Dovetail Angles

[Mike Gottlieb]

What dovetail angle do most of you use for hardwoods - 1:6, 1:7, or 1:8?

[Jim Koepke]

What dovetail angle do most of you use for hardwoods - 1:6, 1:7, or 1:8?

This really depends on the preference of the person making them.

Traditionally, the 1:8 is used for hardwoods.

Though some like to make the angle more pronounced and even go to 1:4.

It also depends on what you are trying to achieve.

If it is to show on a piece, then consider what may look better.

Very precise dovetails can look impressive, but they are kind of static.

Imagine a dovetail where the pins and tails all stand proud and are rounded and polished.

If everything is left as it comes off the saw, it can look sloppy. A little shine to call attention to the leftover material can make it a show piece.

jtk

[Mike Henderson]

The problem with making them too steep, like 1:4, is that one side of the tail may break along the grain, especially as you put the two pieces together. I'm not exact but I use about 1:8 or about 7*

Mike

[Jim Barrett]

I typically use 1:7 or 1:6 depending on which side of my marking gauge I use :)
Use what you like the best...but make your tails at least 4x the size of your pins. So for example if your pins are 1/8th of an inch then make your tails at least 4x that or 1/2 inch wide. Otherwise your dovetails start looking like box joints...

JIm

[Frank Drew]

I'm not sure what the numerical ratio is of the look I prefer (1:6 ?), and I'm too lazy to work it out now, but I agree with Mike that too sharp an angle can actually weaken the tail; shallower angles looks more refined, IMO.

[Casey Gooding]

I cut mine at 14 degrees regardless of hardwood or soft.

[Don Dorn]

If I'm doing something for looks, I do 1:8 and use skinny pins. However, for carcasses and drawers, I use the Klausz method and really have no idea what they are. I've gotten spoiled by the speed of not going through the distance and marking process.