Manual of Purpose-Made Woodworking Joinery

Dovetail joints 35

Dovetail Slope

Figure 3.26: The dovetail angle for softwood is usually
set to a ratio of 1 in 6. This can be set up on a sliding
bevel by alignment to the angle formed from a right-
angled pencil line across a board which has been
marked 6cm across (or 6 inches) and 1 cm (or 1 inch)
along the edge, as illustrated. Also shown is the angle
for medium- density wood (1 in 7) and hardwood,
which is usually set to a ratio of 1 in 8.

Dovetail templates

Figures 3.27(a)(b): Dovetail templates made of beech
or other close- grained hardwood species can be made

as an alternative to using a sliding bevel. Two varia-

tions in design are illustrated here. Metal templates

can also be made or bought.

Setting out dovetails with dividers

Equal tails and pins

Figures 3.28(a)(b): As with the traditional method,

the shoulder lines (equal to the wood’s thickness +

1mm for initial end- grain planing and eventual

cleaning up) must be pencil- marked squarely

around the timber and the centre line(s) established

on the face side. With non- committal positioning of

a pair of dividers, the centre line is used to plot the

dividing points for the tails (dovetails). The semi-

circles shown indicate the pivoting movement (steps)

of one divider- point mark to the next. If you do not

possess a pair of dividers, a pair of tautly- tensioned

compasses will do. First – as with the traditional

method – you must decide how many dovetails are

required.

If you decide to have four dovetails across the

width, as illustrated below, the dividers must be stepped

ABC

Figure 3.26 (A) 1 in 6 softwood angle; (B) 1 in 7
medium- density wood angle; (C) 1 in 8 hardwood angle.

Figure 3.27 (a) Template for softwood; (b) Template for
hardwood.

A

A

C

C

(a) (b)

1

Dividers’ left-leg movements

23 4

5

(a)

Figure 3.28 (a) First setting out: four divider- steps to the

right.

Figure 3.28 (b) Second setting out: four divider- steps to

the left.

Dividers’ right-leg movements

4 3 2 1

5

(b)