lighthearted Posted January 2, 2011 Report Share Posted January 2, 2011 I am building a box with sliding dovetails (a first for me) and I am struggling with the best way to cut the tails. I plan on cutting the socket 1st on my router table. Then I plan on cutting the tails on the router table--what's the best approach to getting an accurate thickness of the tails? Do I just sneak up on it? How do you approach sliding dovetails? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flairwoodworks Posted January 2, 2011 Report Share Posted January 2, 2011 I am building a box with sliding dovetails (a first for me) and I am struggling with the best way to cut the tails. I plan on cutting the socket 1st on my router table. Then I plan on cutting the tails on the router table--what's the best approach to getting an accurate thickness of the tails? Do I just sneak up on it? How do you approach sliding dovetails? Yup. Cut the socket first with two passes to make sure it's centered, then the other half. Sneak up on the fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M Posted January 2, 2011 Report Share Posted January 2, 2011 You also need to get the taper right. Both the socket and the tail need a very slight taper. I use tape between the wood and the fence to get the taper. When I cut the socket I put one thickness on the narrow end and two on the wide end for the first cut. I then remove the tape and cut again. This creates a 2 thickness taper in the socket. (Cut in that order to avoid a climb cut). When I cut the tail I put a thickness of tape on each side of the narrow end to get the corresponding taper. Blue tape usually is enough for a small box. As the cut lengthens, I might use double layers or duct tape instead. Just be sure that your fence is long enough to support the taped ends for the entire cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lighthearted Posted January 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2011 Thanks guys-- I've been at it all morning and finally success. But not before making a lot of firewood! Is it necessary to taper a small box? 3 1/2"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M Posted January 3, 2011 Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 No, its not necessary to taper the joint. The alternative is to make it a loose fit so you can get it together without too much force. If you have a tight fit, there is a real possibility that it will bind halfway and you will have offset firewood. A properly tapered joint will slide easily until the last inch or so and only take a few taps to bring it home. I have also found that using a poly glue such as Gorilla Glue on sliding dovetails seems to act as a lubricant during assembly and gives a bit more working time. Yellow glue tends to bind faster due to the wood swelling as it absorbs the moisture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lighthearted Posted January 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 Thanks Mike--Good advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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