Furniture Making

You are not logged in. [ Login ] Why log in
(NOTE: Login is not required to post)

Sliding Dovetail in Solid Material

2/17/14       
John Eugster  Member

Website: http://www.woodworksbyjohn.com

I'm in the design process on a cabinet that'll be made of 1 1/8" thick Sapele. I want to use a sliding dovetail to attach the main shelf inside of it which will measure roughly 15" in width and is 40" long. When I look at this joinery many recommend making it a tapered, sliding dovetail but this seems like more of a challenge seeing the size of the pieces. My thought is to make the joint itself as close to tolerance as I can and not use any glue until the final 2" or so. Because of the complexity of this piece (sliding doors) I'll probably need to be able to assemble and reassemble several times. I would use liquid hide glue to minimize the fibers swelling up and causing binding but never having made a sliding dovetail of this length before am looking for advice -- anyone have experience with this type of assembly? Appreciate any suggestions.

2/18/14       #2: Sliding Dovetail in Solid Material ...
Chris

The reason everyone is recommending a sliding tapered dovetail is that getting a flawless fit for a sliding dovetail is quite difficult if you want to knock it apart several times (how hard are you pressing on the piece as it slides passed the router bit, how fast, vibration, etc.). I would take the time to do the tapered. I guess this is an heirloom piece?

2/18/14       #3: Sliding Dovetail in Solid Material ...
John Eugster  Member

Website: http://www.woodworksbyjohn.com

I'm starting to re-think this and am considering a half dovetail combined with a dado. The dovetail at the bottom would give me mechanical strength while the dado would allow me to fine tune the fit with a plane. Trying to taper that size of a shelf seems to be a hassle!

2/18/14       #4: Sliding Dovetail in Solid Material ...
Bruce H

finewoodworking did an article on a tapered sliding dovetail a few years back. as I remember it wasn't all that difficult. somehow the taper was related to the thickness of masking tape. might do a search.

2/19/14       #5: Sliding Dovetail in Solid Material ...
John Eugster  Member

Website: http://www.woodworksbyjohn.com

Hi Brian, you're right about that article in FW. I've researched their on-line files and found a few references too. Garret Hack just did a audio slide show as well but the problem I have is the size of my shelf (1 1/8" x 15 x 40 or so). I've put a link to that in this response. I'll be trying out my barefaced dovetail and posting it on my blog if --- finger's crossed!; my thoughts are right and it works.

Sliding, tapered Dovetail

2/19/14       #6: Sliding Dovetail in Solid Material ...
Keith Newton

John, When I do large ones, I try to set the fence to get a perfect fit all the way across on the first pass. Then I move the fence over about the thickness of a business card, and run it again, taking off that few thousandths with a business card folded around the front edge, which gives it a very slight tapper.

Then I like epoxy for this joint, which gives plenty of open time, as well as acting like a lubricant, making it much easier than dry fit. It is also good from bridging a gap back where the joint will be a bit looser.

2/19/14       #7: Sliding Dovetail in Solid Material ...
John Eugster  Member

Website: http://www.woodworksbyjohn.com

Thanks for all of your responses to my post. I've attached a link to my blog post on making a bare face dovetail which I think is the way to go on this project. If you have the time and inclination I'd appreciate any feedback you may have. The process worked well for my 1/2 sized experiment so I'm pretty confident that it'll be the way to go. Appreciate it a lot -- John


View higher quality, full size image (640 X 627)

http://woodworksbyjohn.com/2014/02/19/ba

2/20/14       #8: Sliding Dovetail in Solid Material ...
mark

Glue the whole thing; forget about any taper; think it through so you won't have to disassemble; wedge the dovetail from both ends.


Post a Response
  • Notify me of responses to this thread
  • Subscribe to email updates on this Forum
  • To receive email notification of additions to this forum thread,
    enter your name and email address, and then click the
    "Keep Me Posted" button below.

    Please Note: If you have posted a message or response,
    do not submit this request ... you are already signed up
    to receive notification!

    Your Name:
    E-Mail Address:
    Enter the correct numbers into the field below:
     

    Date of your Birth:



    Return to top of page

    Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Site Map

    FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)

  • WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.
  • Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.
  • A valid email return address must be included with each message.
  • Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.
  • Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.
  • "Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.
  • Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.
  • Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.
  • Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.
  • Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.
  • Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.
  • Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.
  • Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
    (return to top).

    Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.

    You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.

    WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.

    Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).

    Libel:   Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.

    Improper Decorum:   Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).

    Advertising:   The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).

    Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.

    There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).

    The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)


  • Forum Posting Help
    Your Name The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
    Your Website Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    E-Mail Address Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
    Subject Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
    Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    Thread Related File Uploads Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .MP4 (Image Upload Tips)   If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)