Compound angle dovetails!

Graywolf

Board of Directors, President
Richard
Staff member
Corporate Member
I've been playing with this off an on for awhile now. Fun little project, I played with several different splay angles just to see the how they work and how they feel. The more you splay the more difficult the work becomes.
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Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
"The more you splay the more difficult the work becomes."

Why?

What happens, what is more difficult?
 

Graywolf

Board of Directors, President
Richard
Staff member
Corporate Member
The more you splay the boards in relationship to one another the more you have to compensate for square. Also the greater or more acutely the tails and pin are, this creates a situation where you can have more chipping, especially when dry fitting. You also end up with some really tight corners to try and chisel out. Making the process more tedious. The piece you see in the pics is 30 degrees from vertical. I have played with 7, 12, 15, 20, and 30. I also played with using two different angles, this added a few more things you have to keep up with during execution other than that the lay out and process is the same and not that hard. It's one foot in front of the other, and you can't run before you can walk. I know this because I have a few sample corners floating around the house. Some look better then others :cool:
 

danmart77

Dan
Corporate Member
Well done Richard. I have never gone beyond 15 degrees and that seemed like a bunch. I like your handle design but I wasn't sure how big or small I wanted to make it at the time. I opted for screws so I could alter it down the road. My youngest son likes his and I'm satisfied for now.

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I had to make 4 of these at one time so I cut all the pieces at one time.

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Unlike yours, I just cut the center handle and screwed it in place. This made putting the bottom board on very easy.

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I really like this tool box and lots of folks ask me about the design. I tell them I found a cradle built in the 18th century up in Front Royal VA back in 1980. Before I built the cradle, I did a tool box to get the bugs out of the compound business. I learned on the first try what to avoid.

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While I was applying some dye I made from boiling walnut husks, the phone rang back in the house in 1980. No cell. I went inside and got to talking.. when I came out I couldn't miss the cat walked thru my dye bowl and walked all over one of the long sides. My wife wanted me to keep the tracks so all three children of ours and a half dozen others have been in the "cat's craddle" for a few months.

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Graywolf

Board of Directors, President
Richard
Staff member
Corporate Member
Now that's a lovely story. Thanks Dan, the cats craddle is very special. I started experimenting with this when I reread Roys book and he stated he used 3 to 5 pitch on his tool tote, so I set an angle gauge to my framing square at that setting and it was closest to 30 degrees from vertical. I had to try it, if nothing else just to see if I could succeed. I think I'm close, of course I could always do better, and I will next time.
 
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danmart77

Dan
Corporate Member
As I recall I think Roy's box is just nailed and it is looking like it needs some updating? The reason I am wondering about Roy's box again is I think one side of his box is not angled? Could be wrong but I think he did that for ease of walking with it??

The box being long as it is, makes it very nice for loading lots of tools for the job. In my case I just cut all the sides at one time and put a 15 degree angle on all of it. The sides are around 5/8 - 3/4 thick pieces right off the reject pile at HD. When I see it reduced to 70 percent reduction in the cull pile I buy it for things like this.

Here are some measurements for those viewers hoping to make a "doughbox" style toolbox.

Been getting back to the rifle business as the summer moves in Richard. The fan is blowing to keep the bugs off my back.

later

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Jeff

New User
Jeff

Bas

Recovering tool addict
Bas
Corporate Member
Compound angles make my head hurt. I'm happy if I can get something to 90 degrees. Also very impressed with the project, that looks great!
 

Graywolf

Board of Directors, President
Richard
Staff member
Corporate Member
Thanks Dan, you're right Roys box is nailed I knew that going in, and flat on one side, his reasoning for the flat side was for carrying long distances. Leave it to me take it to another level and challenge myself. I set out to build my personal interpretation of what I have seen and read. At present I'm happy we will see what the future holds for this box, it could be great or it could be a failure.

