Joinery with a Dovetail Joint
Crafting Strong Corners on Drawers using a Jig, Router, or Saw
Wood joinery: how to make strong dovetail corner joints. Dovetails are the first choice for drawers or boxes. Cut dovetail joints with a jig, router, or dovetail saw.
Wood Joinery with a Dovetail Joint
Dovetail joints are one of the strongest corner joints used in woodworking. Why? The strength of any wood joint depends on the amount of open surface area of the two pieces being joined. The more glued surface area, the stronger the joint. While a box joint is strong, the dovetail has it beat hands down. This article explains wood joinery with a dovetail joint.
How the Dovetail Joint Maximizes End Grain for Strength
The name “dovetail” derives from the shape of the mating surfaces. On the socket piece of wood, tail-shaped sockets are cut out. The narrow pieces of wood remaining between sockets are called pins. The tail piece of wood is cut in the opposite fashion; the tails are left while small sockets corresponding to the pins are removed.
On either piece, the joint at the top or bottom, once the joint is assembled, is called the shoulder.
So, tails mate with sockets and pins mate between tails. Once glued up, the incredible strength of the dovetail joint makes it a favorite for drawer construction. It also explains its popularity in antique furniture. Glues in those days were not as strong as the ones today.
How are Dovetail Joints cut?
There are three basic methods to cutting dovetail joints. The most precise method is with a jig. Cable Porter dovetail jigs really defined that market although many innovators have come up with their own designs. Homemade jigs are also popular.
Cutting dovetail joints using a router and a dovetail template is also very precise. This method is useful in a heavy production environment because it allows the socket piece and the tail piece to be cut at the same time.
But any cabinet maker or DIY carpenter worth his salt will be quick to point out that the only true bragging rights are won by hand-cut dovetail joints! This is done by precise layout and careful cutting using a dovetail saw.
Tools for Hand-Cutting a Dovetail Joint
- Tape measure
- Marking gauge
- T bevel
- Dovetail saw
- Coping Saw
- Hammer
- Chisel
- Vice
Layout and Hand-Cutting a Dovetail Joint
- Mark the depth of the cut on the tail piece and the socket piece. Use a marking gauge to scribe around all four sides of the tail piece. The distance from the end of the board to the scribe mark is the thickness of the board.
- Lay out the tails using a T bevel set at the chosen angle. Make them equal in size. Allow for cutting both ends for the shoulders and a minimum of one quarter inch between tails to receive pins.
- Clamp the tail piece in a vice. Use a dovetail saw to cut the shoulders and between tails. A coping saw is handy to cut the piece out.
- Use a hammer and chisel to finish the job.
- Now, put the socket piece vertically in the vice. Hold the tail piece horizontally at the end to allow tracing out the areas between the tails that were just cut.
- Use a try square and pencil to continue the lines on the socket piece.
- Cut the sockets out.
- Trial fit the dovetail joint and make any adjustments.
- Glue it up, clamp it, and let the glue dry.
- A final sanding and it's done!
