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Thread: Dovetail Boards End to End

  1. #16
    Thanks Glen.....I have the Keller manual but it doesn't go into much detail.

    Basically say's cut one board with the dovetail bit, lay that board over the second board laid flat face up, scribe the dovetails onto the second board. Then project these lines to the end of the board, locate the dovetail template on the board to remove the waste in two passes, moving the template in-between cuts. Keeping the depth of the bit the same.


    I did e-mail Mr. Keller a few days ago asking for a bit more of an explanation, just haven't heard back yet. I'll probably give him a call when I get a few days off if I don't hear back from him. I really appreciate everyones help here, I'm glad I joined.

  2. #17
    Join Date
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    Box joint would be much easier, and sorta nearly as decorative.

  3. #18
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    Finger joints are even easier.
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  4. #19
    I always thought box joints and finger joints were the same thing. Wikipedia thinks they are the same.

    Mike
    Last edited by Mike Henderson; 05-25-2016 at 11:15 PM.
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  5. #20
    I'm hoping to get a few free hours to experiment with the Keller jig this weekend. I'm really glad I got on board here, thanks to everyone......

  6. #21
    I'm not usually not one to question Mike Henderson... but i thought box joints were a specialized vsn of finger joints. Box joints have the squared off ends, but i though finger joints can have squared off or pointy, scarfed fingers like some router bits generate.

  7. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Prashun Patel View Post
    I'm not usually not one to question Mike Henderson... but i thought box joints were a specialized vsn of finger joints. Box joints have the squared off ends, but i though finger joints can have squared off or pointy, scarfed fingers like some router bits generate.
    You're right, Prashun. I just checked and found router bits described as producing "finger joints". But I've also seen box joints described as finger joints. When I posted, I was thinking of the box joint type of finger joints. I looked up finger joints on Wikipedia before my original posting to check my understanding and they indicate that the two are the same.

    So I guess the specific way of describing them might be "finger joints produced by a router bit."

    Mike

    [And I agree that they would be the the strongest way to join two boards together end-to-end. I've noticed that some commercially produced boards are "extended" that way.]
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  8. #23
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    Go to any borg and head over to their molding section and you'll see pine molding all "finger-jointed" together. My house is full of this stuff...works for us.

    I have an Incra I-Box for making box joints and I used it recently just for that but this thread opened my eyes for how to join together all the "small but I just can't throw it out because it's good maple" scraps I have from various projects. I can just use a standard ripping blade to make 1/8" flat-topped box joints. Sweet!

    This might make cool-looking cutting boards now that my mind is wandering....
    Last edited by Chris Padilla; 05-26-2016 at 6:36 PM.
    Wood: a fickle medium....

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  9. #24
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    If your requirement includes the need for strength, you would get a much stronger joint if it is a scarf joint. That is how boat builders do it.

  10. #25
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    If your requirement includes the need for strength, you would get a much stronger joint if it is a scarf joint. That is how boat builders do it.
    & crown molding putter upperers too .
    Well, @ least this crown molding putter upperer uses a scarf joint...
    My granddad always said, :As one door closes, another opens".
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  11. #26
    I had a minute to think about the dovetail joint ( end to end ) using the Keller Jig. It is relatively easy to do once I thought how the jig works. I make one test cut that nearly came out perfect. The only thing you need to do is carefully line up the angle of the bit with the lines scribed in the face of the corresponding board. Depending how close your line is scribed and how close you line up the bit with the scribed line while the bit is in the jig, the tighter the joint will be. ( Hope you can follow what I did ).

    My first test cut came a bit loose, but I didn't spend more than 30 seconds scribing and lining up the bit. I just wanted to do a test cut.

    I'll do one more test, taking a little more time and see how tight I can get the dovetail joint.

  12. #27
    Edward,
    I spent a few minutes this morning experimenting with end to end dovetails on the Keller jig, and it was actually pretty easy. Attached are photos of two attempts on 2 1/4" Alder. The first one I laid out where there is one wide tail in the center with two narrower tails flanking it. I didn't care for that look so I did a second with a narrow tail in the center flanked by two wider tails. The Keller jig uses a ratio (2:1) I think where the tails are wider than the pins. This is one of the reasons I like it because the dovetails on a Keller jig have more interest than even 1:1 dovetails like some jigs make.

    When I made the second end to end joint, I cut a strip of 1/4" MDF and double stick taped it to the backer so I would have exact backer cuts of the bit at my set height. Using those cuts, I lined up my layout lines (transferred to the end grain) exactly and cut away. It took maybe 5 minutes to make the joint. I made the second one very tight to the point where it took a few mallet taps to drive it home. It would be very easy to take a tight joint back to the jig and move it over a tiny bit to adjust the fit.

    I know others have mentioned other joints that are "stronger" but glued up, this would be pretty strong in my opinion. Maybe I'll glue it up, elevate it and stand on it to see if it will carry my weight. Sometimes the question isn't what's strongest, but what's strong enough for your application. If ultra maximum strength were needed, I wouldn't join two boards end to end in the first place.

    Thanks for raising this question. I think it might look trick to build a face frame where the two rails are set into the stiles with a single wide dovetail the way stretchers are let into carcasses in traditional period furniture. As long as you are laying out a joint where the tail is no narrower than the 7/16 bit, you should be able to use this method. Mind you, since there is no visible end grain in an end to end joint like this, the joint itself would be very subtle. In the face frame idea, maybe it would be more visible because of the opposing grain direction.



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    Last edited by Glenn de Souza; 05-27-2016 at 5:22 PM.

  13. #28
    Dovetail joint looks good Glen. I finally had some free time earlier today, it actually was pretty easy to do like you said. I wasn't interested in the strength of the joint, only the look.

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