# My first attempt at dovetails.



## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Well, here it is: The obligatory "first dovetail" thread. I made a drawer for my table saw to give some accessory storage. I was originally going to use the drawer elsewhere, so the dovetails are arranged for maximum strength when pulled from the widest edge. But the joints are glued and were plenty snug and strong even without the glue.

This is made from salvaged popular from an old bed frame.

I think I used a sharper angle than ideal. I just set my T-bevel to a random angle that looked OK and went with it.

















First one fits together after a little filing. It's certainly not perfect. But I'm happy that it's snug and doesn't wobble around.









All cut.









Dadoed for bottom panel.


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## Texas Sawduster (Apr 27, 2009)

*Nice Job !!!*

Hey, nice job for the first try. :thumbsup:


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

All together.









Bottom. I used the thicker hardboard.









Here's two of the joints. The others are just about the same. See the slop?

















It's now a drawer. I may add a "real" drawer front/face at some point. But probably not. I want to display my first dovetails, even of they aren't quite up to par.


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## Texas Sawduster (Apr 27, 2009)

*Nice first try. !!*

Better than my first attempt. I did not even take a pic they were so bad. :laughing:


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Here's my drawer supports. They're attached to wooden framework I had in place already. Since this drawer was originally going to be used on another table of mine, it is not the correct width for the table saw. So I had to put a spacer block on the right hand drawer support to give me the proper width.









Open (about half of the drawer stays under cover. That is just so that the drawers closes far enough back so as not to protrude):









And closed.









Tonight I'll box it in better and call it done.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Awesome! They are steep but BOLD and I like em! Great first DT's, certainly better than my first several attempts!

Excellent job... and yeah! Show em off!!!

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## Taylormade (Feb 3, 2011)

Looks good to me, Steve!! I have a few nice DT jigs that I need to set up and learn, but I've convinced myself to learn manually first so that I can appreciate the router jig.


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

Those look great! From here on out, they get easier and better. Isn't that a nice feeling? And +1, show 'em off


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

Great job with the dovetails. I am still using a jog to do them but someday I'll stick my toe in the water and give handmade a try...lol

Hey I noticed you have the same saw i do and you mounted a tabletop between the back and front fence rails. Did you attach it to the rails themselves? If so can I ask how you accomplished that? 

Thanks


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Thanks guys. I'm very happy with my first 4 dovetails joints. They weren't as tedious as I expected.

*firemedic*, yes, they're chunky and bold. I kind of like it too.



Taylormade said:


> Looks good to me, Steve!! I have a few nice DT jigs that I need to set up and learn, but I've convinced myself to learn manually first so that I can appreciate the router jig.


One of these days I will be getting a DT jig. You know, I enjoyed making these and will probably be more proud of this drawer than any jig cut DTs I could make. But you're right - I believe - in thinking that you'll appreciate DTs more once you've tried your hand at them the old fashioned way.

By the way, that sander works great! I've used it on several projects so far, including this one. Thanks again. It is coming in very useful.

*Sawduster* While quite far from perfect, I am happy with mine. They could have been much worse, as you pointed out.

*Brink* Yes, it's a great feeling to know I've accomplished my first DTs (handmade or otherwise). I did if from memory of a video or two I've seen on line. Pretty simple really. But a lot of things that are "simple" to _do_ are a lot _less_ simple to do _well_. Mine are merely passable.

*Tom5151*, keep in mind that a laminated top would have been a better choice than the bare, sanded plywood I used.

To answer your question, I built a frame and bolted it to the edge of the stamped metal table extension on the one side. And it is bolted to the rails "spreader bar" on the right hand side. There are no attachments to the aluminum rails. As long as your frame is solid enough you won't have any issues mounting the way I did. 

I actually got the "plans" out of the instruction manual. Irritated that the saw didn't come with a table extension piece to bridge that annoying gap, I was trying to purchase that section online. I searched the manual several times looking for a part number to no avail. Then I called Ridgid to inquire about it and they informed me that it is not a part that is available for purchase, nor does Ridgid make the piece. He told me which page to refer to in the manual and, sure enough, there is is. I must have combed by the page a half a dozen times or more and never noticed that it tells you you have to make it yourself if you want it.


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Thanks guys. I'm very happy with my first 4 dovetails joints. They weren't as tedious as I expected.
> 
> *firemedic*, yes, they're chunky and bold. I kind of like it too.
> 
> ...


thanks for your response Steve. Is it really in the manual?...LOL......goes to show you how closely i have looked at the manual since I assembled it 2.5 years ago. I will have to go back in and look at it tonight. I am actually going to build an entire mobile workstation with a shop made extenbtion router table in the spot where you have your table top and couldn't figure the best was to attach the top. It will sit on the router cabinet below but I was wondering what to do with that spacer bar. Thanks for pointing me back to the manual.

