Dovetail joint arrangement: why and how?
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Welcome! / Forums / General Woodworking Discussions / Dovetail joint arrangement: why and how?
Tagged: dovetail joints
Is there a reason to arrange the half pieces at the edge of a dovetail to be pins. Would it be wrong to shift everything over half a tail and have half-tails at the edge of the board?
The “dovetail box” project on this site ( the “pencil case” ) places the tail on the long board and the pins on the end. Is there a logic to this or is it arbitrary? Is it simply a case of the small end piece being more attractive showing the square ends of the tails?
It is a matter of taste for a small box like that or even a jewelry box. I suggest you do 2 of the boxes, one one way and the other the other way and see what you prefer.
Tom,
I wondered the same about the tails on the sides or ends. I reasoned that it has to do with the engineering of the joint. It is more likely that things are going to slide back and forth (say pencils in a pencil box) and push against the joints. With the pins on the ends they are less likely to burst open…?
Rowly