Dovetail Angle Calculator
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Dovetail Angle Calculator
Calculate dovetail joint angles, pin width, tail width, and slope ratio for woodworking and machining applications.
Material Type
Hardwood (1:8 ratio) Softwood (1:6 ratio) Custom
Board Thickness (mm)
Tail Width at Widest Point (mm)
Pin Width at Narrowest Point (mm)
Slope Ratio 1:N (N value)
Calculate Results will appear here.
function dovSetDefaults() { var mat = document.getElementById('dov-material').value; var ratioInput = document.getElementById('dov-ratio-n'); if (mat === 'hardwood') { ratioInput.value = 8; ratioInput.disabled = true; } else if (mat === 'softwood') { ratioInput.value = 6; ratioInput.disabled = true; } else { ratioInput.disabled = false; } } dovSetDefaults();
function dovCalc() { var resultDiv = document.getElementById('dov-result');
var thickness = parseFloat(document.getElementById('dov-board-thickness').value); var tailWidth = parseFloat(document.getElementById('dov-tail-width').value); var pinWidth = parseFloat(document.getElementById('dov-pin-width').value); var ratioN = parseFloat(document.getElementById('dov-ratio-n').value);
// --- Validation --- var errors = []; if (isNaN(thickness) || thickness = 1."); if (!isNaN(tailWidth) && !isNaN(pinWidth) && pinWidth >= tailWidth) errors.push("Pin width must be less than tail width.");
if (errors.length > 0) { resultDiv.innerHTML = '' + errors.join('') + ''; return; }
// --- Core Formulas --- // Dovetail angle from slope ratio 1:N // tan(angle) = 1 / N => angle = arctan(1/N) var angleRad = Math.atan(1 / ratioN); var angleDeg = angleRad * (180 / Math.PI);
// Half-angle (each side of the dovetail) // The dovetail taper on each side: // rise = (tailWidth - pinWidth) / 2 (total taper split equally) // run = thickness (depth of cut) // actual_angle = arctan(rise / run) var rise = (tailWidth - pinWidth) / 2; var actualAngleRad = Math.atan(rise / thickness); var actualAngleDeg = actualAngleRad * (180 / Math.PI); var actualRatioN = thickness / rise; // 1:N from geometry
// Slope ratio from geometry var slopeRatio = "1 : " + actualRatioN.toFixed(2);
// Tail width at base (narrow end) = pin width (they meet at the base) // Tail width at top (wide end) = tailWidth (given) // Pin width at base (wide end) = tailWidth (they interlock) // Pin width at top (narrow end) = pinWidth (given)
// Undercut depth (how deep the angled cut goes horizontally on each side) var undercutDepth = rise; // = (tailWidth - pinWidth) / 2
// Marking gauge setting (distance from face to baseline) var baselineDepth = thickness; // baseline is set to board thickness
// Dovetail ratio check var ratioCheck = ""; if (actualRatioN 12) { ratioCheck = "⚠️ Ratio too shallow — joint may slip under load."; } else { ratioCheck = "✅ Ratio is within recommended range (1:5 to 1:12)."; }
// Saw angle setting (complement: angle from vertical) var sawAngleDeg = 90 - actualAngleDeg;
resultDiv.innerHTML = "### Results " + "" + "Dovetail Angle (from slope ratio 1:" + ratioN.toFixed(1) + ")" + angleDeg.toFixed(2) + "°" + "Actual Dovetail Angle (from dimensions)" + actualAngleDeg.toFixed(2) + "°" + "Actual Slope Ratio" + slopeRatio + "" + "Taper per Side (undercut depth)" + undercutDepth.toFixed(3) + " mm" + "Saw Angle from Vertical" + sawAngleDeg.toFixed(2) + "°" + "Baseline / Marking Gauge Setting" + baselineDepth.toFixed(2) + " mm" + "Tail Width (wide end)" + tailWidth.toFixed(2) + " mm" + "Pin Width (narrow end)" + pinWidth.toFixed(2) + " mm" + "" + ratioCheck + "" + ""; }
#### Formulas Used
1. Dovetail angle from slope ratio: θ = arctan(1 / N) where N is the slope ratio denominator (e.g. 8 for 1:8).
2. Actual dovetail angle from dimensions: rise = (Tail Width − Pin Width) / 2 θactual = arctan(rise / Board Thickness)
3. Actual slope ratio from dimensions: Nactual = Board Thickness / rise
4. Saw angle from vertical: Saw Angle = 90° − θactual
5. Taper per side (undercut depth): Undercut = (Tail Width − Pin Width) / 2
#### Assumptions & References
- Slope ratio 1:8 is standard for hardwoods; 1:6 for softwoods (Taunton Press, The Complete Illustrated Guide to Joinery).
- Formula reference: Rogowski, G. (2002). The Complete Illustrated Guide to Joinery. The Taunton Press.
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