Replies

1. 
   WillGeorge | Dec 12, 2008 03:23am | #1

   Sort of lost on you description of the problem.  ME I would suppose ..   Not you.

   LONG sliding dovetails should be tapered and just a 'BIT' of glue at one end! Dovetail will hold it together..

   You never mentioned the size of the project.. I think when the glue is really dry.. Go for your favorite hand plane and make it flat!

2. 
   Samson | Dec 12, 2008 03:27am | #2

   Can you take it apart again?  If so, you can try scoring and paring new shoulders 1/64th back on each end, and then also planing down the top of the tails 1/64th on each end. 

3. 
   hammer1 | Dec 12, 2008 04:28am | #3

   It would be easier to just make a new piece than go through the trouble of a patch job. If the joint will be visible, and you can't make a completely new piece, you may be able to rip an inch or more off the edge. Glue on a new piece and you can re-cut the dovetail. This will make the existing dovetail loose but it wont show. Just do one end. You could glue on a thin veneer to the sloping faces of the male part and trim those back, when you re-cut the front edge piece with the router. Using an epoxy glue mixed with very fine sawdust will give gap filling properties when you glue up the case.

   Just one other "fix" that can be combined with a new face strip. Reduce the dovetail to a tongue. Glue on two strips to bring it flush with the face and re-cut the dovetail.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   mrossk | Dec 12, 2008 06:03am | #4

   thanks everyone for the suggestions. I can remove the piece, and it may be easier to simply remake it. Simply trimming the length of the tail and scoring new shoulders cannot work, it reduces the width of the tail and so it won't fit the female part. I like the idea of making the tail a tongue, gluing on strips and recutting The problem is that the tails are on the ends (endgrain)  of the piece. but perhaps a thin enough piece won't cause too msny cross grain problems...?

1. 
   Samson | Dec 12, 2008 06:39am | #5

   Wow, those must be some tiny dts if shaving a fat pencil line off the end is going to make them not fit.  Good luck.

1. 
   mrossk | Dec 12, 2008 09:22am | #6

   yeah, they're only 3/16 deep and not much more across, and bordering on a little loose already...mill one more piece and be done with it!

4. 
   MikeHennessy | Dec 12, 2008 03:56pm | #7

   Making a new piece is probably the easiest, but if you're short on wood, you can trim the DT and glue some thin stock, like veneer, on to the DT and then re-shape it. But you may be able to get by with just trimming and glue if it's not a critical structural piece requiring a lot of resistance to pull-out.

   Mike Hennessy
   Pittsburgh, PA

1. 
   WillGeorge | Dec 12, 2008 04:15pm | #8

   Mike I did that one time..

   Not sure what you are thinking of.

   I did a bookcase once that I messed up.. A large one...

   Messed up on ALL the shelves with dovetails. As in all the sheaves~

   Some years ago.. I cut off one half of the dovetail. Hammered in a 'stick' to fit.. and cut off the ends!

   Still looks as I wanted in the first place.

    

1. 
   mrossk | Dec 12, 2008 05:32pm | #9

   that's an awesome, creative, down and dirty approach- I love it!

   again, thanks everyone for the assistance, Great forum!

1. 
   donpapenburg | Dec 13, 2008 06:46am | #10

   With the tounge idea you can cut a rabet or groove in another piece of wood with the grain oriented the same direction. Then  glue the rabet /groove to the tounge and  trim to size.

1. 
   mrossk | Dec 13, 2008 08:07am | #11

   yeah, that's another good idea, thanks!!