 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Making the dovetail ‘square’
Materials required.
When I wrote this article for British Woodworking magazine I decided to use an old broken boxwood rule that I
purchased for £2.50 from Bygone Times, in Lancashire and an old steel 150mm rule that was past its best.
If truth be told using the boxwood rule was a mistake in that it was not the easiest of timbers to plane.
Timber required for the ‘square’
I would recommend that you select a piece of quarter-sawn timber that is light in colour, something like sycamore,
maple or cherry that would allow you to plane it in one direction without tearing-out on the face side or face edge.
The finished template will be in the region of 120mm(4 ¾”) long, 20mm(13/16”) wide, and 6mm(1/4”) thick but there is
no reason why these sizes especially the thickness could not be increased.
You will also require a piece of timber to practice marking out the rebate required for the steel rule both in its width
and depth. A piece of readily available pine from the large D I Y stores that you can purchase planed all round and 2”
x !” is ideal.
Materials required.
When I wrote this article for British Woodworking magazine I decided to use an old broken boxwood rule that I
purchased for £2.50 from Bygone Times, in Lancashire and an old steel 150mm rule that was past its best.
If truth be told using the boxwood rule was a mistake in that it was not the easiest of timbers to plane.
Timber required for the ‘square’
I would recommend that you select a piece of quarter-sawn timber that is light in colour, something like sycamore,
maple or cherry that would allow you to plane it in one direction without tearing-out on the face side or face edge.
The finished template will be in the region of 120mm(4 ¾”) long, 20mm(13/16”) wide, and 6mm(1/4”) thick but there is
no reason why these sizes especially the thickness could not be increased.
You will also require a piece of timber to practice marking out the rebate required for the steel rule both in its width
and depth. A piece of readily available pine from the large D I Y stores that you can purchase planed all round and 2”
x !” is ideal.
My marking and cutting support
Most of my marking out, chiselling, sawing and some dovetail operations are carried out on my marking and cutting
support. Basically it is two pieces of timber that I have dovetailed together from 25mm(1”) thick timber and allows me
to work at a comfortable height. A similar support could quite quickly be made from medium density fibreboard
screwed together.
fig 12
my photo ref DovTemp12.jpg
my sketchup ref workbench 034.skp
Most of my marking out, chiselling, sawing and some dovetail operations are carried out on my marking and cutting
support. Basically it is two pieces of timber that I have dovetailed together from 25mm(1”) thick timber and allows me
to work at a comfortable height. A similar support could quite quickly be made from medium density fibreboard
screwed together.
fig 12
my photo ref DovTemp12.jpg
my sketchup ref workbench 034.skp
Timber preparation
I planed the timber with a face side and placed the relevant markings in pencil.
fig 13
my photo ref DovTemp13m.jpg
I planed the timber with a face side and placed the relevant markings in pencil.
fig 13
my photo ref DovTemp13m.jpg
followed by using the shooting board and my hand place to plane the face edge.
fig14
my photo ref DovTemp14.jpg
fig14
my photo ref DovTemp14.jpg
Then the engineers try-square is used to check that the surface is perfectly flat using the inside edge, not the outside
surface that the marking knife is used against.
fig 15
my photo ref DovTemp15.jpg
surface that the marking knife is used against.
fig 15
my photo ref DovTemp15.jpg
The next job is to mark a knife line across the face side around 50mm(2”) from one end
fig16
my photo ref DovTemp16m.jpg
my sketchup ref making the square 104.skp
fig16
my photo ref DovTemp16m.jpg
my sketchup ref making the square 104.skp
and this is where the marking and cutting support comes in very handy. I cramp a piece of scrap plywood onto the top
surface. By doing this it allows me to lightly push the engineers try-square and dovetail component up against it,
making the marking out process so much easier. I then mark a knife line as explained here
fig17
my photo ref DovTemp17.jpg
my sketchup ref making the square
surface. By doing this it allows me to lightly push the engineers try-square and dovetail component up against it,
making the marking out process so much easier. I then mark a knife line as explained here
fig17
my photo ref DovTemp17.jpg
my sketchup ref making the square
A brief overview of forming the three rebates.
My aim is to remove the wood for the rebates in two phases.
Phase 1
The steel rule I am using is 19mm wide and 0.5mm thick. I will make the rebate 17mm wide and around 0.3mm deep.
I will also cut the rebates either side of the rule position, in the region of 6mm square. I will then leave the template for
a couple of weeks in the workshop for the timber to settle to its new shape.
Phase 2
I will check the face edge using my engineers try-square, and if required, true it up using my hand plane and shooting
board. I will then cut the rebate for the steel rule to the correct width and fit it.
fig18
my photo ref DovTemp18.jpg
my sketchup ref making the square 120
My aim is to remove the wood for the rebates in two phases.
Phase 1
The steel rule I am using is 19mm wide and 0.5mm thick. I will make the rebate 17mm wide and around 0.3mm deep.
I will also cut the rebates either side of the rule position, in the region of 6mm square. I will then leave the template for
a couple of weeks in the workshop for the timber to settle to its new shape.
Phase 2
I will check the face edge using my engineers try-square, and if required, true it up using my hand plane and shooting
board. I will then cut the rebate for the steel rule to the correct width and fit it.
fig18
my photo ref DovTemp18.jpg
my sketchup ref making the square 120
Phase 1
The engineers try-square is positioned like this so that it is 17mm from the first knife line.
fig19
my photo ref DovTemp19.jpg
my sketchup ref making the square 122
The engineers try-square is positioned like this so that it is 17mm from the first knife line.
fig19
my photo ref DovTemp19.jpg
my sketchup ref making the square 122
Forming the rebate
Placing the piece of 2” X 1” pine on edge I marked two lines similar to those on the dovetail ‘square’ but this time
25mm apart. Continue the knife lines on the adjacent surfaces. I set up my router in a router table with a ¼” cutter
with the fine depth adjuster fitted and slowly raised the cutter until the rebate just leaves the rule above the surface.
