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01-22-2018, 08:31 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-22-2018, 08:37 PM by ron kanter.
Edit Reason: correcting which board needs to be held in place
)
I have been working on my dovetailing skills and making some progress. My greatest weakness seems to be holding the tail board in place for accurate marking of the pins.
I've tried clamping the pin board in a vise level with the bench top and elevated the height of a plane that keeps the tail board level.
My problem seems to be two fold: accurately lining the tail board with the end/edge of the pin board and keeping the tail board from moving when marking the pin board.
I hope this makes sense and you folks have some tips to help me improve the quality of my dovetails.
Thanks for your thoughts,
Ron
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Latest set I did, I used a big cam-clamp to hold the tailboard over the pin-board. The clamp was just gripping the edges of the 2 boards, still leaving room to mark things.
good luck,
Chris
Chris
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Hmmm, last time around, I used a "3rd hand"
Seems to keep things steady, and still.....at least long enough for me to do a bit of marking...
Show me a picture, I'll build a project from that
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I've got a couple sizes of L-shaped "jigs". They are MDF, glued and screwed at right angle. Along one edge I have attached a thin fence. This lets me clamp securely in vice with board to be marked horizontal and tail board across its top. Fence aligns and holds all square. From article written by Robert Wearing I think.
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I think you can use the tips as needed, or on rougher projects (especially practice) you will be able to mark out without mishap. Knowing that things want to move has already made you careful.
I urge you to consider what you are using to mark the lines. The right knife or a really good mechanical pencil helped me because the marking took less effort and freed attention for the holding.
Getting the inside corner lined up perfectly is hard. I've seen folks tack, glue or clamp temporary strips right at the line so that the piece you are marking has a fence with which it can be registered against the piece in the vise.
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(01-22-2018, 08:31 PM)ron kanter Wrote: I have been working on my dovetailing skills and making some progress. My greatest weakness seems to be holding the tail board in place for accurate marking of the pins.
I've tried clamping the pin board in a vise level with the bench top and elevated the height of a plane that keeps the tail board level.
My problem seems to be two fold: accurately lining the tail board with the end/edge of the pin board and keeping the tail board from moving when marking the pin board.
I hope this makes sense and you folks have some tips to help me improve the quality of my dovetails.
Thanks for your thoughts,
Ron
Ron, I hear where you are coming from. I'm trying to hone my dovetailing skills, and this is one area that I need practice on. I'm glad you asked the question, because there are some good suggestions from the forum.
Harry
“Show us a man who never makes a mistake and we will show a man who never makes anything."
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Instead of clamping the pin board down flush with the bench, try laying a board or two (say, one or both of the other two sides of the carcase that you're not using at the moment) on the bench and clamping the pin board flush with that. The pin board will be a little higher, and you'll be able to see more clearly that everything is aligned properly.
It works for me.
Steve S.
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Derek Cohen has a nice solution which involves his Moxon vise -
http://inthewoodshop.com/
Thanks, Curt
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I have tried all manner of tricks to include corner clamps, "l" shaped jigs, etc... they all will work, but what I normally do is clamp the pin board in a vice at the same height as a handplane laid on its side. Line up the tail board and downward pressure will keep it from moving.
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(01-22-2018, 08:31 PM)ron kanter Wrote: I have been working on my dovetailing skills and making some progress. My greatest weakness seems to be holding the tail board in place for accurate marking of the pins.
I've tried clamping the pin board in a vise level with the bench top and elevated the height of a plane that keeps the tail board level.
My problem seems to be two fold: accurately lining the tail board with the end/edge of the pin board and keeping the tail board from moving when marking the pin board.
I hope this makes sense and you folks have some tips to help me improve the quality of my dovetails.
Thanks for your thoughts,
Ron
I chose a twin screw vise when I built my bench. That eliminates the need for a "Moxon" type of auxillary appliance. When marking out pins, I put the pin board, face-out, in the vise and clamp it even with a hand plane on its side (or used a dedicated block of wood, as I do). Move the hand plane back a foot our so and lay the tail board on it and the pin board, like a bridge, and secure loosely with a screw-type holdfast like the one Lee Valley makes. Do any necessary aligning (a shallow rabbet on the inside of the tail board is excellent) and tighten the holdfast. Do your marking. I use a double bevel knife.
I sometimes use a card scraper and a mechanical pencil to darken the knife lines. The burr on the card scraper helps keep it aligned with knife line.
I find a chopping fence placed on the base line to be a huge aid in maintaining the fit of the joint. By taking care during each step of laying out and sawing your dovetails, paring can be almost eliminated.
