OK, how was this done?

[Brian Penning]

I can't figure out how these dovetailed legs were done...

196465

[Keith Westfall]

I would guess that they are mitered legs...

...but that's just a guess!

[John Tallyn]

The only thing I can think of, is maybe a veneer? I'm looking forward to someone with way more talent then I to explain the knowledge and abilities that went into creating these legs.
John

[James Watson]

My guess would be that the two dovetails are parallel to each other (not crossing), and 45 degrees from the faces of the legs. So each one goes from one leg face to an adjacent face, not the opposite face.

[steven sherman]

Brian

Check out this video, just as James said

http://www.creativecrafthouse.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=187&chapter=0

[Kurt Cady]

They look like a leg version of those little trick boxes that house a ring or coin. I believe the DT are sliding DT cut at a 45 degree angle. It's an allusion on the surface.

I think Wood Mag had an article or a web article or a web plan that showed this as a technique for Xmas presents?

[Jim Matthews]

It's a woodworking Mensa joke!

Who else would be intrigued by this? How excellent.

+1 on JW's explanation

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=9&ved=0CF4QFjAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.offhand-manor.net%2Fjohn%2Ftie_slides%2FSlides-MW-Images%2FImpossible-Dovetail-Slide.doc&rct=j&q=impossible%20dovetail%20joint&ei=eUfkTZyhCKjf0QGgqaCZAg&usg=AFQjCNE4j0f6aLIIauJX2gaRiNkYX5bolg&cad=rja

[Eric Pitts]

You can see it pretty clearly on one of the Woodwright's shop episodes. About 24 minutes in.

http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/video/2600/2613.html

[Jonathan Spool]

Well said James!

[george wilson]

The dovetails are at 45º as said. They used to keep several very old and well worn woodworking puzzles in the cabinet maker's shop in Wmsbg. One of them was the same effect. Probably made back in the 50's.

[glenn bradley]

DT's are on the diagonal as stated. It is one of those things that really bends your head till you see how simple it is. I've seen it on small boxes that seem impossible to open until you apply a little pressure on the bias ;-)

[Chris Padilla]

Hopefully this little Sketch-Up I whipped up helps explain this trick. Feel free to use the SU file.

[Bill Huber]

It's a woodworking Mensa joke!

Who else would be intrigued by this? How excellent.

+1 on JW's explanation

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=9&ved=0CF4QFjAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.offhand-manor.net%2Fjohn%2Ftie_slides%2FSlides-MW-Images%2FImpossible-Dovetail-Slide.doc&rct=j&q=impossible%20dovetail%20joint&ei=eUfkTZyhCKjf0QGgqaCZAg&usg=AFQjCNE4j0f6aLIIauJX2gaRiNkYX5bolg&cad=rja


I looked at the doc on building it and it is not that hard, the only thing in reading it is why would both blocks not be the same size. One is cut to 1 1/8 and the other is cut to 1 1\4. I really didn't see where it was cutting the one block down, or am I just missing it.

[Mike Cruz]

I know I'm a little late, but good call James.

Bill, the blocks are probably different sizes because the legs are tapered.

[Bill Huber]

I know I'm a little late, but good call James.

Bill, the blocks are probably different sizes because the legs are tapered.

No they are not tapered or am I really missing something.

[Chris Padilla]

Make them, Bill, and let us know. I am curious as well.

[Bill Huber]

I just had to try it.....

The blocks in the write up that Jim posted are correct, but it really makes no difference on the size of the block as long as one dimension is 2 inches, that is the one that you have to work with.

The only big difference in the write up and the way I did it was when it comes to making the lower block. It tells you to set the router table fence at 5/8 and do the cuts and so on. I did this on the first one and for some reason the dovetails were not very tight.

I then made a new lower block and just measured what I needed and cut them to fit, that worked out much better and got very tight dovetails which you really want.

The other thing that I was having a little problem with from the write up was the last step, from the pictures I was just not getting it. But once I got to the point I could then see what he was talking about and use the band saw to cut the corners off.

Fun little project and it looks cool also, I am going to put some finish on the inside now to make it look a little better.

196944 196945 196946

[Peter Scoma]

Any chance they are standard rising dovetails on the original table legs?

[Bill Huber]

Any chance they are standard rising dovetails on the original table legs?

