Sliding Dovetail Bookends

Step 9 Tune the guides and dovetail

Now it's time to tune the guides and the dovetail. I usually use a diatonic tuning, but some prefer a chromatic tuning. Has anyone written an Instructable on how to be humorous? Maybe I should read it.

Slide one of the guides just into the dovetail. If it doesn't go in, then sand the guide a bit until it does. Do the same thing with the other guide.

Run one of the guides all the way through the dovetail. If it hits a sticky spot, do not try to force it, but remove it and try the other guide. If that guide makes it past the sticky spot, then the first guide has a problem and needs some sanding until it goes through. If both guides get stuck in the sticky spot, then there's a problem with the dovetail. Use sandpaper to widen the dovetail in that area until both the guides go through. Repeat this process until both guides run through the dovetail without much effort.

If the guides wobble a lot, then you overcut (or overtuned!) You can use it, sure, but then this piece would never make it on Antiques Roadshow, which would deprive your great grandson of the surprising knowledge that a collector would pay up to forty dollars for this heirloom. You don't want to do that to your great grandson, do you? Cut another piece of stock to replace the guide and try again.