How to Cut Compound-Angle Dovetails
Simple jigs ease the learning curve of this challenging joint
Synopsis: After you’ve mastered the basic dovetail, you can try more complicated variations, such as the compound-angle type. Chris Gochnour demonstrates that making a compound-angle dovetail joint is not much different from making a standard dovetail joint. The challenge lies in the layout, especially the first time you do it. But here, he shows you a great trick for laying out the tails, and another one for paring to the angled baseline.
One of the great things about woodworking is that becoming proficient in one technique opens the door to more advanced techniques. The dovetail joint is a great example. After you’ve mastered the basic version, you can attempt more complicated variations.
I’ll illustrate how to make compound-angle dovetails, like the ones that join the sloped sides of this chest.
Making a compound-angle dovetail joint is not much different from making a standard dovetail joint. You cut…
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