I do this so that I can check with the engineers try-square that the rule is in fact at square to the face edge, and you
need a little bit of metal protruding to achieve this. This check is also possible during phase 2.
It was then a matter of repeating the process on the dovetail template. With the template cramped to the marking and
cutting support I removed the excess wood up to the knife lines.
I now continue on the dovetail template by marking some pencil lines as shown as a clear indication as to where I wish
to make the rebates. Using a cutting gauge and marking knife, mark the rebates to that they are 6mm(1/4”) square.
fig20
my photo ref DovTemp20m.jpg
my sketchup ref making the square 124
Placing the piece of 2” X 1” pine on edge I marked two lines similar to those on the dovetail ‘square’ but this time
25mm apart. Continue the knife lines on the adjacent surfaces. I set up my router in a router table with a ¼” cutter
with the fine depth adjuster fitted and slowly raised the cutter until the rebate just leaves the rule above the surface.
I do this so that I can check with the engineers try-square that the rule is in fact at square to the face edge, and you
need a little bit of metal protruding to achieve this. This check is also possible during phase 2.
It was then a matter of repeating the process on the dovetail template. With the template cramped to the marking and
cutting support I removed the excess wood up to the knife lines.
I now continue on the dovetail template by marking some pencil lines as shown as a clear indication as to where I wish
to make the rebates. Using a cutting gauge and marking knife, mark the rebates to that they are 6mm(1/4”) square.
fig20
my photo ref DovTemp20m.jpg
my sketchup ref making the square 124
There are a variety of ways of removing the waste, but if you are doing it by hand, I would cramp it to my marking and
cutting support up against a piece of 18mm mdf, and saw fractionally away from the knife line, and trim with a sharp
chisel.
You will then have a partly completed template as shown in phase 2 above, and I would recommend that it be left for a
couple of weeks for the timber to settle down to its new shape.
cutting support up against a piece of 18mm mdf, and saw fractionally away from the knife line, and trim with a sharp
chisel.
You will then have a partly completed template as shown in phase 2 above, and I would recommend that it be left for a
couple of weeks for the timber to settle down to its new shape.
Phase 2 in the making process.
After a couple of weeks the timber should have settled to its new shape. Use the inner surface of the engineers
try-square and check that the face edge is still flat. If not its back to the shooting board to ensure that it is.
Now the steel rule that I am using is 19mm wide and the previously made rebate is 17mm. So using the engineers
try-square and marking knife make one side of the rebate 1mm wider and remove the waste with a chisel.
The tricky bit comes next and that is getting the steel rule to just fit snugly without having to force it in, and this is where
the practice piece comes in handy. I would certainly recommend that you practice until you have mastered fitting the
rule into the rebate in the pine.
The next photo shows the set up that I use.
You will see here that the engineers try-square is pushed firmly up against the face edge, whilst one edge of the steel
rule is touching it.
To get it into that position I place the steel rule a fraction past the 1st knife that I have just mentioned, maybe a couple
of millimetres, that slowly slide the engineers try-square and rule so that it is level with this line. Remove the steel rule,
mark the knife line and remove the waste with a sharp chisel.
my photo ref DovTemp20a
After a couple of weeks the timber should have settled to its new shape. Use the inner surface of the engineers
try-square and check that the face edge is still flat. If not its back to the shooting board to ensure that it is.
Now the steel rule that I am using is 19mm wide and the previously made rebate is 17mm. So using the engineers
try-square and marking knife make one side of the rebate 1mm wider and remove the waste with a chisel.
The tricky bit comes next and that is getting the steel rule to just fit snugly without having to force it in, and this is where
the practice piece comes in handy. I would certainly recommend that you practice until you have mastered fitting the
rule into the rebate in the pine.
The next photo shows the set up that I use.
You will see here that the engineers try-square is pushed firmly up against the face edge, whilst one edge of the steel
rule is touching it.
To get it into that position I place the steel rule a fraction past the 1st knife that I have just mentioned, maybe a couple
of millimetres, that slowly slide the engineers try-square and rule so that it is level with this line. Remove the steel rule,
mark the knife line and remove the waste with a sharp chisel.
my photo ref DovTemp20a
Once the rule is fitted snugly, check with the engineers try-square that the steel rule is in fact square to the face edge.
Remove the rule and using wet and dry paper rub the area of the rule that will be in contact with the timber so that the
glue has something to key into.
Remove the rule and using wet and dry paper rub the area of the rule that will be in contact with the timber so that the
glue has something to key into.
The glue up
I carry this out using my marking and cutting support using Araldite.
my photo ref DovTemp21.jpg
I carry this out using my marking and cutting support using Araldite.
my photo ref DovTemp21.jpg
or the sketchup model that may show things a little clearer. . ( I have omitted the cramp that is required to secure the
rule for clarity)
fig21
my photo ref DovTemp21sm.jpg
rule for clarity)
fig21
my photo ref DovTemp21sm.jpg
Very carefully add a small amount of glue to the shallow rebate and cramp up the components then carefully examine all
surfaces where excess glue could have oozed out, and clean up with a sharp Stanley blade.
I remove the dovetail template from the marking and cutting support, and leave the two cramps securing the steel rule
and engineers try-square in position overnight.
surfaces where excess glue could have oozed out, and clean up with a sharp Stanley blade.
I remove the dovetail template from the marking and cutting support, and leave the two cramps securing the steel rule
and engineers try-square in position overnight.
A dovetail template suitable for fine dovetailing
Custom Search