Friends:
I plan to make a couple of table lamps out of q-sawn figured red oak. It is the darkest red oak I’ve ever had and has a distinct flake — but more subtle than white oak generally is.
The lamp bases will have a shape that is best described as an elongated pyramid — somewhat fatter, more angled than an obelisk, but taller and thinner than a pyramid.
I plan do dovetail the sides together. That means dovetailing angled pieces that slant.
Are there any tricks to this? I plan to build a dummy first (dummy building another dummy?), but would like some guidance before wasting a lot of time.
Any thoughts are to how best to do this?
Joe
Replies
Joe, here is a graphic guide to cutting dovetails for hoppers and the like, eg, a butler's tray falls into this sort of category, and so does your lamp base. As you can see the joints have to be cut on an angle. Slainte.
View Image
richardjonesfurniture.com
Here's some text that helps you work your way through the procedure for executing the joint shown in my previous post. Slainte.
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Double bevel dovetail joints.
A full size drawing is necessary from which the true length (A) and true width (B) can be obtained, see previous post; also the edge bevel in the thickness of each piece shown by the arrowed lines (C). All the bevels are marked and worked holdingthe bevel gauge at right angles to the edges of the sloping ends and not parallel with the sides.
A marking gauge cannot be used for setting out the dovetails; their depths, etc must be marked with pencil and adjustable bevel. The dovetails are cut to slope equally either side of lines drawn parallel with the top and bottom edge of the tail board, see elevation, top left in image. The sawn edges of the matching pins are, of course, parallel with the edges of the board from which they are cut.
In cutting the dovetails described above the piece of wood should be canted to bring the cuts vertical, see right hand drawing. Marking the pins by drawing the saw point through the tail kerfs is difficult owing to the slope. Therefore it is better to chop out the dovetails and mark round them on to the pin piece with an awl.richardjonesfurniture.com
Richard:Very helpful. I felt sure something like this was the case, because I could not visualize normal joints working. Thank kyou for your trouble in this.Joe
Joe,
There were a couple of articles in FWW in the last year or so that gave some great pointers on this. I think the author was from North Bennet Street School. I think in addition the layout advice given above, you can make an inside "story Block" by taking a thick piece of stock, and cutting the sides and ends at the desired bevels. This block can then be used inside the pieces to help you align things and also to set angles for the saw etc. I have the articles if you cant find them, let me know.
Joe,The article Steve alluded to is by Steve Brown in the Oct. 2002 FWW. There are actually two articles; the first is cutting sloping miters using no math, and, the second, is in the Masters Class on compound angle dovetails. Last year 'Bones' had some how-to questions and that is what Steve is probably remembering. Steve Brown like Joyce alludes to all the variables, eg. the cut being longer than the thickness of the boards...because its on an angle, but in essence, it's really quite straight forward. Once your stock is beveled on both edges, you use that bevel slope on your bevel gauge to mark one side of your tails/pins. Reset your bevel gauge to 90 degrees and mark the other cut line for your tails/pins. After that it's all the same old cut, chop and repair with sawdust.
Edited 12/7/2009 5:04 pm ET by BG
Thanks, all, for the guidance.Joe
Dear All, It's now 10 years since these posts re Steve Browns article: Laying Out Compound-angle dovetails that was in the October 2002 issue as noted above. Can this item be downloaded anywhere, please? I'd like to get it. The one re compound angles without maths is available.
Thanks and regards,
Ian Stewart.
Stew, they're available in the archive if you're an unlimited member.
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