Techniques & Methods #2: Fixing Messed-up Blind Dovetails

Why not just smoosh some walnut-colored wood filler in there? You could even squeeze some Titebond III in there. It dries a pretty dark brown, and would blend the two surfaces together with no gaps. You could even coarse-grit sand some walnut into the glue first, mix it into a slurry, and moosh that in there. That would help keep it from being a gummy glue filling, and it would probably really disappear, especially after planing or sanding (gasp! do you allow sanding anymore with your plane-lust? ;)

It does look a lot better, but I’d love to see your pretty dovetail work get all perfect suddenly, and I think something like the above would do it.

-- Gary, Los Angeles, video game animator

you could also make the saw dust/glue wood filler mix so its the same exact color?

either way, very nice fix. for a work bench, no one will notice except for you…

Nice recovery, Sharon. This is a nice technique to dress up the gaps on the dovetails. For those of us who are struggling to become proficient at hand cutting dovetails this is a nice technique to learn.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Hey Purp, though I have never cut a dovetail of any kind, we all know why you had to fix and dress it up even though it is a workbench and will be used as such. Because we become a bit obsessive about the finish look of a project no matter our skill level.

I think its looking real good and what you are teaching yourself in the project is obviously enhancing your skills!!

Thanks guys,

Gary, himcules – long grain and end grain have very distinctly different appearances and features. I believe that wood filler, or glue+sawdust (aka homemade wood filler) works well to hide gaps/craps between laminations of long grain, or in long grain where there are no eye catching grain patterns that can be visually broken. for long grain where there are grain patterns – I’d patch the mistake with another thin piece of long grain and try to match the grain-patterns – still won’t use wood filler. in my case I think wood filler would be very visible and will take away from the elegance of the joint, and since the fix I used was easily accomplished and completely invisible, I think it was a more fitting solution for this particular case. also there is no goo to mess with, and nothing spills.

Scott – you hit it with a nail. I think we need to get better at things so that we won’t have to fix them – but fixing is also a good skill to have on those occasions where you just have to fix something and fix it good.

Cato – that is correct. we just want everything to be the best they can be. the more we push ourselves, the better we become.

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

Sharon,

Very vice recovery! I have used the same technique before, it worked very well for me also.

Also glue will fill a gap in but it has no structure to it and would eventually fail. As for the glue and saw dust mixture, not a big fan. I had to use this technique on my last project and the color of the mix always ended up lighter than my wood. Glue’s short open time makes it real hard to get a matching color quickly (especially in 105 degree temp like I see down here in Austin)

-- //FC - Round Rock, TX - "Experience is what you get just after you need it"

Sharon; Very nice solution! Thanks for sharing.

Sharon,

When I was learning to hand cut dovetails, I mentioned that I was having the same trouble, to an antique collector friend. He laughed and took me to see his collection of expensive blanket chests. Practically everyone of the chests had a similar fix to what you did. Seems the “old masters” didn’t worry too much if the fit wasn’t perfect. I saw little shims at the bottom and sides of the tails and pins. You had to look close, but they were there.

I’d say you did just the right thing.

Lew

Great solution and it’s starting to come together. (Pun intended)

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

I like what I’m see here, right before my eye’s. The making of self-taught craftsman….Blkcherry

Ah.. You have learned the difference between a woodworker and a craftsman.
This is a lesson I’ve learned the hard way but it is indeed valuable..
No need to be apologetic.
BT

-- Bruce

Sharon I agree with your dovetail repair the best repair for wood is wood. Not fillers or epoxy when the repair is to have a finish.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I am not apologetic though, I am very pleased with the results of the repair, and with the results of my idea which apparently (and not surprisingly) is not original. like I mentioned – I think knowing how to fix stuff is an important skill, but I also strongly believe that we should aspire to do work that will not require fixing.

and I agree. the best repair for wood is wood, and it’s not hard to do.

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.