel, in fact I was using one at a demonstration at the Perth Wood Show last weekend. I am not keen on doing so because it is much harder to register the bevel at the outer ends of the board. Give me a decent marker any time - and a wide range so that it is easier to determine whioch ration suits the design best.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Alf]

I used to (and still would if I need anything other than the 7:1 I usually use), but I find being able to square across at 90° as well with the same tool makes for a more efficient job. And absolutely no risk of the bevel getting knocked to another angle at any point. Although I just know if I had one like Pete's I'd manage to mix up the angles.

And don't let the shiny brass fool you into thinking it's just Slope ballast - you can just as easily make one out of wood and it works fine for ages before you need to renew its edges. Mine is clear acrylic 'cos I had some hanging around.

 

[Benchwayze]

I agree about running out of support for the sliding bevel, but in the vice I just place another piece of the stock alongside the piece being marked, then I just move along marking; when I bother.

For everyday dovetails I like Frank Klausz's method of cutting pins first by eye. The slope is then transferred from the pins to cut the tails.

I use a cutting gauge for depth, or an old marking gauge I drilled out to fit a pencil stub.. That's with my picture mount cutter atm, so I hope I get it back!

John

 

[Racers]

Hi, Alf

I can make you a 1 in 7 on both sides one, if you want.


Pete

 

[Alf]

Cheers, Pete, that's very kind of you, but I actually rather like the acrylic one - I can see what's going on.

 

[Racers]

Hi, Alf

No problem, it was a 2000th special post offer.


Pete