Sliding dovetails, need some advice

[Kyle Stiefel]

Hello,

I have searched the site and all my books with no luck. Can anyone help with recomendations on sliding dovetails, for example

1) Depth of cut vs. thickness
2) Width of cut vs. thickness
3) Degree of cut per side roughly

Anybody have any rough ideas to base off of?

Thanks,
Kyle

[Dan Oliphant]

Kyle,
The answers to your questions are all based on the dovetail router bit that you select. Example; 11/16, 8 degree 1/2 inch shank. The depth of the dovetail cut will determine the shoulder size.
I personally would recommend only using a bit that has a 1/2 inch shank.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

1) Depth of cut vs. thickness
Gotta guess what you mean by thickness. Thickness of the stock? or thickness of the remainder. Either way you need to consider that the remaining stock muse be sufficient to tolerate whatever loads you will put it to.


2) Width of cut vs. thickness
Guessing you mean width of the Dovetail at (guessing again) the widest point versus the thickness of the stock. See above but apply that logic to the loading on the joint. If the thing has too steep an angle it won't take much load to pull the wood apart ripping the socket sides from the wood where it is resident.


3) Degree of cut per side roughly

Oh gee beyong excessive accuity as in a 30-Deg per side that's a mater of preference.
Most bits use 8 - 14 degrees. That should be aplenty of range to produce appealing and workable joints anywhere.

[Charlie Plesums]

In box dovetails, 14 degree is typically used for half blind... those that only go part way through the wood. 8 degree is typically used for through dovetails in 3/4 inch stock.

Since a sliding dovetail usually only goes half way through the stock, I would probably start with my 14 degree bit. Dont get too close to the edge of the "groove" part... you can end up with a pretty narrow piece of wood at the bottom of the groove. On one project, I ended up having to glue everything together because it was obvious the sliding dovetail was going to blow out the side (in that case a tenon would have done better).

[pat warner]

Part of the picture here at the DW link. (http://www.dewalt.com/us/articles/article.asp?Site=woodworking&ID=511)

[Jim Becker]

In box dovetails, 14 degree is typically used for half blind... those that only go part way through the wood. 8 degree is typically used for through dovetails in 3/4 inch stock.

Hardwood vs softwood is also a component of this decision relative to the strength of the "corners" of the components after milling.