Dovetail socket

A dovetail socket is a tapered housing in a long face that takes a dovetail tenon.

Depth 12 mm

Depth 20 mm

Depth 30 mm

Dovetail socket. Drawn by the editor's own geometry code; right: the carved part in 3D.

When to use it

Use a dovetail socket where a crossing part hooks into a long face and must not pull out. The socket floor and the far end stay closed.

Fields

Field	Unit	Range or options	Default	What it changes
Position X	mm	-100000 to 100000	1500	Middle of the socket mouth along the part.
Position Y	mm		60	Middle of the socket mouth across the face.
Face		Top, Bottom, Front, Back	Front	The side of the part the processing is on.
Angle	°	-180 to 180	0	Direction of the socket in the face, from the part axis.
Length	mm	0.1 to 50000	80	Length of the socket from the mouth. It must be longer than the end radius.
Width	mm	0.1 to 1000	30	Distance between the flanks at the far end, not the diameter of the round end.
Depth	mm	0.1 to 1000	20	How deep the socket goes. It must be less than the part thickness.
Cone angle	°	0 to 30	0
Flank angle	°	5 to 35	15	Undercut angle of the flanks, 5 to 35°.
Mouth limitation		Closed, Open to timber edge	Closed
Closed end		Square, End radius	End radius	Square end or a round end tangent to both flanks.
End radius	mm	0.1 to 1000	15	Radius of the round end. Radius and width are linked.

Default: what Add fills in on a 3000 mm part of 120 x 120 mm.

Add a dovetail socket

1. Select the part in the Parts list.
2. Under Extra processings, click Add.
3. Type dovetail socket in the search field and pick Dovetail socket.
4. Set Face, Position X, Position Y and Angle. The position is the middle of the socket mouth.
5. Set Length, Width, Depth and Flank angle, then pick the Closed end.
6. Check that the part shows a green check. If not, open the Issues tab.

Caution

Mirroring and moving a socket to another face are not supported. Sockets that overlap other cavities, including drillings, are refused.

Machine export

Format	Status	Details
BTLx	Partly supported	DovetailMortise: a bounded socket on a long face with an explicit flank angle.
BVN (Hundegger)	Not written	Refused: no verified mapping.
BVX2 (Hundegger)	Not written	Refused: no verified mapping.

A file that the app writes is not a check by your machine. See Export for what each format is for.

Related pages

• Dovetail: The classic log building corner joint: a tapered tail that drops into the crossing beam. Fields, drawing accuracy and machine export.
• Mortise: A rectangular housing cut into a face to take a tenon. Fields, defaults, how to add one and how each machine format exports it.
• Birdsmouth: Cut a birdsmouth so a rafter or purlin sits on its support. Point, depth, seat and heel angles, with defaults and machine export.
• Notch: Cut a notch or rebate into a face over part of the length. Angle, width, depth and limits, with defaults and machine export.
• Slot: Cut a straight saw slot or groove along or across a face. Direction, thickness and depth, with defaults and machine export.
• Receiving step notch: Cut the receiving notch for a strut: step, heel or double profile. Fields, limits and machine export for the step joint notch.