popularmechanics.co.za
A
SK ANY WOODWORKER which joint they’d
love to master, and the answer is always the
same: dovetails. These have always been
regarded as the holy grail of cabinetmaking
joints. And it’s not only because they’re
highly attractive to both woodworkers and
non-woodworkers – they’re also extremely
logical and exceptionally strong, striking the perfect
blend of form and function.
The term ‘dovetail’ makes sense – the tenons resemble
the fan-like tail of a dove. The usefulness of this joint is
self-evident – when the two parts are brought together,
how they are shaped means they cannot be pulled apart
in the direction of the joint’s length.
Because they appear complicated, many woodworkers
are hesitant to attempt cutting dovetail joints. But in
reality, they aren’t complex at all. Hand-cut dovetail
joints have been in use since pharaonic times in Egypt,
and are as relevant today as they were then.
Probably the easiest way to describe them is ‘finger
joints with sloping sides’. The trapezoidal shape of
dovetail-joint geometry is where woodworkers get
hung up and seem to overcomplicate matters.
There are numerous dovetail jigs on the market, and
they all make a form of the classic joint, but the results,
in my opinion, always appear very clearly machine-
made. I am a strong advocate of the hand-cut dovetail.
I still haven’t seen or used a dedicated machine or jig
that can make a classic thin pin (London pin) set of
dovetails. It simply cannot exist, as the diameter of
the router bit shank is the limiting factor. The smallest
pin width in machine-cut dovetails is ¼” (6.35 mm).
As a comparison, in fine cabinetmaking, I typically
aim for a pin width of less than 2 mm.
Dovetail joints vary from through-dovetails to
lapped (half-blind), to full-blind- (full-mitred), single-,
multiple-, houndstooth- and very large condor-tail
joints. There are also several seemingly impossible
variations of the joint, predominantly found in
Japanese woodworking, such as rising-sun dove-
tails, among others.
Whether you opt for single dovetails or a row of
them for casework, these joints are as rewarding to
make as they are beautiful. As with any woodworking
process, the more you practise, the better the outcome.
In this exercise we show you how to build a 140 mm-
wide set of three classic thin-pin through-dovetails.
Keep in mind that several factors go into the design of a
dovetail joint, including the size and spacing of the tails
and pins, as well as the slope of the tails. Most dovetail
joints begin and end with a half pin on the outsides,
with the rest of the space subdivided into a number of
pin and tail sets. This joint creates plenty of long-grain
glue surface as well as excellent mechanical strength in
connecting the two components together. And always,
when laying out dovetails, use as few steps as possible.MAY / JUNE 2022 79WOOD FOR
THE PROJECT
Brendan and Seamus Harcourt-Wood
of Rare Woods South Africa (rarewoods.
co.za) again supplied the wood for this
project. We chose to work with sapele
and French sycamore.SAPELE
(ENTANDROPHRAGMA
CYLINDRICUM)
Also called sapele mahogany, this wood
species is economically important to Africa.
It’s quickly gaining popularity across many
industries, and is commonly used as a
substitute for genuine mahogany. It’s
considered moderately durable and stable
in use, and colour can range from a light
golden brown to a darker reddish or
pinkish brown. Sapele is renowned for its
often dramatic figure, which comes in an
array of styles, including ribbon, pommel,
quilted, mottled, waterfall, wavy, bee’s
wing, tiger-stripe, and fiddleback. It works
well with both hand and machine tools,
and possesses a beautiful natural lustre.FRENCH SYCAMORE
(ACER PSEUDOPLATANUS)
As with all other members of the true
maple genus (Acer), European sycamore
is a hardwood whose sapwood is greatly
preferred over its heartwood. The sapwood
can vary from an almost pure white to a
light cream colour, with tinting ranging
from a golden yellow to a muted red.
The heartwood is typically a medium to
dark reddish-brown. Grains are generally
straight, but can also be wavy. Combined
with its fine texture, it’s easy to work with
using hand and machine tools alike. It
glues and finishes well, with a good
natural lustre. Not unlike its Acer-genus
counterparts, pieces can sometimes
exhibit dramatic figure.
Boards are typically found quarter-
sawn, as European sycamore is the
lumber well-known for its preferential
(and historical) use as a body wood
for stringed orchestral instruments
(such as violins, violas, and others).
It possesses superb resonance qualities
and full-spectrum frequency response
at a very moderate weight.