# Home Made Dovetail Guides



## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

I saw dovetail guides made by Lie-Nielson that were 35 bucks each:








So I had some spare walnut and red oak and made my own:















Getting my dovetail and fret saw tomorrow.


----------



## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Looks sharp! What did you use for the cuts? Are they pretty accurate?

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX using Woodworking Talk


----------



## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Nice jig. What's the angle? And do you need to make more than one?


----------



## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

I marked scrap board with a mark onch at the bottom and then marked up 4,6, and 8 inches for 14 deg (1:4), 1:6, and 1:8. Copied the marks with a sliding bevel. Cut with miter saw.

Left and right sides are mirror of each others if that is what you mean as being accurate.


----------



## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

Dominick said:


> Nice jig. What's the angle? And do you need to make more than one?


14 deg 1:4
9.5 deg 1:6
7.1 deg 1:8

I made three cause I was bored and read that 14 deg is for thin boars, 1:8 is for hard wood and 1:6 is for soft wood. I really don't know how important it is. A good question for everybody: How imortant is the angle for dovetails with different woods?


----------



## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

mengtian said:


> I marked scrap board with a mark onch at the bottom and then marked up 4,6, and 8 inches for 14 deg (1:4), 1:6, and 1:8. Copied the marks with a sliding bevel. Cut with miter saw.
> 
> Left and right sides are mirror of each others if that is what you mean as being accurate.


Sounds good. You answered my question on accuracy and process. The angle itself isn't super important (14° could actually 14.3, 13.8, 15, whatever) as long as it is the same side to side. Working with smaller pieces of wood accurately is pretty challenging. That is why you don't see me making scale models of wagons and Hummers!

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX using Woodworking Talk


----------



## the dude (Jun 15, 2012)

Nice job, I made one myself but not as nice as yours.

pit bulls rock!


----------

