The Many Types of Dovetails and Their Uses

[@richardthompson3791]

Thanks for a common sense approach to wood work.Your friend rex is also good.Keep up the good work . Richie from Australia

[@PeteLewisWoodwork]

I have to be honest here, I am a woodworker of over 40 years and apart from the standard dovetail (and half blind variants), I have never seen any of the others you show here. Would I try them? Maybe not - but then again I do like them, so I might just, you know...

[@KarlBunker]

I took a drink every time James said "fun" and I'm dead now. 😵

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Lol I thought about putting a counter up on the screen for it. Doing the editing it was rather interesting.

[@P010010010100101]

Dorian Bracht's channel has "Joint Venture" where he explores dozens of unique joint options.

[@thomasarussellsr]

I love his Japanese based joinery videos. Most of them I can watch several times and still cant quite figure out the layout. I think I need to search and find some books on Japanese joinery and see if I can't find some with layout measurements. His accuracy is amazing. So many of his joints just nearly disapear when assembled (when cut from the same wood). Doesnt look like he needs any glue at all, especially on the pinned/wedged ones.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Lots of fun there.

[@onebackzach]

One of my favorite dovetail style joints is the twisted box joint. It functions the same as a dovetail, but instead of the pins flaring out at opposing angles, the two sides of the pins are at matching angles, usually about 60 degrees. I don't see it get much love online, but I think it's a really cool looking joint that's probably a bit faster to make than a traditional dovetail.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I might have to show that one off sometime.

[@MCsCreations]

Fantastic tips, James! Thanks a lot! 😃 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@scottswineford6714]

Enjoyed it greatly! When I made my Paul Sellers layout jig I went literally half way 6 1/2, figured I'd maybe build a little muscle memory and eye hand boost. Seems both have faded with age. Oh watching your live stream the other night confirmed my having a sharpie on the bench for a highly visible waste marking tool, big black X, yup. Got a kick out of you talking about cutting left handed, switching certainly saves time. I watch you and Paul and Rex and Rob unclamp stuff because of grain direction or access with the right hand, I just switch, really handy with a scrub plane. Switch and change angles, speeds things up greatly. And yes my bench is Left hand oriented.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

So true. Learning to be ambidextrous in the shop is incredible useful.

[@guitarmanjoe9450]

I know you're not a luthier, but would you do a video on guitar or mandolin style dovetail.

[@SteveC38]

I liked this Bud... Sorry I missed the live last night.

[@myrawright282]

Love the different looks!

[@shaunsiz.itsbetterbytube2858]

Can't beat a good joint

[@RexKrueger]

What a useful video!

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Thanks man.

[@J.A.Smith2397]

You both make useful videos, you're my boys blue!

[@robertberger8642]

Good video!

[@skoomasteve6144]

You're a wizard James (Hagrid's voice)

[@J.A.Smith2397]

How'd I miss this one!?

[@josepcb2882]

Impresionante, Una lección Magistral. Saludos desde Barcelona Catalonia.

[@Tensquaremetreworkshop]

Dovetail gauges- they always seem to be broader at the bottom. Which means that the first (and last) mark is using the far edge- so the gauge is not stable. Having the gauge narrower at the bottom avoids this. It also gives a wider platform sitting on the top of the wood. And uses less material. And means you can use the top to do the cross score. With all these advantages, why are they not like this?

[@michaelmorris1865]

I have one that's well over 100 years old, it has a pin's width either side of the tail, cutouts for striking your lines on the end grain as well as a pin layout gauge. It's definitely not thicker at the bottom of the tail. Rough dimensions are 25cm long, 5cm wide, and 5mm thick could easily make yourself a few 1/4" thick

[@Tensquaremetreworkshop]

@@michaelmorris1865 It is not about it being thicker, but being broader. Most only work if you mark on the tail side of the cut. Ideally you want to use a single edge knife, and mark on the waste side- this gives the deepest mark on the cut line, so the saw fits into the cut. I have made my own gauge, out of solid brass- but In practice, I have given up marking the tails. Instead I use a saw guide, avoiding marking out (apart from the spacing mark and the depth line). The pins I mark out from the tails, avoiding measuring errors.

