Housed Dovetails

[Jim Powers]

Does anyone have information on makiing a housed dovetail. Yesterday, I practiced making the female dado across the grain. I haven't read anything on making the male side. Any help would be much appreciated.

Regards,

Jim

[Don Dorn]

Leaving the same bit at that height, but moving the fence back, run the male piece through on both edges. It will be to large - move the fence closer and do it again. Eventually, you'll find that it fits perfectly.

That said, I have a Porter Cable 4212 dovetail jig and even though I don't use it for regular dovetails, it works great for sliding dovetails like you speak.

[Jim Powers]

Hi Don,

I should have said "making them using hand tools", sorry. I think I found my own answer. I have a Veritas Skew Rabbit Plane. Just tried it out on the male piece. It will work. Just need to fine tune the plane. Thanks again for your reply.

Regards,

Jim

[Don Dorn]

Sorry, I mistakingly thought I was in "General Woodworking". Had I opened my eyes, I wouldn't have said anything.

[Tri Hoang]

I believe Derek has a good tutorial (http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/SlidingDovetailsbyhand1.html) on his site for the housed or sliding dovetail. The female part can be saw/chisel out using a guide block, perhaps with the help with the router plane to flatten the bottom. For joints longer than a few inches, a tapered sliding dovetail is preferable or you more likely would have to use a mallet to fit them during glue up. The male part is cut with a dovetail plane. Derek also has a tutorial on converting a wooden rabbet to a dovetail plane.

Another SMC prior discussion on similar topic here (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=119790)

[Jim Powers]

Thanks Tri,

That's just what I needed!

[Richard Magbanua]

I did a post about housed dovetails by hand. I didn't have a dovetail plane but I found using a chisel worked just fine.
Take a look...

http://richardmagbanua.blogspot.com/2009/12/stopped-sliding-dovetails-by-hand.html

Hope this helps!

[James Owen]

ECE makes a wooden dovetail plane that works well for making the male portion of sliding dovetails.