phoenix_lopez•7mo ago

My dovetail joints keep coming loose in dry weather.

Seasonal wood movement ruins my precision work every time.

3 comments

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3 Comments

singh.uma7mo ago

A tighter glue-up fixed that exact problem for me.

10

robin8747mo ago

But I always hear that... and it just seems like an easy out. Wood movement is natural, but loose dovetails mean the initial fit was off. If you cut them right, they lock together through the seasons. My shop is bone dry in winter and everything stays put. Blaming the weather ignores the real issue with how the joints are made. Maybe the problem is rushing the fitting process instead.

6

robert8017mo ago

Wait, what about big humidity swings in summer though? Even perfect joints can get stressed if the wood swells a lot. Do you really see zero seasonal change in your finished pieces?

7