Replies

1. 
   9619 | Sep 23, 2007 03:55pm | #1

   Derek,
   Very nice dovetail markers. The one with the brass along the edges has circular inserts. Are those covers for screws, or are they metal dowels? I need to learn about joining metal to wood. Thank you.
   Mel

   Measure your output in smiles per board foot. 

1. 
   derekcohen | Sep 23, 2007 04:00pm | #2

   Hi Mel

   Thank you.

   The brass is held to the wood with a combination of epoxy and steel rod (dowels). They provide a very tight friction fit.

   Regards from Perth

   Derek

1. 
   philip | Sep 27, 2007 01:43pm | #16

   Here's mine that I used for 40years- think it is time for an up rate?
   How about solid bronze or brass with wood inlay?Philip Marcou

   
1. 
   WillGeorge | Sep 27, 2007 02:09pm | #17

   think it is time for an up rate?NA! It looks like hand carved Petrified Wood with streaks of Amber in it.

2. 
   mapleman | Sep 23, 2007 05:57pm | #3

   Derek,

   Put me on the list for one of those brass and tasmanian blackwood dovetail markers shoud you decide to go into production - that is a quite stunning and useful tool.

   Lee

3. 
   ctsjr | Sep 23, 2007 06:45pm | #4

   Derek

   As usual, your workmanship is remarkable. I am going to ask a question out of ignorance. What is meant by the dovetail ratios, 8:1, 7:1, etc. Why not just deal in degrees, 14 degrees, 12 degrees, etc? Thanks. Tom

   "Notice that at no time do my fingers leave my hand"
1. 
   derekcohen | Sep 23, 2007 07:15pm | #5

   Thanks for the kind words Tom. If you only knew how long this one took to make!

   1:7 (or 7:1) is the ratio of length to width when calculating the dovetail angle.

   View Image

   Why do it this way? Probably because it is easier to calculate. Just use a sliding gauge to mark it out.

   Regards from Perth

   Derek

    

4. 
   WillGeorge | Sep 23, 2007 07:57pm | #6

   What I wanted was something less complex and more substantial. My first attempt was to make this one out of Jarrah. The ratio is 8:1

   I for one liked it the best.. Looks like something you would find in a old cabinet makers 'time capsule' in the year 2099.. I think it has 'class'!

5. 
   danmart | Sep 25, 2007 03:51am | #7

   Very nice work. Nothing like brass and wood for me. I have seen one other pin/dovetail tool that caught my eye that you might enjoy.

   While I was in Germany, I met a guy who made incredible glass objects. When he saw my dovetail tool(not as nice as yours) he decided to make a few out of glass and cut them precisely.

   To make me frustrated, he made the slope in metric increments.

   What a toad. The little tool was just gorgeous and the beauty of it was you could see your first scribe line and establish the thickness of the pin looking thru the glass. (I cut the pin first-- oh no here come the tail guys now).

   Clever little guy talked about polishing the pin shape to a lense to magnify the line but I never went back to see.

   I think I am going to try making one of brass(silver soldered and filed. I am inspired. Thanks

6. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Sep 25, 2007 04:05pm | #8

   derek,

   Am I the one responsible for all this?  (I ask sheepishly) I.e. from my suggestion about a combination saddle square/dovetail marker in your other discussion about your saddle squares.

   Hope you are feeling well.  You certainly do some incredible work!  Stunning, all of them.

   Maybe I should give it a go making some.  Never did anything like that B4.  Do you start with the brass first and then cut the infills after?  Your saddle square post mentions the high degree of accuracy, rightly so I'm sure.

   Oh, and yes please put me on your list(s) for a saddle square and dovetail saddle markers.

   Regards,

   Bob @ Kidderville Acres

    

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

1. 
   derekcohen | Sep 25, 2007 04:38pm | #9

   Bob

   This is indeed your doing! See what ideas you put in my head.

   You are bad!

