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Dovetail — Generator

Calculate dovetail tail count, miter angle, cheek, shoulder and spacing. Hardwood 1:8, Softwood 1:6, Plywood 1:7 ratios with cut list and canvas preview.

Setup

Unit

Joint Style

Wood Type / Ratio

Board Dimensions & Layout

Board Width

Board Thickness

Dovetail Angle

Min Tail Width (narrow end)

Min Pin Width

Half-Blind Shoulder Depth

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Dovetail Layout Generated

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tails

Number of Tails

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pins

Number of Pins

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Cutting Angle

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Tail Spacing

Spacing Layout from Left Edge

Dovetail Preview

Dimensions & Formula Trace

🔺 Dovetail Joint Generator

One of the strongest and most recognizable wood joints — used for 4000+ years. Interlocking wedge-shaped tails and pins create a mechanical lock ideal for box corners, drawers, cabinet carcasses and chests. The joint resists pulling apart by its wedge geometry alone.

Where Used?

Drawer BoxesBox CornersCabinet CarcassesBlanket ChestsJewellery Boxes

Formulas

Angle: theta = arctan(1 / ratio)Tail wide end: TW = T_narrow + 2 × thickness × tan(theta)N tails: round((W − min_pin) / (TW + min_pin))Spacing: S = (W − pin_width) / N_tails

FAQ

Best angle for Indian teak?

Teak and dense Indian hardwoods use 1:8 ratio (7.1°). Tight angle suits interlocked tropical grain and creates stronger mechanical lock. Softwoods like pine use 1:6 (9.5°) — wider angle compensates for softer grain.

Half-blind vs through dovetail?

Half-blind leaves a thin shoulder hiding the joint from the front — standard for quality drawer fronts. Through dovetail is fully visible from both faces — used for box corners and decorative joinery.

Dovetail Generator