Question about dovetails

[Larry Klaaren]

I want to make a "Hope Chest" for each of my kids and use dove tails for the joints. I have a set of plans.

Last night I made some trial dove-tail joints. My band saw only tilts one way, and I couldn't figure out a way to saw both sides of the dove-tail. When you turn the board over, you are still in the same plane, so you can't cut the other side of an angle. Unless there is something I didn't figure out - so this may be a dumb question. Of course the pins were not problem. I used a coping saw and a chisel to shape the tail and they worked out fine. That is a real solid way of joining wood!

So, do most of you do these on the band saw, or is there a better way to do this? I know some people so these on routers, is it necessary to have a jig to do it? I have been making my own jigs so far, and haven't seen a plan for that.

I searched some threads, but didn't find anything about this. Just looking for a consensus on how people do these.

Thanks,
Larry

[Alan DuBoff]

So, do most of you do these on the band saw, or is there a better way to do this? I know some people so these on routers, is it necessary to have a jig to do it? I have been making my own jigs so far, and haven't seen a plan for that.Don't forget that you could always cut them by hand, rather than machine.

[Bob Wingard]

What kind of band saw do you have ?? ?? Almost all of them I've ever seen have a stop-bolt that you can remove to let it go the other way at least 8 or 9 degrees .. ..

[Dave Richards]

I've not cut dovetails with a bandsaw but I've see a sort of jig that has a sloped top surface. The jig gets turned around for the cuts so the table stays flat. If I can figure out where I've seen it, I'll post it.

[David Eisenhauer]

John has some info on a system that helps you create a dovetail jig for a router. I think it is made by Stotts or something like that. Hand cut, bandsaw, or router is the only ways I know of. With the bandsaw, I guess you'll have to tilt the table when cutting to get the correct dovetail configuration. I'd check John's woodshopdemos site and get into his main menu for the "Dovetail" section on router methods. Best of luck.

[Bob Wingard]

I've not cut dovetails with a bandsaw but I've see a sort of jig that has a sloped top surface. The jig gets turned around for the cuts so the table stays flat. If I can figure out where I've seen it, I'll post it.


I think I've seen David Marks use something like that on his show.

[Larry Klaaren]

What kind of band saw do you have ?? ?? Almost all of them I've ever seen have a stop-bolt that you can remove to let it go the other way at least 8 or 9 degrees .. ..

I took a look at it and you are right, I can take out a pin and tip it the other way. That knob is on the back of the saw and I didn't take a look last night. It's one of the first tools I bought. It's a Delta 9 inch - not enough power or depth, and it tracks to the side on hard wood. It's probably all right, just not right for me.

A new band saw is next on my replacement list (or maybe a planer, but I think I can get by with resawing for a little while.) There's a shop near me that seems to have the market on band saws in Indy, and the owner says the sixteen inch Delta is one of the best ones. I asked to look at a saw at another store and that owner told me that this store is the place to look for band saws. Pretty unusual deal. There is no relation or connection between the owners, but they are about thirty miles apart.

Larry

[Michael Gibbons]

Larry, I'd go with either hand-cut dovetails or use a Keller jig. The Keller is easy to use and will work with large pieces of unlimited length.

[Allen Bookout]

Larry,

There are two great instructional resources that I know of for cutting dovetails on the bandsaw. The first is a DVD named "Mastering Your Bandsaw" with Mark Duginske (A Taunton Press product) and it is excellent. He actually cuts dovetails in the video with his jig setups. I found it at my local library but if yours does not have it I am sure that a Google search will pull up several sources. I am sure that it must be available on VHS also. The second is a book, also by Mark Duginske, named "Band Saw Handbook". It has eighteen pages on the design and cutting of dovetails on the bandsaw.

For me the video is easier to understand as I actually see the procedure. The book has additional information. I do not remember what they cost, but what ever it is, it is worth it.

Good Luck and let us know how you project turns out and also what you used for reference.

Allen

[Doug Shepard]

I could be wrong as to where I saw this, but I think somewhere on the Minimax Yahoo users group someone had pics of a jig used for cutting DTs on a bandsaw.

[Alan Turner]

One of the two techniques books by David Charlesworth shows a drawing or pix of a DT jig that one of his students built. It is two pieces of plywood, hinged like a book,and canted at the DT angle by virtue of two identical wedges cut at this angle and slipped in to hold the "book" open a bit. It has a stop on it parallel to the hinge side. So, run it with the hinge side to the fence for one side of the pins, and the hinge side away from the fence for the other. Then, take the wedges out, and use one to cant the tail board at the correct angle off the fence. I made this up in both a 1:6 and a 1:8, and use it occassionally for DT's in really heavy stock where handsawing is a PITA. I don't do these often so the mileage is low, but it works quite well. The wedges need to be right on with each other. With a good bandsaw it is quite accurate.

Note that when you are cutting the tailboards, if you slide the wedge forward or backwards a bit in relation to the board, you are making essentially a microadjustment of the placement of the blade into the wood. Since you are using the exact same wedges for both the pins and the tails, the angle is perfect, if you have made the wedges very accurately.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I Think I like that better than my approach of making a fixed angle reversable angle jig.

[Charles McKinley]

Hi Larry,

Bob Smalser has a tutorial on power cutting dovetails here or on WC.