Thread: Dovetail boxes

Originally Posted by silentC

I surprised myself with the current project. No Timbermate, mate The first time I've cut a whole set of dovetails without needing a bit of bog.

Well done Darren

Originally Posted by zenwood

maybe that's because Tage Frid lived in the BLN* era
*Before Lie-Nielsen

And Krenov used a file.

P

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

And Krenov used a file.

P

Perhaps we should get Rob to send him a LA block.

I would hand deliver it and charge him nothing for it. It would be a pleasure to meet him.

Originally Posted by Wood Borer

I would hand deliver it and charge him nothing for it. It would be a pleasure to meet him.

Why don't we do a reverse Bessey deal, and charter a plane to take it to him en masse? (I have no idea what "en masse" is or even how it's spelt or even spelled.)

We could probably get there and back for an afternoon for less than the price of a LN Smoother.... I have his phone no.


P

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

Why don't we do a reverse Bessey deal, and charter a plane to take it to him en masse? (I have no idea what "en masse" is or even how it's spelt or even spelled.)

We could probably get there and back for an afternoon for less than the price of a LN Smoother.... I have his phone no.


P

Silly Silly midge, Massey make tractors, not planes.

[QUOTE.[/QUOTE]

Outback you say sex is like a box of choclates.

Poor old Bazza and I cant partake in either at the moment

Originally Posted by jow104

Outback you say sex is like a box of choclates.

Poor old Bazza and I cant partake in either at the moment

Is that the kind of thing you and Baz would partake in normally?

Thanks for the heads up on that one Alex.

Originally Posted by jow104

Outback you say sex is like a box of choclates.

Poor old Bazza and I cant partake in either at the moment

Sex is like a box of chocolates.............Sometimes no matter how bad ya want one, ya just can't.

Originally Posted by outback

Sex is like a box of chocolates.............Sometimes no matter how bad ya want one, ya just can't.

How come i keep getting the one's with nut's in the middle?????

Originally Posted by shaunburgess

How come i keep getting the one's with nut's in the middle?????

Must be the bars you go to, mate...


Cheers...........Sean, no flies

Originally Posted by shaunburgess

How come i keep getting the one's with nut's

Lola



L. O. L. A.




Lola.

Originally Posted by silentC

There are two methods of making the dovetails on a box: make the pins/tails slightly proud of the the sides and plane the end grain flush; make the pins/tails slightly shorter and plane the sides down flush. If you want to be pedantic, there is a third method, which is to make the pins/tails exactly the right length so no planing is required. If you can do this, good luck to you.

I guess there are pros and cons with either appoach.

'Pins/tails proud' means that your sides can be milled to finished size and you don't need to allow for the material removed in the external dimensions of the box. It is easily done with a block plane. It is harder to clamp this way because of the protruding ends of the pins/tails. If you want to remove layout marks you still need to plane the sides slightly.

'Pins/tails shorter' makes for easy clamping but the dimensions of the material have to take into account the amount of material that will be removed to arrive at the finished size. Layout marks are removed as a matter of course.

I have been cutting the pins and tails longer and planing them down flush. I generally leave the layout marks. My BIL had a go at me about this recently, being the perfectionist he is. I told him I left them there to show they were handmade

Which way do you do it and why?

I make them about 1 ~ 1.5 mm proud and, depending on what I'm making use either the jointer (for, e.g. w/shop cabinets, etc) or an LA plane which deals with the long/short grain issue nicely.

I have used the second method, again using the jointer, but this is less cocnsistent (in my experience) in trying to achieve even wall thickness in a a set of drawer sides/fronts/backs.

As to layout marks, I tend to use a very soft pencil, and then a common or garden eraser! Works for me