Angled Dovetails Lesson
In this lesson I will be building a box with angled (splay) dovetails. The most common PA German furniture with splay dovetails was cradles and dough bins. The sides of these magnificent old pieces were often angled on each side to form a hopper. This fact alone makes these dovetails by far the hardest to make. With my clear text and many photos I will do my best to simplify this joint. Once you learn how to lay out and cut this joint you will want to use it for yourself and clients on a regular basis.

Over the years I have seen this joint explained in only a few books. Some instructions are confusing, others are vague, and still others are totally wrong. If you make this joint like a basic through dovetail it will be a weak joint and eventually crack and fall apart under stress. Time and time again I have seen this joint made the wrong way. In many ways it was the splay dovetail that inspired me to create this web site. I recently saw in a very popular furniture book (that some of you may have) plans for a cradle. The tails were in the long side boards. Early Lancaster County Pennsylvania cradles were rarely made this way. This lesson will explain why. I will show you the correct way so you can build furniture to last generations. If you can hand cut dovetails, you can make the splay dovetail.

Dale J. Horst.

 Price: $8.00


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