Anyone Cut Dovetails with a Bandsaw?

[Burt Alcantara]

The angles seem to be challenging. Do you make a jig or what?

Thanks,
Burt

[rob mason]

I saw an episode of Wood Works where he used a bandsaw to cut the dovetails. He had a series of spacers and made it look so easy. He lost me :)

[Brian Tax]

I just read the Band Saw Book by Lonnie Bird, and he shows how to do it, I have been meaning to give it a try. He shows two techniques, one with all of the spacers and one that is basically the same as cutting them by hand but replacing the dove tail saw with the band saw.

[Frank Drew]

I cut dovetails with the bandsaw all the time but I saved the final paring to the line for a chisel, and I didn't bother using a jig or tilting the table this way then that when cutting the pins but rather just cut to the narrow side with the band saw and pared the remainder of the angle with a chisel (if I've explained it sufficiently clearly).

[Dick Sylvan]

I just read the Band Saw Book by Lonnie Bird, and he shows how to do it, I have been meaning to give it a try. He shows two techniques, one with all of the spacers and one that is basically the same as cutting them by hand but replacing the dove tail saw with the band saw.

I think also in Mark Duginske's new BS book.

[Roger Lance]

Burt....I've used a tablesaw jig to cut the pins (jig was from an article in Fine Woodworking by Jeff Miller a couple of years ago) and then use the bandsaw for the tail board with chisel work to complete the fit...this method works very well and Miller's jig gives very fine pins with infinite spacing and no tear out and pins of 7* if you chose to build the jig that way...its worth the search to look up that jig.

[Peter Quadarella]

I have tried this and failed. But next time I will succeed :). It's a matter of having a jig or even just a triangle cut to the proper angle and used against your fence. Then tilt the table each way the same angle. You can use spacers to make the cutting quicker also.

Has anyone read the explanation in Mark Duginske's new book? I have his older one and it was not 100% clear and I'm wondering if the new one is better.

[Joe Spear]

I think David Marks did it on one of his shows. He made some kind of angle jig.

[Larry Heflin]

The current issue (#138 october/november) of American Woodworker which I picked up in Lowes has an insert that includes instructions for building and using a jig for making dovetails on a bandsaw.

[Al Barale]

Hey Burt
Here is the link for David Marks - Cutting Dovetails On The Bandsaw
http://www.djmarks.com/stories/djm/cutting_dovetails_on_the_bandsaw_46848.asp

[Gary Tenney]

Funny I should find this thread! I just got through cutting dovetails for a wall hanging tool cabinet as well as a standing cabinet Iam making to house Systainer/sortainers.
My first try with just a dovetail saw was not so nice, so I used the bandsaw to saw to the line on the tails as well as make a single kerf in the middle to make the chopping easier. Then after laying out the pins, I found them much easier to saw by hand with the dovetail saw since the cut is horizontal. I made a series of kerfs on the bandsaw between the pins as much as the narrow side allows and chopped them easily.
I have to say this method worked well for me and I think I may keep a sort of hybrid attitude in my future shop time. This has the added advantage that you can space the tails as close as the width of the bandsaw blade which is the popular argument for cutting by hand!
Gary Tenney

[Burt Alcantara]

One of the biggest problems with most of these methods is they all assume you have a table that tilts both ways at least 10 degrees. Since I have a 14" Grizzly with a 19" Grizzly on the way, I don't have this option.

However, my local Woodcraft is having a 20% off on all Lie-Nielson tools. I will be picking up their dovetail rip saw and give the hand method a go. It's a lot quieter then turning on my DC. Seems like it may be easier too. Everything requires practice so learning hand sawn dovetails is probably a good thing.

Thanks,
Burt

[Gary Tenney]

Burt,
Thats why I only cut the Tails with the bandsaw. For them you don't have to tilt. I found the pins much easier to cut since the cut is straight down (correction from my previous post, Vertical). You are probably right though that with practice cutting the tails could be perfected as well. The real problem I found is that chopping the waste is tedious and dulls the chisel quickly . Wasting away with kerfs on the bandsaw proved very useful (could be done with the handsaw, but the wide area between the pins needs lots of kerfs to ease the chopping). Some folks cut the bulk of the waste away with a fret saw also! Whichever way you go, good luck. There is nothing like fitting together the pieces once the cuts are made. Very satisfying!
Gary Tenney

[Larry Heflin]

The use of a jig, i.e. an angled sled negates the need to tilt the table.

[lowell holmes]

Mark Duginske shows how to make dovetails with a band saw in his video "Mastering Your Bandsaw".

[Nick Clayton]

I've horsed around cutting DT's in 8/4 material on the bandsaw with sucess.