Chris Spann Posted January 3, 2018 Report Share Posted January 3, 2018 I'm starting a bookcase for my son and I'm going to try and keep my progress on here. I'll be honest though, I'm not the best at documenting so I may wind up with some gaps in the project. Here are some Sketchup pics I'm working on for ideas. I haven't put a base on it yet since I'm still not sure what I'll be doing for it. Right now I still have a stack of roughly dimensioned lumber and vague idea of what I want to do. What's your thoughts on stopped sliding dovetails? I'm still trying to figure out how I'll attach the back too. Chris 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ..Kev Posted January 3, 2018 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 3, 2018 Just thoughts.. Why not a 1/4" rabbet for the back and running the sliding DTs all the way through? Nice project! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Spann Posted January 3, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2018 15 minutes ago, TIODS said: Just thoughts.. Why not a 1/4" rabbet for the back and running the sliding DTs all the way through? Nice project! That's a great idea. I've been pondering the best method for the center shelf and back. I want a solid back on it. Probably shiplapped. I've been debating about the best way to attach it. If I go with through DTs on the sides they could be seen from the back but that really wouldn't matter I suppose. I'm also planning to put some sort of cove molding around the top so that only the ends of the pins show. I gotta find some thicker stock I can make the molding from. Anyway, if I run a rabbet around the back and start with a half tail instead of a half pin, the molding will hide the rabbet showing through on the end. Or I do a stopped rabbet. I think a half tail would be better though as it'll leave more meat after the rabbet is cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted January 3, 2018 Report Share Posted January 3, 2018 Assuming 3/4" thick case material, your sliding DTs would be 3/8" deep. So, a 1/4" deep by 3/8" wide rabbet in the back would mean that the DTs wouldn't be seen in the back. As for the rabbets and the DTs, this could be done a couple of ways. 1. Stopped as you mentioned above or; 2. Build the case and then route the rabbet in the back using a chisel to square up the corners. Those numbers probably change a little with a ship lapped back but, you get the idea.. You could use thicker material by simply changing that 1/4" number to the thickness of your material. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Spann Posted January 3, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2018 6 minutes ago, TIODS said: Assuming 3/4" thick case material, your sliding DTs would be 3/8" deep. So, a 1/4" deep by 3/8" wide rabbet in the back would mean that the DTs wouldn't be seen in the back. As for the rabbets and the DTs, this could be done a couple of ways. 1. Stopped as you mentioned above or; 2. Build the case and then route the rabbet in the back using a chisel to square up the corners. Those numbers probably change a little with a ship lapped back but, you get the idea.. You could use thicker material by simply changing that 1/4" number to the thickness of your material. Ahhhh. I gotcha. That makes sense. I like the idea of routing the back after the case is built too. I gotta be honest, the more I think of starting with a half tail instead of half pin, the more I like it though. I think it looks more symmetrical. I will do some more figuring and see what I come up with. Thanks for the ideas! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted January 3, 2018 Report Share Posted January 3, 2018 Just now, Chris Spann said: Ahhhh. I gotcha. That makes sense. I like the idea of routing the back after the case is built too. I gotta be honest, the more I think of starting with a half tail instead of half pin, the more I like it though. I think it looks more symmetrical. I will do some more figuring and see what I come up with. Thanks for the ideas! If you're going that route, build the case any way you like. Just use the right rabbeting bit to accept your backer material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Spann Posted January 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2018 My schedule lately has not been very conducive to shop work but I have slowly made some process on Sketchup (I'd rather make sawdust!!). Here are some more screenshots of the working design. I'm learning to use sketchup as I go so it's not as polished as I'd like. This includes the rabbet idea though. I have decided that with this design, half tails will definitely work better and provide a little more meat on the corners for the rabbet. The top has half tails and the bottom has half pins in the sketchup. I still want to put in some adjustable shelves, a base, and some cove molding around the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chris Spann Posted January 14, 2018 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 Got some tails cut today 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephThomas Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 Tails look good. Looks like nice wide, clear stock you have to work with, good stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan G Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 Wow. Beautiful wide board! Nice dovetails too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 You said that's cherry? the lighting makes it look almost as dark as walnut. DTs look clean. I've never tried to do them by hand but have been meaning to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephThomas Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 5 hours ago, Chestnut said: You said that's cherry? the lighting makes it look almost as dark as walnut. DTs look clean. I've never tried to do them by hand but have been meaning to. I would a guessed flatsawn sapele or AF mahog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Spann Posted January 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 7 hours ago, Chestnut said: You said that's cherry? the lighting makes it look almost as dark as walnut. DTs look clean. I've never tried to do them by hand but have been meaning to. Yep it’s Cherry. I have terrible lighting. It’s really pretty wood. Got lucky and found it at City Hardwoods in Birmingham. