Sliding Dovetails

[Michael Faurot]

Can anyone suggest a video that shows and teaches sliding dovetails? I all ready know how to do full and half blind dovetails by hand, now I'd like to learn to do sliding dovetails by hand. A written description, even one that has pictures with it, won't really work for me. I need to see it being done, what tools are used, etc.

Thanks.

[Jim Koepke]

Mostly, they are done using a router our special planes. FWW had an article on making sliding dovetails and how to convert a woodie skewed rabbet into a dovetail plane for making sliding dovetails.

One of the things I have seen is to make the tail taper.

I found this on YouTube, did not watch the whole thing, by doing a search at YouTube on dovetail sliding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dtqG_wdHDY

There were some other videos there, so you may want to do a search for yourself.

jim

[Doug Mason]

I'm going in the same direction as you!

I have grown to dislike dado's (I cut them using a saw, chisel & router plane) in items such as bookshelves, cabinets, etc. For me, sliding dovetails are far superior. Though I have always used an electric router, I have a Knight male dovetail plane on order (I want to avoid electric routers where practicle) and have made a "stair" saw (see Vol 2 of the Tage Fried books).

Luckily, the printed word and a couple "failures" always gets me going in the right direction!

[Stu Gillard]

The only time I have hand cut sliding dovetails, I have used this as a reference...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/SlidingDovetailsbyhand1.html

(thanks Derek)

I had just purchased a Stanley 71 and wanted to try it out :)

It's not video, but it's pretty clear

[Michael Faurot]

The only time I have hand cut sliding dovetails, I have used this as a reference...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/SlidingDovetailsbyhand1.html


I took a look at that, and it does seem relatively straight forward. Thanks for the tip.

I'd still like to know of a professional quality video that demonstrates this technique--if there's one out there.

[James Owen]

I'm going in the same direction as you!

....For me, sliding dovetails are far superior. Though I have always used an electric router, I have a Knight male dovetail plane on order (I want to avoid electric routers where practicle) and have made a "stair" saw (see Vol 2 of the Tage Fried books)....

For cutting the female portion of a sliding dovetail, a Japanese Azebiki (mortise saw) and a (wooden) cutting guide pitched at the same angle as your dovetail plane also works well.

[Japan Woodworker sells three or four different sizes, if you need a source for an Azebiki.]