How to Make a Dovetail

Making the Pins

• 1

  Clamp the first board to a workbench and mark the thickness of each cut for the dovetail using a marking gauge. The opening of the marking gauge should be fractionally less than the thickness of the wood.

• 2

  Place your first marked board end upwards into the vise and clamp securely. With a pencil, mark the half-pins on each end of the board by measuring inwards from the edges. The length of wood between the marked half-pins is the area in which to cut the whole pins (sockets).

• 3

  Divide the area between the marked half-pins by the number of tails and pins you require. Using an adjustable bevel or dovetail marker, draw in the lines for the cuts and pencil in an "X" to indicate the waste areas to be cut away to form the pins. Ensure the markings extend from the grain end of the board to the face.

• 4

  Use a chisel to make a groove along the baseline under each socket to create a straight line and a guide for later saw cuts. Ensure these chisel grooves are made on both faces of the board. Place board back into the vise in an upright position.

• 5

  With a saw, cut down the vertical lines that form each pin (socket). Rotate the board through 90 degrees and cut away the edges of the board to create the half-pins.

• 6

  Cut vertically down through the marked waste areas, removing small sections at a time to form each pin. Tidy up cuts with a trimming knife or triangular rasp.

Making the Tails

• 7

  Place this first finished board against the end of the face board and, using a pencil, transfer the outlines of the tails. Use a tri-square to draw in vertical lines along the face of the board to indicate cuts and mark the waste areas.

• 8

  With a coping saw, carefully remove the waste ares between each tail and finish with a knife or rasp. Using a rubber mallet, gently tap the tails of this board into the pins of the first board to create a perfect dovetail joint.