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Mitered dovetails are done much like through doves... This tutorial demonstrates use of traditional woodworking tools. The process explained here is probably more useful than the specific application to making mitered dovetails. The idea of cutting a bit "fat" and paring to fit will produce a better joint consistently... I can make a joint in one try... sometimes it will be good, sometimes I will miss ... This technique applies to exposed joints of every type and creates confidence. Through tenons, half laps, bridal joints, tapered slip joints, all the dovetails... make um fit ...! The wood used here is Shedua... another unforgiving hard as a rock wood... In pine or poplar the joint will allow for tightness without cracking. Sketching joints and details is a key to making them..... it allows you to visualize what will show and what is hidden... This is where practice pays off... if you know what shows you can go fast and still end up with a nice lookin joint... Set the marking gauge for the thickness plus a 32.... Scribe a baseline on 4 sides... edges too..., These are 8 to 1 ...use a bevel gauge to mark and use the second board to support the bevel gauge.
Start by sawing the tail board. Saw on the waste side. Start the saw on the outside corner and lower it checking for plumb cutting as you go... The first pin on this sample is 1" from the end. Mark lines on the edge to help keep the saw vertical. Using a knife and a square cut deeper on the tail board at each pin...this prevents tearout and seats the chisel in its first cut. Easy on the first chisel cut...remove the waste ...now you have a shoulder to bed the chisel to... Flip the board at the halfway point... Remove the waste. Clean with a knife.
Using the tail vise to hold the pin bard scribe...the tail board limits the scribe... use 2 hands to hold the knife... Do Not Saw the last Pin line! This one miteres and blends to the pin... Mark the end miters with a 45 on the square and saw those to the 45 cut on the last pin... Don't overcut!
Try the joint by tapping togeter lightly...take it apart and rasp or pare with a chisel at the shiney or tight spots...re try...pare again under cut inside mark tigh spots... Re try...soon only the miters are keeping the joint from closing...mark them and rasp the miteres to fit...re try...
Glue up using clamps in both directions and check for square inside... Clamping removes gaps at the baseline... Even if your sawing of the miters was a bit off ....you can correct it...by this method....This technique works well for many hand joints
While I have been sawing by hand most of my life, the point of this post is that by fitting and adjusting with rasps and chisels and knives...a just average sawing job can still produce a fine joint. This is only true if you stay on the "waste" side of the scribe when cutting the second board....the pins in this case. I actually got a few degrees of on a miter when making this test joint and it was easy to adjust as I fitted the joint. In making a piece of furniture like my recent sofa....I take more time than I did here...every cut is key...every mistake will show ...an ugly exposed joint will ruin the look of another wise nice piece... The key is to really visualize the joint and its surfaces and be very aware of what shows and what is hidden...
When we look at the work of Nakashima, Krenov and other real masters, it is the fluency and mastery of choosing and producing the correctly executed joints that elevates simple elegant pieces to a higher art form. This is the language of hand made furniture and it is worth the time to learn ...practice is the key....and attitude.... We had Sushi last week and I watched the chef concentrating on a piece of fish he was about to cut....he stood there and I could see him visualizing the piece of fish becoming the finished and finely presented piece of sushi.... a full minute went by before he let the knife drop into the fish.... a few deep breaths as well.... mental preparation is very important.....seeing the piece completed in your head....and practice! If any of you make this joint 3 times for practice, you will surprise yourselves....it is not that difficult and you will see improvement with each new try... Mark Singer For comments and questions contact Mark - Email
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