dovetails

[John Bertotti]

Ok I understand and have built compound dovetails. I would like to know what I'm missing in this thought.
When builders put together their dovetails the narrow part is towards the back. Why not put the wider part at the back and make it narrower towards the top? That way you could remove the back for repairs of the neck instead of the top. Is it because of the lack of wood at the button? John

[sunburst]

I'm still thinking about what you said, trying to think it through all the way, but, you don't have to take top off to get the neck out anyway, or the back either.
If you did taper the dovetail with the wide part toward the back, you would have to remove the back to remove the neck.
Some builders use a straight dovetail, by the way, which I suppose you could remove from either direction, but the back would have to come off the remove it the way you're talking about.
Further more, the fingerboard would have to be completely removed to take the neck out the back, whereas the board only has to be taken loose from the extender to take the neck out the front.
I can't think of any good reason to reverse the normal dovetail.

[John Bertotti]

You can see I haven't built an F. Funny but I knew I wasn't thinking right but just couldn't put my finger on it. I hope I'm not the only one that does that. That and typing my words with the letters jumbled up once in a while. Oh well better get some sleep I suppose. Thanks John

I should delete the whole post but thart would leave you out there hangin sunburst and I figure with all the nutty questions I've had over the last three years you all know I'm a bit off anyway. John http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

[sunburst]

Hey, I think nutty questions are fun sometimes, and besides, I never thought of reversing the dovetail. Now I have, and now I've thought of why I wouldn't want to do it.

[mandoryan]

reesaber, you're not crazy. I wondered this same thing as well because I thought that logically, you would want the wedge to face the opposite of the conventional way to make sure that the neck of the mandolin would not creep out of the joint. I still don't really understand why this couldn't be done and be just as effective. It seems to me that the pressure on a wedge that opens at the top doesn't allow for any margin of movement, consequently making the fingerboard rise if there is any upward movement and resulting in a neck reset. It would be a challenge to cut the dovetail for one with the large end facing the top though. Just wanted to chime in and say you're not the only nutty one around here. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[PaulD]

It seems to me that another reason for doing it the conventional way is because that's the natural shape of the neck at the heel. You would have to start with a pretty narrow dovetail if the wide part was at the heel, unless you left the heel as wide as the fingerboard (I guess there's no reason you couldn't do that).

With regards to the fingerboard rising if there is any movement in the joint, it seems to me if you have any movement in that joint you've got bigger problems than just the fingerboard rising! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif I would expect that joint to stay put if it is properly fitted and glued... there's a lot of glue surface there.

Paul Doubek

[mandoryan]

Good points Paul. Hadn't thought of that.

[Bill Snyder]

It would be a challenge to cut the dovetail for one with the large end facing the top though.
It is larger at the top.

[mandoryan]

I meant large end to the back. Thinking and typing aren't always the most accurate working partners. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[krishna]

Now your all thinking!...Never mouth a horse in the lick gift...Kerry

[mandoryan]

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[tope]

My what a large button you would need on the back and a fat heel on the neck.