Thread: Dovetailing long boards

On Glue, that's simply what worked well for me. The puffing effect can be good AND bad. One must be fast....

The joint on the left was an attempt to use Thin CA. This didn't work well for presentation on a joint this small. The TB with a paintbrush worked just nicely.


This video covers the rebate: How to Cut Dovetails by Hand – A New Approach (2020) - YouTube

and an actual demo of the particular technique is at the 13 minute mark.

The rebate gives a reference point for the pin-board to use when marking out.

I personally think it leaves a nicer inside edge if the insides of ones tail-board isn't .... nice

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

When I cut sliding dovetails for large bookshelves that eventually covered 50 linear feet of wall space (SWMBO is an academic) I had the same problem. The shelves were cut from celery top pine 35 x 250 mm and each was 1.5 metres long. Eventually I put two work benches side by side and about 50mm apart. Then I put a B&D Workmate on top stradling the two benches and clamped the shelf vertically in the Workmate so that the tail hung between the two benches. It meant I had to stand on the work benches with the router and jigs: But it worked.

Derek's solution is much more elegant.

Cheers

Graeme

Scally liked this post ...

Thanks, Scally. Must note that this is the first time anyone has added a Like on something I posted over 13 years ago!

Originally Posted by woodPixel

On Glue, that's simply what worked well for me. The puffing effect can be good AND bad. One must be fast....

The joint on the left was an attempt to use Thin CA. This didn't work well for presentation on a joint this small. The TB with a paintbrush worked just nicely.


This video covers the rebate: How to Cut Dovetails by Hand – A New Approach (2020) - YouTube

and an actual demo of the particular technique is at the 13 minute mark.

The rebate gives a reference point for the pin-board to use when marking out.

I personally think it leaves a nicer inside edge if the insides of ones tail-board isn't .... nice

That was July 2020. Rob Cosman no longer uses the "#140 trick" (rebate). He now uses the blue tape trick I outlined here:

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furnitu...ickisDead.html



Except that he chooses yellow tape as it is thicker.

Regards from Perth

Derek

To dovetail long boards I set out the tails, lay the board face up, flat on the bench, overhanging the end to be cut, cut the sides of the tails with a dovetail saw, cut out the waste with a coping saw, just above the line. Move the board back so the tails are on the bench, chisel the remaining waste back to the line. The tailed board is then stood on edge and clamped to the bench. The pin board is butted up to the clamped tail board and the pins marked from the tails onto the end grain of the pin board, the lines are squared down the faces. The marked pin board is then layed flat on the bench, with marked pins overhanging and the cutting process repeated.
The length of board is only limited by available space.