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Woodworking

Dovetail Angle Calculator

Find the traditional dovetail joint angle for softwood or hardwood based on standard woodworking practice. Use it when laying out hand-cut or router-cut dovetails for drawers, boxes, and casework.

Dovetail Angle

8 degrees

Hardwood angleSoftwood angleOver-steep angle

At 14°, you have the steeper slope used for softwoods like pine, where longer fibers tolerate a 1:6-style angle that boosts mechanical grip in weaker grain.

Traditional dovetail slope ratios: softwood is cut at 1:6 (~9.5°) but this tool rounds to a steeper angle, hardwood at 1:8 (~7°), per standard joinery practice.

Woodworking

Dovetail Joint Calculator

Calculates tail and pin spacing for hand-cut dovetail joints given board width, thickness, angle, and pin ratio. Use it before marking out joinery to get precise, evenly spaced cuts every time.

Fill in the required fields to see your result.

Key differences

Dovetail Angle CalculatorDovetail Joint Calculator
CategoryWoodworkingWoodworking
Inputs required15
ResultDovetail Angle (degrees)Tail Width (inches)
What it doesFind the traditional dovetail joint angle for softwood or hardwood based on standard woodworking practice. Use it when laying out hand-cut or router-cut dovetails for drawers, boxes, and casework.Calculates tail and pin spacing for hand-cut dovetail joints given board width, thickness, angle, and pin ratio. Use it before marking out joinery to get precise, evenly spaced cuts every time.