Fixing a dovetail
Bill Tindall, E.Tn.
When dovetailing the drawer dividers I occasionally get one a bit tight. Too tight becomes a problem when assembling the case. In the case of this case, 40+ components will be assembled and glued at one time. There isn't time to deal with a sticking part that needs to be nudged into position with a clamp. Too tight is dealt with by planing a smidgen off the flat side of the tail.
Rarely, and annoyingly!, I get one too loose. This problem is also easily fixed. Over the years I have accumulated a stack of veneer-thin strips that came from ripping lumber to width. I select the thickness needed to tighten up the dovetail and glue it on the sloped part of the tail as shown in the picture below.