Variable Angle Dovetails with the Akeda

[LEGEND65]

A little bit of a different dovetail:

[charlieb]

I'd go with a shallower angle on the ends - the ones in the photos look apt to split off.

[Tom Dacon]

An interesting idea, and one that's never crossed my mind. It'd look pretty cool with smaller angles on both ends, increasing toward the middle, wouldn't it?

Tom Dacon

[LEGEND65]

Akeda recommends the 20 degree angle for 1/4" stock, I've been using

14 though. It really should have wider half pins, but this was just a test and to go any wider I would have had to do a glue-up which would have exceeded my time for screwing around.

-Kevin

[LEGEND65]

It's stronger having them out at the outsides where the stresses are larger, but going the other way would be interesting too. I want to try alternating between steep and shallow as well. I've seen variable spacing where the tails get narrower as you get to the edges but haven't seen different angles.

Another use would be to just make very subtle variations to make it look more hand cut. When they come out with the 6 degree bits and guides it'll be possible to use 6 and 7 degrees, which I'm fairly sure would be too subtle to notice but it might just inexplicably look better and you wouldn't know why. That's my theory anyway

-Kevin