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted January 15, 2018 Report Share Posted January 15, 2018 2 hours ago, Chris Spann said: have terrible lighting. That's fixable. Having worked in terrible lighting i sugest shop led light bars they are inexpensive and awesome. I buy the ones that plug into an outlet. to power them i swapped my lampholder with ones like these. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted January 15, 2018 Report Share Posted January 15, 2018 On 1/13/2018 at 6:57 PM, Chris Spann said: Got some tails cut today Those look great Chris!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmize Posted January 16, 2018 Report Share Posted January 16, 2018 On 1/14/2018 at 4:51 PM, Chris Spann said: Yep it’s Cherry. I have terrible lighting. It’s really pretty wood. Got lucky and found it at City Hardwoods in Birmingham. Are those the nice bookmatch pair they had? I was in there last Friday an almost bought them just because Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Spann Posted January 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2018 On 1/15/2018 at 6:27 PM, Tmize said: Are those the nice bookmatch pair they had? I was in there last Friday an almost bought them just because Lol No I’ve had this stuff for a while now. It’s been a while since I’ve been up there. I’m afraid if I go I’ll spend all my money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chris Spann Posted January 18, 2018 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted January 18, 2018 Made some more progress. Got the side pins cut and fitted. Took a while and had a setback with my first tail board splitting. I wound up milling another board and recutting them. Less pins and wider tails on the new one. Also got the front crossmember done with mortise and tenons. I flattened another board tonight which will be my center shelf. I’m getting pretty good at hand flattening. The dovetails have lots of gaps which I’m not happy with. The sides will be covered with molding when finished so at least those won’t show. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmize Posted January 18, 2018 Report Share Posted January 18, 2018 Great work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodbutcher Posted January 18, 2018 Report Share Posted January 18, 2018 Those dovetails look great to me Chris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Spann Posted January 28, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2018 Well I made the ugliest sliding dovetail in history tonight. I’m using an emmerich dovetail plane to make the tail and I cut the female side with a back saw. I had a lot of trouble with blowout with the plane. Gonna tinker with the depth of the iron and the knicker when I cut the other side. Not happy with this work though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wood Basher Posted January 28, 2018 Report Share Posted January 28, 2018 Did you just have problems with the plane or did you have any issues cutting the female side with the backsaw? I will be doing some tapered sliding dovetails soon (6 of them) and I have never tried that joint before. I plan to cut both the male and female parts with a saw, either a backsaw or a Japanese-style pull saw, running against a guide. I tried a trial joint and all it showed is that I need to do more trials before I tackle anything for real. Got any tips? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted January 28, 2018 Report Share Posted January 28, 2018 What's this dovetail plane look like? I suppose you'll see the dovetail on the face but the line along the case doesn't look terrible. Unless the picture just doesn't show enough detail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Spann Posted January 28, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2018 8 hours ago, Wood Basher said: Did you just have problems with the plane or did you have any issues cutting the female side with the backsaw? I will be doing some tapered sliding dovetails soon (6 of them) and I have never tried that joint before. I plan to cut both the male and female parts with a saw, either a backsaw or a Japanese-style pull saw, running against a guide. I tried a trial joint and all it showed is that I need to do more trials before I tackle anything for real. Got any tips? I had two issues. One being the blowout from the plane. It wound up chipping off the corner of the dovetail and makes the joint look sloppy. The other was the saw hopped out of the kerf and scarred the corner of the socket. That was all me. I have cut these befor using saws and chisels and had more success with it looking tight. I’m going to practice more with the plane and see if that helps before I cut the other side. I recommend cutting yourself a saw guide to use if the cut is very long. Mine was 11” across. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wood Basher Posted January 28, 2018 Report Share Posted January 28, 2018 1 hour ago, Chris Spann said: I recommend cutting yourself a saw guide to use if the cut is very long. Mine was 11” across. Yes, I plan to make a guide, possibly with some magnets embedded in it. My joints will be about 15". I won't have your problems with blowout using the plane because I don't have a dovetail plane to use. I will be wary of the saw jumping out of the kerf. Thanks for the tip and apologies for hijacking your thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.