The
Complete Dovetail
Handmade Furniture's Signature Joint
by Ian
Kirby
Softcover
152 x 230mm
152pp
Published by Stobart Davies Ltd, Hertford, England.
R.R.P.$33.90
ISBN 0-85442-085-1
As reviewed in The Australian Woodworker Issue 93
It might come as a surprise to many that the author of two excellent books on woodworking machines - namely The Accurate Router and The Accurate Table Saw - is also the author of a book devoted to what's described as 'hand-made furniture's signature...', the dove- tail joint.
The Complete Dovetail by Ian Kirby is perhaps the most clear-sighted book devoted to teaching a simple methodology for making this widely respected joint by hand.
The author's background as a wood worker is directly descendant from the English Arts & Crafts movement of the turn of the last century. He is more than just a dovetail joint aficionado; he is in fact a hand-made dovetail joint evangelist.
In the pages of this book the reader will not find one power tool set up, only simple, thoughtful and honest-to-goodness hand skills, as practised and perfected by several generations of craftsmen.
The book starts with a description of the family of dovetail joints, from the common through dovetail to the secret mitre dovetail, with a brief overview of their construction method.
It then details the mechanics of joint construction in general, including the importance of balance in the proportion of pins to tails, accuracy of fit, and the effects of total glue area. This leads further into the design of a good dovetail joint, from slope to layout. Drawings of a number of combinations are provided, to show what the results may look like and why they are desirable or not.
The bulk of the book goes through the sequence of using the tools that are recommended for making dovetails by hand. It methodically examines every task involved in making the joints within the dovetail family, and demonstrates - with drawings and black and white photographs - how to carry out the procedures recommended for their construction.
The techniques described begin with the most basic and important element to successful joint creation, namely stock preparation. Kirby shows how to ensure that the stock is square and true, as well as accurately prepared to width and length. He then demonstrates how to use hand tools to mark out the joint, cut the parts with a dovetail saw, before finally cleaning up or removing waste with a coping saw and chisel.
The remainder of the book deals with individual joint construction in step-by-step detail. A full range of dovetail joints are covered - through dovetail, single and double lap dovetail, secret mitre dovetail, dovetail halving joint, dovetail housing joint, and finally the drawer top rail joint.
While some might disagree with the concept of the dovetail joint as the signature of fine, hand-made furniture, there's no doubting that Ian Kirby has produced a method that is as simple as it should be. Anybody attempting to follow the directions described in this book will - at the very least - succeed where they have failed before, and quite possible expand on their existing handmade joint repertoire.
Of course, in a production situation where, for instance, you may have to produce 400 drawers in a few weeks, making dovetails by hand would be insane, not to mention unprofitable. But for many other occasions, a hand-made dovetail is hard to beat - just ask the Egyptians!
Photos: Black & White
Units of Measurement: Imperial & Metric
Contents
Dovetails simple, solid, elegant
A
Craft heritage
- Rightful manner
- Continuing the tradition
The
dovetail family
Through
dovetail
Single lap dovetail
Double lap dovetail
Secret miter dovetail
Strength of a dovetail
- Understanding joint strength
Designing
the through dovetail
- Determining the slope
- Layout
- Varying
the layout
- Outer edges
Tools
selection and preparation
Surface lines
Incised lines
Cutting
gauge
Sliding bevel
Miter square
Try square
Rule
Straightedge
Winding strips
West meets East
Dovetail saw
Dozuki saw
Coping saw
Chisels
Bench planes
Shoulder plane
Magnifying
your work
Quick and accurate vise work
Putting
the tools to work
The importance of practice
Preparation of stock
- Face side (first face)
- Face edge (second face)
- Width (third
face)
- Thickness (fourth face)
- First end (fifth face)
- Second
end (sixth face)
- Summary of cuts
Dovetail logic
- Accuracy and
working methods
- Setting the gauge
Using
the tools
- Select practice woods
- Prepare the pieces
- Square
the ends
- Gauge the shoulder line
- Mark the tail cuts
- Make
the tail cuts
- Mark the pin cuts
- Make the pin cuts
- Remove
bulk waste
- Clean up the shoulders
- Making a stopped socket
-
Chisel out the waste
Making
a through dovetail
Marking out
Lay out and mark the tails
Saw
the tails
Clean up the shoulders
Mark the pins from the tails
Saw
the pins and remove the waste
Clean up and check the shoulders
Assemble
the joint
Glue the joint
Mitered corner
Mark the miter
Saw
the miter
Pare the miter to the shoulder
Mark pins from tails
Saw
the pins
Mark and cut the miter
- Misfits
Making
a single lap dovetail
Marking out
- First setting, one line
- Second setting, two lines
Gauge the three lines
Lay out and mark out
the tails
Saw the tails
Clean up the shoulders
Mark the pins from
the tails
Saw the pins
Chop out the bulk waste
Refine cuts to the
shoulder lines
Chisel the sawn face to the end wall
Making
a double lap dovetail
Marking out
- First gauge setting, three lines
- Second gauge setting, one line
- Third gauge setting, one line
Make the rabbet
Mark the tails
Saw the tails
Clean out the bulk
waste
Clean back to the shoulders
Mark the pins from the tails
Saw the pins
Clean out the bulk waste
Miter the pin corner
Joining
the parts
Making
a secret miter dovetail
Marking out
- First gauge setting, two lines
- Second gauge setting, four lines
Lay out the joint
Mark the pins
Saw the pins
Chisel out the waste
Mark the tails from the pins
Saw the tails
Chisel the tails
Make the miter
Making
other dovetails
Dovetail halving
Dovetail housing
Drawer top
rail
Index