I’ve been using Greg Paolini’s method for cutting dovetails on the table saw, and I like it. I’m using a flat top blade now, but want to buy a blade that is ground at an angle for dovetails. Given the cost, I’d like to buy just one blade at this point – one that will serve me best across different wood species, and thicknesses between 1/2 inch and 1 inch. I’m thinking 7 or 8 degrees would be a good choice. Would love to hear some other views. Thanks!
Discussion Forum
Get It All!
UNLIMITED Membership is like taking a master class in woodworking for less than $10 a month.
Start Your Free TrialCategories
Discussion Forum
Digital Plans Library
Member exclusive! – Plans for everyone – from beginners to experts – right at your fingertips.
Highlights
-
Shape Your Skills
when you sign up for our emails
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. -
Shop Talk Live Podcast -
Our favorite articles and videos -
E-Learning Courses from Fine Woodworking
-
-
Replies
I think it's just personal preference, but I use 8º. I'm cutting only hardwoods (greater angle is often recommended for softer woods.) Instead of buying one or having one of my blades reground to an angle, I used a steel blade called a hollow ground planer blade (what folks used to get smooth cuts before carbide tipped blades became virtually universal.) I cleaned out all sawdust from under/inside the saw, put the blade (only about 7" diameter) in the saw, set the blade at 8º, and slowly raised the blade into an old diamond hone to joint all the teeth to an 8º top. Then I filed the teeth behind the flats created at 8º to remove the flats and sharpen them. Works great and has a very narrow kerf (about 1/16"). Even if you get a carbide tipped blade reground, consider using a 7&1/4" blade with teeth for ripping, as the saw cut is basically a rip cut.
I have been using a special ground blade in 10" (8deg.) for quite some time. 1/2" to 1" in all kinds of wood. works great! Veritas makes a 8deg. guide for sawing the pin boards-excellent combo!
Thanks, SparkyII. If you haven't seen it, check out the 2012 video - search "dovetails on the table saw" on this site. Paolini's method allows you to cut both tails and pins on the table saw.
I have given this considerable thought and don't bother so can't answer your question exactly, but will offer an alternative perspective from a very occasional dovetail cutter.
With a katz-moses dovetail guide, I get very accurate cuts straight off the saw.
I'd probably change my tune if dovetails were a regular thing for me, but there is almost no setup time, so if I'm only doing one or two drawers or the corners of a box, cutting by hand is marginally quicker, at about 5-10 minutes per set, and of course I enjoy the process.
On the flip side, possibly because it is time consuming, perhaps because I am mostly making things my wife wants, or maybe because I do a lot of turning and larger outdoor projects, I don't design much that includes dovetails so it becomes a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I use a 8.5 degree dovetail blade made to order by Quinn Saw Company, St Louis. Great blade and service.
I used a simple and economical approach to create a blade that can cut a variety of dovetail angles. Just modify an inexpensive 7-1/4” carbide circ saw blade that has an ATB tooth pattern by removing every other carbide tip.
I started with a 40 tooth “Finish/Plywood” blade. Clamped it in a wood-jawed vise and used a punch against the back of each carbide tip to be removed and, importantly, aligned with the saw plate so I wouldn’t bend it. After making sure I was removing the correct teeth based upon the way my saw tilts, a quick rap on the punch and the carbide popped loose. I checked each removed tip area and cleaned up any stray bits of carbide or braising material.
Less than $10 and 10 minutes and I have a blade that can cut any dovetail angle up to the ATB angle, and it will also cut narrow pin openings if you favor that hand-cut look. It works great for me.
Top answer there.
Brilliant, and taps into the one downside to the Sawstop... you cannot use smaller blades. I gave away about 15 when I upgraded my saw.
I'm sorry, but I wouldn't use a blade where I punched half the teeth out. There's too much potential for really bad things to happen, just to save a little money. I'd buy a professionally ground blade. It's just not worth even a slight risk.
I make Baltic Birch boxes with a lot of dovetails. I've had excellent results with the Ridge 9.5 degree rip blade for the tails and the Freud Industrial Heavy Duty Rip 24T for the pins. They leave a tiny pip that's easily knocked out with a single chisel pare.
I had my sharpening service grind a 24T rip blade to 7°.
Nice idea with the circ saw blade. Can't use on a SawStop.
I did this too. If you go this route the sharpener will need to know which way your arbor tilts so its sharpened to the right direction.
I bought an 8 degree right tilt 10 inch blade from Ridge Carbide. I recommend them highly - reasonable rates, excellent service, and quick turnaround on sharpening too. They can custom sharpen your flat top blade to any degree you like if that suits you. Their dovetail blade works great and as far as setup time is concerned, it takes minutes and a couple of fine tuning tests and you are making tails quick (and accurately) as you like. I could never get the sawing thing right (at least for larger projects).