How to make a dovetail template?

[Mark Gibney]

Can you point me to a how-to on making a dovetail template / marking gauge? (I'm not certain on what it's called)

I've googled this and just haven't come up with something that is clear and on point. And I'm sure I've skipped over this very thing a thousand times over the years, but when you actually need it... :(

I have about 8 years worth of Pop Wood and FWW, should there be something useful in there you know about.

Thanks, Mark

[Bill Houghton]

Are you asking about those little devices that rest on the end or face of the wood and have a part hanging over the adjacent surface, angled to let you draw the dovetail during layout? First off, unless you're doing lots of them, why not just use an adjustable bevel? If you set the bevel blade at the center, you'll have it going both ways; and you can experiment with the angle that works best for you. But if you're doing enough to justify a fixed template, it's not hard: take a small block of something whose faces are pretty square to each other (hardwood, metal, plastic) and fasten a thin piece of something (same choices) to one face of the little block, with its edges cut at the angle you want.

[John Isgren]

Google Paul Sellers Dovetail jig

[lowell holmes]

I attended his classes and I made the jig. Hurricane Harvey came along and claimed it.

I had not thought about it, but I will make another one.

[Derek Cohen]

Mark, you mean like these?

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/Dovetailmarkersinbrass_html_48e46b7d.jpg

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

There is an article on my website, here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/Dovetailmarkersinbrass.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Mike Henderson]

I've made them from wood and brass. For brass I get some brass angle and cut it on my miter saw.

Here are a couple of pictures of ones I've made. The small dovetails on the wooden ones are a challenge. The brass ones look bigger than they really are. I should have put a rule in the picture. The small ones have a blade a bit less than 3/4".
405688405689

Mike

[Mark Gibney]

Derek and Mike, thanks, that is what I had in mind.

Bill, I use a T-bevel now, but would prefer something more permanent. And cool looking.