Hand Cut Dovetails for Dummies

by tomatoskins

132K1.2K66

Intro: Hand Cut Dovetails for Dummies

Precision cuts and joinery is the mark of a skilled carpenter. Dovetail joints often have an aura of mystery about them. Dovetails can be tricky, but with a little practice you can have others envious of the decorative hand cut character that only a dovetail joint can bring to your next project.

When using dovetails for a joint that requires strength, end grain must be used. Side grain was used in this instructable because it was for demonstration purposes only. The same steps and techniques will work with end grain dovetail joints.

STEP 1: Tools

STEP 2: Layout One

  • Measure the thickness of the second board using the marking gauge
  • Transfer that thickness to the first board with the marking gauge
  • Mark the middle of the board
  • Decide on a layout for the dovetails (my layout is shown in picture 3)
  • Make sure to mark the sections that you are wanting to remove

STEP 3: Cut

Using a hand saw, cut close to the line while not removing it till you reach the line left by the marking gauge

STEP 4: Removing Wood

Use a chisel and mallet to remove the excess wood. Holding the chisel perpendicular to the wood piece, cut along the line made by the marking gauge. Flip the chisel over to cut toward the line made by the marking gauge. Do this over and over till the wood is removed.

STEP 5: Repeat

Using the same steps shown before, remove the remaining excess wood from the first board.

STEP 6: Layout Two

  • Using the first board as a pattern, transfer the outline of the dovetails
  • Using the marking gauge, transfer the thickness of the first board to the second board
  • Mark the sections to remove
  • Using a square, connect the lines to the line left by the marking gauge

STEP 7: Cut and Remove Wood

Repeat steps 3 through 5.

STEP 8: Final Fitting

If the previous steps have been followed, the two boards should not fit together. In order to get the tight great looking dovetails that every carpenter wants, carefully shave wood off the second board in the interface between the two. I used both the chisel and small sanding block to get them to fit.

STEP 9: Sand and Finish

Depending on what you are making, you will want to glue the joint. If gluing, sand before and after to make sure that everything is flush.

Since this is a demonstration piece for a dovetail joint, I didn't glue it. I just sanded it and finished it with some danish oil.

STEP 10: Share Your Dovetail Projects!

I want to see what amazing dovetail projects you can come up with. Please take a picture, make an instructable, share, repeat and enjoy!

51 Comments

handyman17 3 years ago

Where would the optimal place for a few screws to be put in. cause i need it to be super strong ?

tomatoskins 3 years ago

I think that adding screws would actually weaken the joint.

handyman17 3 years ago

Okay What should I use for the EXtra strength? Cause I need to make it strong like really strong.

robgreenwood666 3 years ago

Hi, I was hoping to ask your advice on a project. I'm looking to make a box in cover out of oak and as it has an upside down L shape, I was hoping to use hand cut dovetail down with the grain running vertically. This would mean joints on the side of the front piece and on the endgrain of the angle. Is there any advice you can give to strengthen the joints on the sidegrain? Or would it be better just to use a tenon joint?

tomatoskins 3 years ago

Tenon would definitely be the strongest option if you are worried about strength. If not, you might be able to run dowels into the face of the side grain dovetails. That would strengthen them up. I hope that helps!

ccv23-gkh 3 years ago

What does "the second board in the interface" mean? where, specifically, do we shave the boards to make the dovetails fit together properly?

tomatoskins 3 years ago

Yes, you want to remove wood little by little on the board that is created in steps 6 and 7.

MichaelB1257 5 years ago

Very nice marking and sawing. As one responder above points out, you did make a crucial error by placing the joints in the sides of the boards rather than in the end grain. A dovetail joint is the strongest of all ways to join two boards, but most of that strength is nullified by having the joints placed in the sides of a board where they can snap easily when stressed. Properly placed dovetails are the perfect solution for making drawers where years of use would cause any other joint to fail. A few good-fitting dovetails in each corner of a drawer make it almost indestructible. Dovetails in the sides of a board would never be seen in a furniture makers work. Best that you learn that now.since you have the skills to do it correctly.

tomatoskins 5 years ago

Yup. This was already discussed in the intro. :)

KingBowzer 6 years ago

Thank you for the very clear instructions, from the get go, getting into woodworking seemed very therapeutic, but overwhelming as well. Googling things advice just doesnt work

jeanniel1 8 years ago

This reminds me of the Japanese wood working - all done by hand. Applause for working this complicated joint out by hand! I work in a wood shop now and then, and dovetails are a bit of a challenge though, when finished, they're really cool looking! Bravo!

Tommunbeig 8 years ago

Remembering that Japanese Craftsmen use pull saws which are much thinner and extremely sharp. This avoids that risky first push cut.

Aadieu 7 years ago

They don't even have to be thin... Just pull-action & SHARP

jeanniel1 8 years ago

Oooh, I like that and it's so affordable. Looks like a comfy grip

jeanniel1 8 years ago

We do what we can with what is available. Good test for workmanship! Good tools is a blessing, eh?

Kinderhook Woodcraft 8 years ago

Well done, and easy to understand. Here's a pic of some I did for practice several years ago.

Pilgrimm 8 years ago

Very nice 'Ible! Very well done. Nice looking joint. Good photos, good use of clamps (I used my woodworking vise). I've practiced and practiced, read, studied the magazines, watched videos, sharpened chisels until I could shave a hair in two strands, and have never managed to produce a joint that did not look as though it had been created by a ham-fisted clod! And I've been making furniture, built-ins and wooden accessory pieces for 40 years. I have my own work throughout my house, and take pride in showing it off. All without a single dovetail joint, which certain uncouth visitors occasionally mention! Nice job!

pfred2 8 years ago

There are some tricks to making a tight looking dovetail. The first thing you need to realize is you can only see the surface of the wood. That gives you a lot of leeway inside the joint to mess around. Because once the joint is glued up no one is ever going to be able to see in there. So you can hollow out the inside of the joint faces somewhat. Then you rely on wood being compressible. So to sum up you leave wood where you need it, and pare away where no one can see it. Then your joint should go together and look tight when it is together.

You run into trouble if you try to make the ideal geometry joint. Because if that doesn't work out it is usually visible. Sticking to the ideal geometry sets you up for more failure potential. You need to be able to see past the ideal to achieve the illusion of the ideal.

jimrittenour 8 years ago

Didn't anybody read the details. He explained why he chose the grain direction.

"Buy tools, buy jigs, buy machines, buy kits".....................jeeze.

The whole point of projects like this is to have some fun doing stuff by yourself using the simplest tools and techniques. And with this one, in addition, no electricity.

It's a simple dove tail. No geometry required - for the most part.

No angles and whatever to make the joint "lock."

Hey, GOOD JOB.

It's a great and simple method to dress-up a wood project.

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