Need Diagram of Dovetail Slopes/angles

[Gary Curtis]

I want to cut some dovetails and need a chart with with which I can set my bevel gauge. I've seen them before, somewhere. I would use that for marking out dovetails before cutting with a handsaw.

It would be nice to have one that indexed various slopes, such as 1:8 or 1:6, and the angles. Can't seem to find the silly thing.

Gary Curtis

[Eric Brown]

Lee Valley has some: http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=49424&cat=1,42936,50298&ap=1

as does Lie Nielsen and many others.

Also, you can make your own, not that hard.

Eric

[Matt Evans]

http://books.google.com/books?id=WrvVFII-oMwC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=dovetail+angle+chart&source=bl&ots=xQCwt_0IbU&sig=ir3g5GdMNdqu0xltWetSBPSHIzU&hl=en&ei=ug2xTNLXIYzGnAeS85ifBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=dovetail%20angle%20chart&f=false

I am pretty certain there are others out there as well.

[James Scheffler]

I want to cut some dovetails and need a chart with with which I can set my bevel gauge. I've seen them before, somewhere. I would use that for marking out dovetails before cutting with a handsaw.

It would be nice to have one that indexed various slopes, such as 1:8 or 1:6, and the angles. Can't seem to find the silly thing.

Gary Curtis

How about trying some different settings and see what looks right to your eye? As long as you get into the right ballpark you'll be fine.

Jim

[paul cottingham]

Use a bevel gauge and a carpenters square....

[Derek Cohen]

Make your own gauge. The one below is 1:7 ..

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Joints/Dovetailing/Dovetailangles1.jpg

Make a couple out of scrap to use to set your bevel gauge.

Having said that, I don't like using a bevel gauge - it gets tricky at the ends of a board as you run out of registration.

Here is a tutorial for making your own gauges from brass (or aluminium or wood) section.

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/Dovetailmarkersinbrass.html

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/Dovetailmarkersinbrass_html_677daf2f.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Matt Evans]

Make your own gauge. The one below is 1:7 ..



Make a couple out of scrap to use to set your bevel gauge.

Having said that, I don't like using a bevel gauge - it gets tricky at the ends of a board as you run out of registration.

Here is a tutorial for making your own gauges from brass (or aluminium or wood) section.

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/Dovetailmarkersinbrass.html



Regards from Perth

Derek


Derek,

I have made a few of those for folks, although I dont use 'em myself.

If You are considering making more, and don't mind looking at a different way of doing it, here is a quick way to do them.

1. Mill a block of wood 4 sides perfectly square.

2. Glue or double sided tape your angle to the wood. Mark your cut lines the same way you do them. ( a tip: angle is often rounded at the inside corner a little. take a dremel, file or chisel and remove the radius, if present.)

3. Cut them on the miter saw or table saw, with your blade on the appropriate angle.

4. Chamfer your edges if desired.

5. Dis-engage brass/aluminum from wood.

6. File the slight burr on the underside.

7. Mark dovetails.


I can make a bunch of these in a very short amount of time this way, since the blade of the saw continues the angle all the way through the piece.

I like your dovetailed dovetail marker. . . very Punny!

[Gary Curtis]

Matt, that book provided exactly the layout sheet I needed.

Thanks,

Gary

[Matt Evans]

Gary, glad it helped