# Question about dovetails



## time trap (Aug 9, 2010)

Okay so I cut some through dovetails. I'm very happy with the results, except for one little hiccup.... The pins boards are uneven!

Picture the box. The top right and bottom left corners are perfect. The top left and bottom right are like 1/16 of an inch wider than the other side, so the ends of the dovetails are a little off. (see first two pictures)

What would you guys do to fix this? If I don't have to buy more wood and redo it that would be ideal. Just looking for advice before I make a mess of things

Thanks guys!


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Tyler

Once you have it glued up setup your table saw and true it up, but with care..

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time trap said:


> Okay so I cut some through dovetails. I'm very happy with the results, except for one little hiccup.... The pins boards are uneven!
> 
> Picture the box. The top right and bottom left corners are perfect. The top left and bottom right are like 1/16 of an inch wider than the other side, so the ends of the dovetails are a little off. (see first two pictures)
> 
> ...


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## time trap (Aug 9, 2010)

Thanks for the reply, could you explain that a little more thoroughly or link me to a site that does? I'm quite the beginner and have never done anything like that, so I'm afraid I'd mess it all up.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Tyler

If you are a beginner I would not suggest you do it that way, do this take the box down to parts lay them end to end on the work bench but locked them up as one long board, take a sq.and mark all the boards at one time than take one board ,at a time to the table saw and trim them up..

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time trap said:


> Thanks for the reply, could you explain that a little more thoroughly or link me to a site that does? I'm quite the beginner and have never done anything like that, so I'm afraid I'd mess it all up.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Hi Tyler,
what jig did you use?


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## time trap (Aug 9, 2010)

jlord said:


> Hi Tyler,
> what jig did you use?


Porter Cable PC4212


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## time trap (Aug 9, 2010)

bobj3 said:


> Hi Tyler
> 
> If you are a beginner I would not suggest you do it that way, do this take the box down to parts lay them end to end on the work bench but locked them up as one long board, take a sq.and mark all the boards at one time than take one board ,at a time to the table saw and trim them up..
> 
> =======


The ends don't fit together if i lay them flat..


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## time trap (Aug 9, 2010)

Ended up using a block planer and power sander. I had never used a planer before, and "messed up" 2 of the corners. But considering the project, I don't really mind. The edges will all be rounded over and covered with vinyl tolex anyway.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Hey Tyler...

a block planer 'can' be one of the handiest tools in your shop!! But none of this actually explains what happened to begin with. This all might be too little too late, but you need to make sure that your boards are darn near absolutely square to begin with. With through dovetails your boards need to be exactly the same thickness give or take a couple thousandths. Opposing corners being equal seems to indicate to me that the board may have been place at a bit of an angle in the jig itself??? 
I've got a 4216 and have done little more than play around with it so far. but my time with it indicates that things do need to be square and true. Not much in the way of wiggle room. For the money, the PC 4200's are one of the best jigs out there.


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## del schisler (Feb 2, 2006)

time trap said:


> Thanks for the reply, could you explain that a little more thoroughly or link me to a site that does? I'm quite the beginner and have never done anything like that, so I'm afraid I'd mess it all up.


the reason was the board's were square all around . and the same width. I do dovetales every day. I use the gifkin's dovetailer. One set up and it will cut both dovetales and pin's. I have never had a bad one yet. Their are lot's of jig's out their. But for me No other one for me/ No also they have to be set flush or they will come out not even . What you can do is saw a very little off of one side and than off of the other . This will even it up. I didn't read any other post . So their may be other's than may post.


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## del schisler (Feb 2, 2006)

*follow up*



time trap said:


> Okay so I cut some through dovetails. I'm very happy with the results, except for one little hiccup.... The pins boards are uneven!
> 
> Picture the box. The top right and bottom left corners are perfect. The top left and bottom right are like 1/16 of an inch wider than the other side, so the ends of the dovetails are a little off. (see first two pictures)
> 
> ...


look's like you didn't fit the thickness of the boards so the pin's and tale's aren't going to fit. You need to fit the thicness and. And also set the size of the dovetales first. Than the pin's will be fine. Got to do all of this before thing's will work out.


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## time trap (Aug 9, 2010)

TwoSkies57 said:


> Hey Tyler...
> 
> a block planer 'can' be one of the handiest tools in your shop!! But none of this actually explains what happened to begin with. This all might be too little too late, but you need to make sure that your boards are darn near absolutely square to begin with. With through dovetails your boards need to be exactly the same thickness give or take a couple thousandths. Opposing corners being equal seems to indicate to me that the board may have been place at a bit of an angle in the jig itself???
> I've got a 4216 and have done little more than play around with it so far. but my time with it indicates that things do need to be square and true. Not much in the way of wiggle room. For the money, the PC 4200's are one of the best jigs out there.


I had the block planer laying around the garage and had never really used it. I think it worked out nicely! 

The boards were just home depot "select pine" boards, cut to length and straight to the jig basically. So there's a very high chance that they weren't absolutely square. 

So I may have taken the longer route (pun intended) but I ended up with the results I wanted. I'll come back and post pictures when it's all finished.

Thanks guys!


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## bill strop (Oct 26, 2009)

I'd add that an 80 tooth saw blade would be preferable.


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