Measuring / cutting dovetails (again !)

[JimM]

Guys, when measuring dovetails using rods as shown in the attached pic, if measurement 'x' is 0.990" and I actually need it to be 1" is it simply a matter of taking a cut of 0.005 from each side.

I can't get my head around if a 5thou increase as indictaed on the DRO will actually translate to a 5thou widening of the dovetail or do I need to do some fancy maths to allow for the dovetail angle?

Thanks

Jim




View attachment Dovetail.pdf

 

[Mainer]

I'd say that as long as you measure the 0.005" horizontally, as you're showing, 0.005" will be 0.005". You'd run into complications if you were measuring the 0.005" perpendicular to the angled dovetail surface, but you won't be.

 

[Lew_Merrick_PE]

Jim,

Mainer is correct. The "trig" in your measurement has already (I assume) been incorporated into your pin diameter and fit to the dovetail.

 

[Mainer]

Just don't make the dovetail any deeper as you make it wider. If you make it deeper, the geometry gets messy.

 

[JimM]

Thanks guys, that's one less thing for me to balls up when I start cutting

Cheers

Jim