Thread: the impossible dovetail. ?

Too good for me

I'll have to look forward to a reveal - just don't make it too painful.

I wonder why we never see a photo of the underside of the join? Hmmmm?

Originally Posted by Shedhand

I wonder why we never see a photo of the underside of the join? Hmmmm?

No concpiracy here Sheddie

So a method of gently squashing the tail wasn't involved, either Lig.? No jellybean for me?

Dangnapit

Is it simple as ensuring the pins are cut thin enough to allow them to flex as the dovetail is pressed in? I don'rt want any clues at 5PM. We should be able to work it out.

Originally Posted by Just George

I saw something similar a few years ago but have never had time to do it myself. It too looked impossible, I'll try and find photos of it. It was a dovetailed 90 degree angle but there were dovetails on BOTH faces, rather than dovetails on one face and pins on the other face.

I think you are thinking of the so-called "impossible dovetail". Here is a picture of it and the simple solution. I like this type of puzzle because it plays on our inbuilt assumptions -- actually woodworkers who understand dovetails often find this harder to figure out than people with no woodworking experience, and hence no preconceptions.

On the evidence available, any internal geometry only has to be consistent with the visible external faces, as per the diagram.

Originally Posted by custos

I think you are thinking of the so-called "impossible dovetail". Here is a picture of it and the simple solution. I like this type of puzzle because it plays on our inbuilt assumptions -- actually woodworkers who understand dovetails often find this harder to figure out than people with no woodworking experience, and hence no preconceptions.

Custos - did one of those for my BIL a few years ago - he reckons it could have won him a truckload of beers if I'd got it a bit tighter so it was really hard to slide apart. The giveaway with this 'puzzle' is the slightly assymetric sides on the d'tails because of the angled cut.....

Of course, if you made assymetric dovetails (handcut), then the visible ends of the dovetail would look perfect.... there's a challenge for someone (Lignum? )

Nice pic Zen, the bits i filled in is how it was cut and the measurments are for Sheddie.

The odd measurement (6 and 7mm) is only because i didnt use a guage just freehanded it apart from a sliding bevel for the angle.

I reckon you just slide 1 side of the dovetail in at angle and then push it home square

Originally Posted by Lignum

Nice pic Zen, the bits i filled in is how it was cut and the measurments are for Sheddie.

Good one, Zen. Oh well - I don't like jellybeans anyway.

I still think it could be done by the arrow in the apple method. Will try it as soon as I can get into the shed, and see if it works...
Cheers,

Lig how thicks the top bit