Trying out a different type of Dovetail joint
#11
Stumbled onto an older rerun of The Woodwright's Shop.....that had C. Schwarz talking about "Campaign Furniture".....and one of the joints used yo make case work...a "blind dovetail"

kept thinking about it....decided to see IF I had enough stock to maybe build a box, using that joint.....just to learn HOW to make it.    Had a beat up 1 x 6 Pine scrap....screw holes on one edge...big old knot on the other.   Wonder IF I rip the bad areas off, maybe wind up with a 1 x 4?   marked out the lines, ran the board through the bandsaw ( not feeling energetic enough to handsaw it)....Ok....then the mitre box was used...
Rolleyes
   
Came in ~6" or so from both ends.   Then, cut the remainder in half....or tried to....missed by1/2"....oh well...just a practice piece...
Made a batch of shavings, too
   
because of how wavy the bandsaw cut was.    I had to joint the edges a bit...
   
The shorter 2 of the 4 were easy enough to do...but, I wanted all 4 the same width...so..
   
Clamp them up, and plane til they all matched.   Jack plane is the one I had just repaired/replaced the handles on...seems to be working nicely...

Ok..since I do not have that fancy rebate plane Schwarz was using...had to do end rebates a bit differently..mitre saw time, again..
   
Mark out where to cut....and just hit the line...barely...then back to the bench, for a bit of chisel work
   
Wide chisel, a few whacks with the mallet...pare smooth, repeat 3 times..
   
All set for the next stage...BRB
Show me a picture, I'll build a project from that
Reply
#12
Ok...need to do a bit of layout work, next...
Cool
   
1/2" dovetail "pins" are first....because of that 1/4" rebate, I have about 1/2" to work in.   Turn this around, so I can see where to saw...
   
Ok, because of the angle I can actually saw to...and can't get into the back corners...I used the side of that Red Devil putty knife, and the mallet...drive the side of that stiff blade into the kerf....then it is over to the chopping block, for a bit of chisel work  ( don't have a holdfast, sorry..
Rolleyes )
   
And remove the waste.  use these to lay out the tails  ( first try?   I tried to do the tails like a through dovetail, didn't work out...slice the "end" boards to remove the bad tails..)
Once the ends were ready, again..
Use these pins, to lay out the tails...saw and chop those out, but..not all the way through...more like a 1/2 blind joint...
   
Start a dry fit...took a mallet a few tries to seat the parts together...
   
yep, had a bit of a chip out...Set this on edge for a looksee..
Rolleyes  
   
This is the "good corner"...chip out is on the other ( bottom?) side...
   
So...what does this look like when you pull it back apart (mallet helped..
Rolleyes )
   
yep, chip out happens
Winkgrin ....one corner done....have 3 more to prac-tize on, to see IF I can get this right...

Stay tuned...
Winkgrin
Show me a picture, I'll build a project from that
Reply
#13
Dovetail Class, Day 2....

Found out a way to mark the angles...rather simple, actually..
Cool
   
I used the end of the bevel square....seems to be about the angle I was looking for...tried a bit of a layout 
   
Even gained another pin...still doing pins first....
   
After the Disston No. 68 makes a saw cut....Red Devil Kerf Knife gets into the spots the saw can't reach...then over to the chopping board   
   
Then chop out the waste..
Cool 
   
Then the tricky parts....using this board to mark out the tails...and get ready to saw some more...
   
hard part was the two corners...did those in the vise..
Cool
   
And, hope they don't split out the side..then back to the chopping block.
   
Clean things up...try a dry fit...
   
well, the inside looks better...and the outside? 
   
getting better, still not perfect....will try during Day 3 to fix a few items

Stay tuned..
Winkgrin
Show me a picture, I'll build a project from that
Reply
#14
(10-25-2020, 06:55 PM)bandit571 Wrote: Dovetail Class, Day 2....

Found out a way to mark the angles...rather simple, actually..
Cool

I used the end of the bevel square....seems to be about the angle I was looking for...tried a bit of a layout 

Even gained another pin...still doing pins first....

After the Disston No. 68 makes a saw cut....Red Devil Kerf Knife gets into the spots the saw can't reach...then over to the chopping board   

Then chop out the waste..
Cool 

Then the tricky parts....using this board to mark out the tails...and get ready to saw some more...

hard part was the two corners...did those in the vise..
Cool

And, hope they don't split out the side..then back to the chopping block.

Clean things up...try a dry fit...

well, the inside looks better...and the outside? 

getting better, still not perfect....will try during Day 3 to fix a few items

Stay tuned..
Winkgrin

Looks good, only comment IMHO dovetails are ment to be seen.
Reply
#15
Bandit,
Fine Woodworking (Issue 23 / July-August 1980) has an article titled "In Search of Period Furniture Makers".  It is a well known article and show cases a kneehole bureau by Robert Emmett.  The illustrations show how he used blind dovetails to assemble the bracket-foot frame.  I think you would enjoy seeing how he laid out all of the joints so he could start in the back and work around to finish in the back.  One of my all time favorite articles in Fine Woodworking.

Lonnie
Reply
#16
I remember reading that, back when it came out, in fact....been a long time ago, hasn't it?


Not enough sleep, last night....too sleepy right now to even try the shop....May try again tomorrow, eh?
Show me a picture, I'll build a project from that
Reply
#17
What in the world is the purpose of going to the trouble of cutting what are essentially half blind dovetails and then covering them up with a butt joint?

Doug
Reply
#18
Tradition, for one.    Period correct for Campaign Furniture for two.....and..something new for me to learn HOW to do......

Not everybody wants to see "Naked Dovetails".....


Tried it with finger joints a few years back...
   
Except, when closed up, they looked just like a Mitered Corner joint....until you opened it back up..
   
Just something different to try...
   
Even made a box.  Double beads to conceal where the lid was saw off at...
   
I do hear tales of a tailed router bit that can make a corner look like that....
   
naked dovetails are sooooo boring, after all
Winkgrin
Show me a picture, I'll build a project from that
Reply
#19
Good for you.

Doug
Reply
#20
I like dovetails but only when hidden or definitely part of a design when fully shown. I would tend to choose something different.

I don't know if "western type DTs" are a traditional joint in Japanese woodwork, however, most I have seen are hidden and the wood grain emphasized; much like Steve's sample, here. The ones that are exposed are in timber framing where they enhance a sense of strength and construction beauty.
Heirlooms are self-important fiction so build what you like. Someone may find it useful.
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)

Product Recommendations

Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.