I don't know but after making one I now see that if I was to make 4 of them I think you could just make a jig to hold the wood and run it over the router bit in the table. All that has to be done is the square run though at a 45 degree angle.

[Chris Padilla]

Nice job, Bill! I bet that was a fun little experiment. What degree is the dovetail...my Sketch Up file used 14.

[Bill Huber]

Nice job, Bill! I bet that was a fun little experiment. What degree is the dovetail...my Sketch Up file used 14.

I think it is a 7 degree, it was the only 1/2 doveltail bit I had..

It was kind of fun but I still do not understand why on the last part of the set up from the write up I could not get it to work right. I did a Skitchup of it and from there it showed everything to be correct but it just came out to loose when I did it.

[Derek Gilmer]

Anyone have a picture of this type of joint after the leg is turned on a lathe? Seems like that would be an interesting look.

[Brian Tymchak]

I'm still a bit confused by something. (Just back from a week off. The mind is still a bit fuzzy..)

The picture in the original post shows a leg tapered on all 4 sides with the dovetail centered in the face. Assuming the maker did use dovetails on diagonals as others have been discussing, cutting the taper would effectively shift the dovetail off-center wrt the leg face. Does cutting all 4 tapers re-center the dovetails on all faces? I don't think it does. If not, would you have to start with the dovetails being off-center, so that cutting the taper centers the dovetail? Wonder how you would figure that out...

Otherwise, I'd have to say that the maker cut 4 "wedges" with tails on the ends and glued the 4 together fitted on the sockets in the upper piece, then cut the tapers. That would definitely work assuming you can get perfect cuts on the miters so they mate perfectly over the long length of the leg.. That would be no small feat for me.

[Bill Huber]

I'm still a bit confused by something. (Just back from a week off. The mind is still a bit fuzzy..)

The picture in the original post shows a leg tapered on all 4 sides with the dovetail centered in the face. Assuming the maker did use dovetails on diagonals as others have been discussing, cutting the taper would effectively shift the dovetail off-center wrt the leg face. Does cutting all 4 tapers re-center the dovetails on all faces? I don't think it does. If not, would you have to start with the dovetails being off-center, so that cutting the taper centers the dovetail? Wonder how you would figure that out...

Otherwise, I'd have to say that the maker cut 4 "wedges" with tails on the ends and glued the 4 together fitted on the sockets in the upper piece, then cut the tapers. That would definitely work assuming you can get perfect cuts on the miters so they mate perfectly over the long length of the leg.. That would be no small feat for me.

If you took the same amount off of each side of the leg then the dovetail would be centered. So if you started with a square leg and then did the taper on it they would be centered.

[Brian Tymchak]

197124



If you took the same amount off of each side of the leg then the dovetail would be centered. So if you started with a square leg and then did the taper on it they would be centered.

Bill, I drew up what I'm thinking. (A picture is worth a 1000 words.) I used Visio to keep things scaled properly and to provide a reference grid. Hope these drawings show the detail well enough.

The first drawing is a cross section through the leg at the very top of the tails of the joint. The tails are centered on all 4 faces, with 5 units to the left and 5 units to the right. The 2nd drawing shows the effect of cutting the tapers. The new tapered face is reflected with the red lines. I didn't label the faces but if you look at the top red line, you can see that the tail will be closer to the new left face than the new right face with only 3 units to the left and 5 units to the right. All faces show the shift, either to the right or to the left.

Thanks, Brian

[Bill Huber]

Bill, I drew up what I'm thinking. (A picture is worth a 1000 words.) I used Visio to keep things scaled properly and to provide a reference grid. Hope these drawings show the detail well enough.

The first drawing is a cross section through the leg at the very top of the tails of the joint. The tails are centered on all 4 faces, with 5 units to the left and 5 units to the right. The 2nd drawing shows the effect of cutting the tapers. The new tapered face is reflected with the red lines. I didn't label the faces but if you look at the top red line, you can see that the tail will be closer to the new left face than the new right face with only 3 units to the left and 5 units to the right. All faces show the shift, either to the right or to the left.

Thanks, Brian

You are 100% correct, I forgot about the angle. I had to draw it out in Visio so I could get it in my mind, what little I have left....:D

197138