Finally Episode 2! As I mentioned in previous posts, I’ve been working on a puja table for a friend of mine. I have not filmed much of the process since I’ve already been working on it for a while and while he’s been very patient, I do want to get it to him as soon as possible. The legs are joined to the top of the table with sliding dovetails that are 12 1/2″ long and visible from both sides. I did find there was some interest when I posted a picture online of the first sliding dovetail, so I decided to capture some video of the second one. I did run into some technical difficulties with the filming, so as I explain in the video, I apologize for any quality and issues with the content being a bit disjointed. But I do hope that folks will still find some value to the content. I don’t claim to use the most orthodox method here, but it worked for me, and as I’ve seen with much woodworking content, there is more than one way to get a task done.
Jim,
In longer sliding dovetails like this sometimes the tapered sliding dovetail is used. This allows the joint to comes together easily and only gets tight in the last inch or so. This however isn’t generally used when the tail is exposed on both sides. So in this case, consider tapering in towards the middle. This way both edges are tight and you won’t get excess friction from the middle 10 inches or so while hammering together.
Thanks Shannon! After doing this video and reading your comment, I did more research into the tapered sliding dovetail. While I removed some material from the middle I think there will still points of contact in the middle that caused friction. The methods I saw will make life easier next time. Thanks again.