PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE
82 MAY / JUNE 2022 popularmechanics.co.za
WOODWORKINGSTEP 4: Lay out the joint for strength and pleasing aesthetics. Set the marking gauge to
about half the thickness of the boards. From the edge of each side of the tail board, scribe a
line on the end grain. This will be the final width of your ‘half-pins’ on either side.
Use a pair of dividers to lay out the three dovetails. With the tail board clamped end grain
up in your vice, start at the half-pin line on the left, and walk the dividers across the board,
counting the number of tails you want to incorporate into the joint. The distance that the
dividers extend beyond the right half-pin line represents the pin spacing between the tails.
Work back across the board, starting with the right-hand half-pin line. Adjust the dividers
and repeat the exercise until you achieve three dovetails with your required pin spacing
between them. (We chose 2 mm spacing.) Using the divider marks, scribe the required
lines on the end of the tail board with a try square.STEP 5: Using a 1:8 dovetail template or a sliding bevel set at approximately 5° to 5.5°,
mark out the tails on the front and rear of the tail board with a sharp marking knife. Position
the marking knife into a previously scribed end-grain kerf and slide the dovetail guide up to
bear firmly on the blade. Now scribe a guide line on the front face of the board. Repeat with
all of the other tails on both faces of the tail board.
Peel away the blue tape from the waste areas and you are ready to begin cutting the tails.
WOODWORKINGPRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE