84 MAY / JUNE 2022 popularmechanics.co.za
PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE
WOODWORKINGSTEP 11: Test-fit your joint. Don’t force the components
together. Light taps with a mallet should bring the parts fully
together. If the joint starts to bind at any point, mark where
this occurs, separate the components, pare extremely finely,
and test again.STEP 10: Apply blue tape to the pin
board as you did previously to the tail board.
With the tail board at 90° to the pin board in
its final intended position, and making sure
everything is absolutely square and the tail
board is flush with the pin board outer edges
and face, gently copy the tails on to the pin
board by scribing each line position a couple
of times. Remove the tail board. With your
small try square, place your knife into the
first scribed line on your pin board and
scribe both faces of all the pins. Remove
the blue tape from the waste areas.
Using the dovetail guide (or freehand),
saw all of your pins ‘just’ on the waste sides
of the blue tape. The aim is to get the joint to
fit the first time. Now remove the bulk of the
waste with your coping saw, and pare the
sockets neatly down to the baseline on both
faces of the pin board with a sharp chisel.