[@michaelmorris1865]

@Tensquaremetreworkshop Ah, I've never actually used any gauge, I measure my pins and lay out my tails by eye with a sliding bevel. Never thought to use a knife wall on the layout, just pencil cutting just on the waste side of the line. I also lay out my pins from the tails.

[@alangknowles]

What about showing a wedged dovetail that won't pull out either way?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I have a video on that one as well but I didn't have one to show off. There are lots of really fun joints out there

[@imortaldeadead]

What a short tail, of a tall tail...from are ummm over lord??? Thank you for sharing 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Lol that is great!

[@criswilson1140]

Dovetails - fun and relaxing joint until you realize that you cut on the wrong side of the line on the last piece of your wood. :-)

[@bhaygood7306]

Thanks

[@fruitguy407]

Hi, another awesome video. I was thinking earlier this week, I have seen a thousand dovetail videos but iirc, I've never seen a dovetail video that wasn't end of board to end of board. Can dovetails into the side of a board be successful? I have a couple of places in mind I could use that. Is there any difference in cutting or planning this? Am I missing something?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Sure. If the dovetail goes into the side of a board it is called a wedged tenon. I have a couple videos on that as well.

[@oliverdelica2289]

What do you call the dovetail layout used by Asian woodworkers where the tails at the corners are divided in half?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I'm not sure what you're referring to. The Japanese tradition has many many different dovetail designs.

[@oliverdelica2289]

@@WoodByWrightHowTo yeah I don't know what to call it too. It's pretty much a through dovetail but with unconventional layout. Someone answer. This has been bugging me 😓😓

[@walterrider9600]

thank you . okay now me little noggin hurts

[@jwydubak9673]

Tails or pins first?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Lol you only ask that question when you want to fight.

[@InFlamedParlysis88]

It's not the dove-tail per-se that's not aesthetically pleasing, it's any joints in general. But when you use joints they are "suppose" to be hidden so it doesn't stand out and detract from the design/quality.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Right on. That's why I like to make the joinery part of the design. I love showing off through dovetails and tennons

[@thomasarussellsr]

Have you ventured into any Japanese joinery yet? Do you have any videos on them if you have? Thanks.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Sure. I've done quite a few of those. Depending upon what you classify as Japanese joinery a few of these might actually fall into that category. Lots of crazy stuff out there.

[@alistairdickinson4415]

Was that a poodle in the background?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Lol no that is my wig.

[@yastar]

These dovetail joints are all 90 degree angles, I have never seen a dovetail at an other angle, is that possible?

[@alangknowles]

Yes. Matt Estlea shows how, making odd shaped boxes in his garden workshop series (when he couldn't work in his company workshop during lockdown).

[@yastar]

@@alangknowles tnx I go check him out

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Sure. I have several videos showing them at different angles. I made a step stool not too long ago with splay legs and a dovetail top. I also have a video making a pyramid-shaped box with dovetails.

[@fletchlives8639]

Why will know one ever show how to cut dovetails by hand on birch plywood. Its like everyone is scared of it.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I generally stay away from plywood in the shop as with hand tools it is a very difficult wood to work with and has very little benefit. But that's my personal preference. but generally if most people are using plywood they're going to use floating tenons or pocket holes. As they're just faster and easier.

[@mick1gallagher]

Did you ever see dovetails done in a circle

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

are you talking like an octagon or multi sided frame or with bent boards?

[@mick1gallagher]

I mean a circle a real circle I will see if I can post a photo dont know if I can

[@ryanallthewiser]

Why are they called dovetails ...?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Some woodworker int he past was fascinated by bird back sides!

[@z4zuse]

Alan Smith in Dutch they are called swallow tails

[@TheJohnnyMiner]

@@z4zuse also in russian

[@Mannfr3d]

@@z4zuse salmon tail in Finnish.

[@P010010010100101]

I call it an interlocking trapezoidal prism joint.

[@kennethnielsen3864]

2nd.