Project 1

Project for dovetailed box with contrasting lining & butterfly dovetailed lid

Illustration 1 - Using a scrap piece of wood, make two mirror opposite cuts as if cutting dovetail pins.
If, during the project you decide to change the angle
selection, perhaps to cut the shoulders on the tail board,
the exact angle is regained by using the scrap piece
with the sample cuts.
  
Mount the AngleMag close to one of these cuts; Place your saw into one of these cuts.
Loosen the angle selector and shaft.  Butt the magnetic saw glide up to the saw and tighten the shaft first followed by the angle selection.  Original angle regained. Easy as that!

Illustration 2 - Thin strips of contrasting colour wood are cut on the table saw and glued into the rebated (insides) of all four boards then dressed flush to the thickness of the boards.

Illustration 3 - Using a depth marker, mark the depth of cut all around all four boards.
Mark about 1mm or 1/32” deeper than the thickness of the boards.
Mark both tail boards showing waste areas as shown.
Now clamp both tail boards butted together, and using a straight edge, check that they are level and continuous on the top.		   

Method - cutting the tails first.
Illustration 4 - Position and clamp the AngleMag so that if using a pull saw the outer faces of the workpieces are away from you.
Cut down to the depth marks making sure the saw is level at the bottom of the cut and stop.
Change the plane of cut to its mirror opposite by rotating the shaft 180 degrees.
Remove and replace the shaft on the opposite side of the AngleMag to finish the cuts.
Repeat these cuts on the other ends of the tail boards in the same manner.

Chopping waste to leave a clean crisp finish
Illustration 5 - Using a square and sharp knife, score the tail boards along the depth marks but only between the saw cuts within the waste areas.
Make as deep a cut with the knife so that you have a straight and crisp knife cut.
 

Illustration 6. & Illustration 16 - Using a chisel, carefully chip and remove a small amount of waste along the line. Now chop small amounts alternatively from the ends and the base line, progressing to half the thickness of the board.
Repeat the same on the other half until all waste is removed.
Note the slight inward angle of chisel. This avoids damage to the crisp knife cut and also gives you a perfect fit.
The last image shows a crisp finish.

Marking the pin board using the completed tail board (without lining)
Illustration 7 - Clamp the two adjoining or matching boards square, making sure that the pin board is in a continuous line with the marking of the shoulder line of the tail board at both ends.
In order to do this, i have made a dovetailed corner (or half box carcass) support that is clamped into the vice.
The pin board is clamped vertically, while the tail board is clamped horizontally to make marking the pins easier with a marking knife.
Trace the pins with a marking knife angling the marking knife slightly inwards.

Cutting & gluing the contrasting "inter-connecting lining"
Illustration 8 - Mount the AngleMag on a supporting board with the lining between the AngleMag and the supporting board.
Cut strips, using the same angle to fit and glue onto both sides of the tails and half tails at both ends.
Allow the glue to dry and using a sharp chisel, pare away protrusions to maintain the shape of the tails. Then follow the marking procedure above for the pin board.

Cutting the pins using the AngleMag
Illustration 9 - Clamp both the tail boards, butted together making sure that they are level and continuous at the top.
Check with a straight edge.
Mount the AngleMag and with the saw attached to the saw guide, release the shaft just enough to permit the shaft to slide, and when the kerf of the saw is precisely on the waste side of the line, gently dig the saw teeth into the workpiece and then secure the shaft with the two screws.
Gently scrape the top of the workpiece without cutting, remove the saw and inspect if the cut is precisely and just within the mark before cutting with absolute confidence.
The sliding micro adjustment of the shaft will permit you to place your matching cut exactly where you want to without the need to “pare away” or make any alterations.
This is "hand made precision at its best." The AngleMag will give you this matching cut with absolute precision time & again.

Illustration 10 - Chop the waste (see illustration 6 also) making sure the inside corners are free of "bits" before dry fitting.
The inner corners can be cleaned up using a sharp knife.

Cutting the shoulder with the AngleMag
Illustration 11 - Either chop with chisel or elect to use the AngleMag.
You can now cut the shoulders of the pin boards using the AngleMag.  Simply alter the angle to 90 degrees and cut down slowly until the shoulder cheek falls apart.  If you wish to regain the exact angle setting, return to the scrap piece of wood, place the saw in one of these cuts, slide the shaft up to the saw with the angle selector also loosened.
Now tighten the two brass screws and then the angle selector.  Original angle regained. Images at the beginning of this project.

Making a joint using dovetail keys – for the box lid
Illustration 12 - Cut both the adjoining pieces on the table saw to the required size.
Place both outer faces together and clamp in the vice making sure they are square especially on the top.
Select any angle for the key slot and cut down to the required depth line.
Release and rotate the shaft 180 degrees and cut its mirror opposite. Chop the waste.
Cut across the grain a contrasting piece of wood to the exact width of the length of the key slot.
Mark the centre line on both sides of this piece.
Place this on a supporting platform and mount the AngleMag.
Using the same angle cut down to the centre with the saw level. Rotate the shaft 180 degrees and cut the opposing side.
Release the upper clamp, slide the workpiece out; flip it over and replace.
Now repeat the same two mirror opposite cuts.
In cutting the keys, take care to measure and mark accurately.
Fit to the adjoining pieces. This exercise relies on good marking out.