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View Full Version : Odd Angle Dovetails



Troy Gill
04-26-2009, 1:29 PM
Has anyone attempted to make a odd angle dovetail joint? I have some bamboo plywood scraps that I would like to create an eclictic odd 'zipper' look with.
I'm looking to use a through dovetail joint which would obviously leave the pins corners exposed.
I evision a tilted router base or a wedge beneath the jig.
Has anyone tried this?

Julian Nicks
04-26-2009, 1:40 PM
I have yet to get too outrageous with my dovetails, but I have done variable spacing. If you do it by hand, the sky is the limit to what angles you could do.




http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f247/pdmfpres/3-4.jpg

Troy Gill
04-26-2009, 1:46 PM
I'm looking to create an odd angle for the joint itself rather than the dovtail. An octogon FOE. Nice work though.:)

Julian Nicks
04-26-2009, 4:23 PM
I got you now. What about a dovetail spline in a mitered joint?

Patrick Laflamme
05-03-2009, 8:47 PM
I know this thread is a bit old but it might still help so. I admit freely that I use a router and dovetail jig to cut dovetails. I learned how to do it by hand. I can do it well by hand. I have other things to do with my time and do not want to spend a week setting and hand cutting dovetails. I know that's not very "professional" of me but well...:p

Anywho...I use the smaller PorterCable with the changeable plates. The plates can be picked up separately and the through dovetail/box joint template (which is the one you need for this) is sold separately anyway - about $75 bucks I think. There's a pretty good video on thier site and good printed instructions (pdf anyway) on making angled dovetail joints with the template both on and off the jig (you can clamp the template to the workpiece). You can make dovetail joints greater and less than 90 degrees. The instructions and video are good enough that you should be able to adapt the technique even if you don't want to buy the thier template.