   Warm regards frim Perth

   Derek

    

    

1. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Sep 25, 2007 04:44pm | #10

   Mel,

   He stole my idea!  That's not fair!  I stole it from Woodjoy first!

   derek: Can I get a discount off purchase of a 7:1 from you? :-)

   I did have one question, actually two: 

   Could/can you pin the two sections together or is that problematic accuracy wise? 

   Also, the pins on the sides, do they go all the way thru to the other side?

   Regards,

   Bob @ Kidderville Acres

    

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

   Edited 9/25/2007 9:44 am ET by KiddervilleAcres

   Edited 9/25/2007 9:45 am ET by KiddervilleAcres

1. 
   derekcohen | Sep 25, 2007 05:20pm | #11

   Hi Bob

   The pin on the pivot for the saddle square goes all the way across. The side pins only go in deep enough to fix the brass to the side of the Jarrah.

   The accuracy of this square depends on the accuracy of the square saw cuts you make and the tightness of the interlocking joint. It makes for some good saw practice! The end result can have no lateral movement. The vertical movement is also affected by the accuracy with which you drill the pin - a little off centre and the two pieces will swing out of square. As I mentioned in the other thread, this is tougher than it appears in the picture. Drill from each side. I set this up very carefully by clamping the pieces to a fence on my drill press.

   Here is the saddle square again:

   View Image

   Unlike the saddle square, the dovetail saddle needs to be fixed. A flexible saddle square is useful for off centre corners, but it is unlikely that one would cut dovetails on anything but perfectly square sides. So the dovetail saddle is a fixed design.

   To build the dovetail square I first dovetailed the wood and shaped the dovetail angle. I then cut the brass to fit and drilled it for the steel pins. Note that the top of the vertical pieces are bevelled at the angled junction with the horizontal brass strips (so the fit flush with each other). The brass is then epoxied to the wood. Once dry, the wood is drilled for the pins using the holes in the brass as a guide. To attempt to drill the brass and wood together will creat so much heat that it will melt the epoxy (DAMHIK). Grind all flush (I used a belt sander and files), check the angles are accurate, refile as needed, smooth down with a deburring wheel and polish up with rouge on a cloth wheel. Done. Easy-peasy  :)

   View Image

   Regards from Perth

   Derek

   Edited 9/25/2007 10:22 am ET by derekcohen

7. 
   nivagthetool | Sep 26, 2007 12:00am | #12

   Both of the dovetail markers are stunning but the blackwood and brass is amazing I would join the list for orders but I,m not sure my dovetails could do it justice.Like the saddle square too the technique is similar to wooden hinges but the brass really gives it bling  

   They keep stable the fabric of the universe and their prayer is in the work of their hands  

8. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Sep 26, 2007 03:41am | #13

   Stanford,

   Ah c'mon.  You can make you're own from dereks design.

   Substitute some domestic woods that are stable, add some brass stock to the sides.  He has me inspired!

   Hey I got some exotic flooring wood.  I'm into it.  Brazillian cherry, padauk,  and some pao rosa!  Got some 1/4" brass stock from the landfill too. 

   Now if I can just figure out how to hinge the parts together, accurately I think I can make a combination saddle square and dovetail guage!  I see from his first one out of wood there are definite posibilities.

   On it,

    

   Bob @ Kidderville Acres

    

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

9. 
   derekcohen | Sep 26, 2007 09:03am | #14

   Charles

   I consider that praise indeed. Thank you.

   Regards from Perth

   Derek

10. 
    KiddervilleAcres | Sep 26, 2007 02:45pm | #15

    Adds to the inspiration I get when I see dereks fine work.  Yes I should be working on the next piece, which I am, but every now and then something strikes as a challenge.

    And is imho a useful tool.

    Regards,

    P.S. The foliage is nearly at it peek up here!

    Bob @ Kidderville Acres

     

    A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

11. 
    philip | Sep 29, 2007 07:11am | #18

    Here is a plain brass dovetail gauge I made from 1/4" brass offcuts.There is a small rebate and the component are held together with two 3mm machine screws and a pin in the middle.
    Way too complicated- would be much easier to use brass or aluminium angle and remove the radius on the inner corner.

    Philip Marcou