:thumbsup:


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Tom5151 said:


> thanks for your response Steve. Is it really in the manual?...LOL......goes to show you how closely i have looked at the manual since I assembled it 2.5 years ago. I will have to go back in and look at it tonight. I am actually going to build an entire mobile workstation with a shop made extenbtion router table in the spot where you have your table top and couldn't figure the best was to attach the top. It will sit on the router cabinet below but I was wondering what to do with that spacer bar. Thanks for pointing me back to the manual.
> 
> :thumbsup:


Tom, see page #44 of the owner's manual for your Ridgid R4512.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

That is so funny that you post that today. For starters, let me say that your dove tails look fantastic. First try my eye. Great work. Secondly, I was looking at my saw this past weekend thinking that I would love to add a drawer to keep all of my saw accessories in. (push stick, wrenches etc) I was trying to mount it on the other side. I may try your idea of mounting it on the other side. Nice job. I just have one question, regarding your drawer. I'm thinking that, the way your dovetails are cut, your drawer is sideways. I've always considered the dovetails to be structural so that it wasn't possible to pull the drawer face off of the drawer. Am I seeing the photo wrong? Not that it matters, your dovetails still look awesome. Great work.


See how the front could be potentially pulled off?












Here, the dovetails prevent the front from being pulled off.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Great minds think alike. I've been making plans to add a drawer to my saw also. I'm starting to get too many "extras" to just let them lay on top of the saw table.

The DT's look good, but Ken is right. They are supposed to be on the sides, not the front. Next time you'll get it right. :thumbsup:


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Hehe, you guys are observant. Well, with the dovetails at least. You're also absolutely correct. I mentioned in the first post or two the reason why they are as such. The reason, sadly, is that I changed projects in mid stream! I actually made the box witht the intention of using it as a drawer width-wise under a different work surface. But then I realized that it is almost the right dimentions to mount under my table saw. Then I remembered that I've been wanting to make a drawer for there anyway. And, well, the rest is history...

The joints are nice and solid, plus glue. I knew my falicy when I did it and decided that I'm OK with it. It would take way more force that will ever be applied to pull it apart.

That said, I need to stop repurposing my projects while in the middle of making them! Thank you pointing it out though. Because, as you guys said, the way I did it is not correct for the application.

Thanks for the compliments too.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Drill a pilot hole up from the bottom and drive a long screw through everything.

I know, it makes no sense at all, but just think of all the fun you'll have screwing around...


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## H. A. S. (Sep 23, 2010)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Well, here it is: The obligatory "first dovetail" thread. I made a drawer for my table saw to give some accessory storage. I was originally going to use the drawer elsewhere, so the dovetails are arranged for maximum strength when pulled from the widest edge. But the joints are glued and were plenty snug and strong even without the glue.
> 
> This is made from salvaged popular from an old bed frame.
> 
> ...




Wow! I wish my first hand cuts were that good.:thumbsup:


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

One of these days I'll be brave enough to try making them. Excellent job!


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

rayking49 said:


> One of these days I'll be brave enough to try making them. Excellent job!


That's how I felt too. I had absolutely no intentions of cutting dovetails that day. It started as an absolute whim and before I could change my mind I jumped right in and got started. I literally went from first thought to marking in about 15 minutes. My best projects usually begin as whims.

Last night I started on another project borne of a whim. But this time it was my wife's whim for me to make our youngest granddaughter a rocking horse for Christmas. Our daughter mentioned that she wanted to get her one and, well, cue... Grandpa!


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Here's how I finished up the project.

I cut some parts to make a back stop, ensuring that the drawer can't be pushed through the rear of the track.









They are only friction fit. No glue needed.









Screwed in place. I also added a spreader piece to help brace the front and back edges along the bottom.









Drawer out a bit.









Contact cemented a hardboard trim.









And unless I ever decide to add a real drawer front at some point in time, I'm done.


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

Steve let me congratulate you on your fist dovetailed draw I'm really impressed.
In your OP you say you thought the angles where sharper than ideal,so I hope you wont mind if I add this bit of Information to your thread. 

When marking the dovetails out the angles are re faired to as 5 to 1,or 8 to 1 or any thing in between.

To pick up say a 5to 1 all you do is take a scrap piece of wood with a 90 degree corner mark 1" in on the end grain and 5" on the long grain place the T bevel on the end grain and connect the two marks lock the bevel and it is now set for a 5 to 1 bevel,simple really.

By the way hard woods are usually 5to1 and soft woods 8to1, hope this helps someone. billy


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