Jeff, thanks for the information the first link was in the book. The other links I had never seen before, interesting stuff. So when it comes to exactly what degree it is, 30, or 31, it doesn't amount to much with this project as long as you are consistent. I'll post more pictures later with more info on the build later.
 

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
Thanks Dan, you're right Roys box is nailed I knew that going in, and flat on one side, his reasoning for the flat side was for carrying long distances. Leave it to me take it to another level and challenge myself. I set out to build my personal interpretation of what I have seen and read. At present I'm happy we will see what the future holds for this box, it could be great or it could be a failure.

Jeff, thanks for the information the first link was in the book. The other links I had never seen before, interesting stuff. So when it comes to exactly what degree it is, 30, or 31, it doesn't amount to much with this project as long as you are consistent. I'll post more pictures later with more info on the build later.
Richard, did you talk to Bill Clemmons or Mike Davis - what did they do for the workshop? (I seem to remember they did a sliding dovetail or something a little tricky for the handle board???)
 

Graywolf

Board of Directors, President
Richard
Staff member
Corporate Member
The only conversations I had with Bill or Mike on the subject was I knew there had been a workshop and Mike stated I should stick with fifteen degrees. Now as far as any other tricks I don't know. It would be interesting to hear. As you can tell I didn't listen to Mike, and I enjoyed the challenge.

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As you can tell in this shot the bottom is inside the piece and it's not fasten.
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Over all length
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Side height
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Over all width
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The angle, Jeff is correct that 3/5 is 31 degrees, with my inexpensive protractor it looked closer to 30 degrees. Again in this project as long as you're consistent it doesn't mater.
 

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
"As you can tell I didn't listen to Mike, and I enjoyed the challenge. " ha ha ha The beat of your own drummer or something like that?

On a completely different tangent - I never wanted a tote - while I always wanted to build one - I don't see that your tools can stay organized in a "funnel" ha ha

now this is one I always wanted to make: https://www.renaissancewoodworker.com/mobile-workbench/
it seems functional AND totes your tools in a secure and less "throw them anywhere in the maw you have room" kind of way?!
 

Graywolf

Board of Directors, President
Richard
Staff member
Corporate Member
Hank, it sounds like my noggen beating against a wall most days, but staying focused and on task will make us better screw ups everytime!

It makes for a slippery slope and things have a hard time getting out of this type of box, as far as organization goes... that's completely up to the user, which in my case means a complete train wreck with in moments.

Hank you should, I remember when he built that box, it was one of great thought and his interpretation of what Tom Fidgen built and shared in his book. Both of those boxes are fine pieces and would make fantastic additions to anyone's shop, suitable for travel and for keeping your kit organized.
 

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
"... that box, it was one of great thought and his interpretation of what Tom Fidgen built"
Yes, a few years ago I was looking at Tom's toolbox and I saw Shannon's and thought "THAT IS IT!"
This was the mobile solution to doing small hand woodworking projects AND keeping tools at least somewhat organized when on the go... and then life got in the way...

So, maybe I need to get back at that!
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Jeff, thanks for the information the first link was in the book. The other links I had never seen before, interesting stuff.

I couldn't tell if Roy's tool tote has a straight side next to his leg for easier carrying. Here's the book with the description and drawings of the tote (chapter I, page2). It's also the source of the 3:5 angle layout. The tool tote was purposely made low so that it would slide under a buggy seat and it wasn't intended to carry a lot of well organized tools to a job site. Just a few to get the job done that day.

 

Graywolf

Board of Directors, President
Richard
Staff member
Corporate Member
Yes, thanks Jeff, of course you didn't read the part where I own the book.

I think between everything you have going on you should Hank, that would be a really cool project and if you post the build I'd follow it with intrest.
 
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Graywolf

Board of Directors, President
Richard
Staff member
Corporate Member
That would be Roys, I also downloaded the Problems in Farm Woodwork several years ago and briefly read through it then. Until you shared it again I never really thought about it. Much the way I have three of Roys books and read them when I got them, only to occasionally pull one off the shelf and go through it.
 

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