Woodworker's Journal 2009-33-4, страница 9

Questions and Answers

and 7° to 10° for decorative joints. Lower (7° to 9°) angles arc often advised for joining hardwoods, while higher angles (10° to 14°) arc recommended for softwoods and even higher angles (14° to 18°) for half-blind dovetails.

Here's the scientific evidence: In 1958, the U.S. Forest Products Research Laboratory tested how dovetails cut at angles ranging from 7.5° to 17.75° in both hardwood and softwood samples fared when the joints were mechanically pulled apart under great force. The study found that, in all cases, "... the dovetail angle made absolutely no difference to the strength of the joint."

These findings support a cosmctic approach for cutting dovetails at whatever

angle looks best to you. You might prefer the subtle look of slender lower-angle dovetails or the "crafted" look of chunkier higher-angle joints. Personally, I feel that 8° dovetails look better with thicker parts and /or when joining contrasting woods, while 12° to 14° pins and tails

look best with thin parts and wider dovetailed assemblies.

Commercially made dovetail router jigs usually limit your choice of joint angle. For example, the template fingers on Leigh's jigs arc fixed at 8°.

— Sandor Nagyszalanczy J&

WINNER! For simply sending in his question on double tenons, David G. Lee of Santa Fe, New Mexico, wins a Steel City Bench Mortiser (Model 25200). Each issue we toss new questions into a hat and draw a winner.

According to one study, dovetail angles don't impact joint strength. Choose your dovetail geometry based on aesthetics, furniture style or the limitations of your bits. For the greatest range of options, learn to cut them by hand.

Stumpers

WINNER! Jerald Jones of El Dorado Springs, Missouri, wins a ^oner-Cable 12" Deluxe Dovetail Jig (Model 4212). We toss all the Stumpers letters into a hat to select a winner.

n

What's

This?

Keith Crowie of Cheyenne, Wyoming, dug up this "thing" in front of the barn during a renovation. Know what it is? Send your answer to: Stumpers, c/o Woodworker's Journal, P.O. Box 261, Medina, Minnesota 55340. Or e-mail stumpers@ woodworkersjournal.com

Our previous mystery tool turned out to be a not-very-hard nut to crack.

In response to the mystery tool from Dale Fox of Albuquerque, New Mexico, in our April issue, Mark Swenson of Ixing Beach, California, "concluded that Dale's father had a secret passion for eating walnuts in his workshop." According to Kristina Durnil of Hillsville, Virginia, and many others, "this is a lever action black-walnut cracker."

Despite Rick Hall of Camp Hill, Alabama's, guess that, "you didn't want the specific type of nut," nuts « were indeed named in most

responses, including one from Carl Taylor of San Antonio, Texas, who requested "please pronouncc it as 'pc-cahn,' emphasis on the second syllable."

Dale Nick of Princeton. Minnesota, said his "first guess was some kind of wood clamp. looking closer, I think it's a nutcracker. With my luck, my first guess will be the correct one, which I just blew by claiming it is a nutcracker."

You're good, Dale.

— Joanna Werch Takes @ /

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August 2009 Woodworker's Journal