# Sharing insight into shoulder cuts on dovetails



## MattV (Jan 19, 2009)

I have heard and read information about shoulder cuts on your tails for dovetails. I can't find much information on what to do. I cut my dovetails by hand and would love to learn more about how to use shoulder cuts that help hide the inside joint. The master woodworker that mentions this a lot is Steve Latta.

Please share any insight and your learnings so I can start to leverage this additional technique.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

Are you have trouble with cut on the tail board that's shows on three sides?
Sometimes I just use my Dt saw to make this cut if I'm not feel 100 accurate I will cut on the waste side of the line and clean it up with a chisel.
The tail board is the one that get a scribe line all the way around all four sides.


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## CL810 (Mar 21, 2010)

Watch David Barron's videos on YouTube. Also, make a paring jig.


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## MattV (Jan 19, 2009)

Thanks for your reply's. I am pretty good at cutting dovetails by hand (the last ones are normally my best ones), however, Steve Latta recommends cutting a shoulder on the inside of the dovetail pins (i think?) which cleans up the inside of the drawer and I assume covers up an fit issues (sometimes I can see my saw cuts on the inside).

I will check out David Barron's video as well. Thank you!


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

Oh yes I think I know what your taking about some woodworker like to have a shallow rebate on their half blind tail board.
Ive done once or twice its a extra step not needed.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Chris Schwarz does this with a Veritas skew.

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/joinery/handplanes-and-dovetails


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## dbeck (Jun 1, 2017)

Thanks for posting that link Smitty, it really helped me understand better.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

No problem at all.

If you try it, the tool's gotta be incredibly sharp. I tried it with a sharp #78, no go. Also, it's gotta stay 100% level in the cut and not tear cross-grain. There's certainly a learning curve to it; one that I've not opted to climb. Kudos to those that do, though.


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## splinter1000 (May 4, 2014)

Rob Cosman sometimes does this also. You can see how here:






Cheers


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## MattV (Jan 19, 2009)

Smitty, thanks for sharing Chris' article. I probably have that one, but it's a stack of 10 years of magazines I have in my shop.

What Chris covers in the article is exactly what I was looking to do. Now I need to go try it out this weekend.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

^ Pictures or it didn't happen.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

I don't use shoulders on dovetailed drawers, but find them extremely useful in case construction. The top rail of a cabinet is often joined to the case sides with a lapped DT joint. Cutting a shallow shoulder on the underside of the lapped DT helps with aligning the parts, and prevents racking too.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Yep. Just remember to do it before you cut tails. Otherwise you risk blowing out. Ask me how I know.


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)




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