I thought I understood dovetails until my son asked “Dad how do you tell the difference between tails and pins?” Well we have been struggling for a definitive answer as every time we think we have it one of us finds an example to the opposite. Even Frid’s wonderful photo essay on cutting dovetails leaves this question aside.
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Replies
Kenny,
There are really three parts to a dovetail joint: the tail, the pin, and the socket. The tail is exactly as it is called, a piece that is shaped like a dove's tail, hence dovetail. That tail fits into a socket that has pins between the socket cavities that "pin" or lock the dovetail into the socket. Hope that helps.
RJ
Hi Kenny,
I see where the confusion arises. When viewed from above, a pin has the look of a tail. But the terminology really derives from the profile view, where the tails flare out from the baseline.
The previous poster did a nice job explaining the root of "pins." They pin or lock the dovetail.
Matt Berger
Fine Woodworking
Edited 6/27/2006 3:31 pm ET by MBerger
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