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For the precise cutting of dovetail joints, look no further than our extensive selection of dovetail cutters (or dovetail milling cutters). Designed to produce highly reliable and predictable dovetail joints, recesses, or chamfers, these handy tools offer precise and detailed results.

Cromwell stocks a wide range of high-quality dovetail cutters, from trusted brands used by industry professionals around the globe.

What are dovetail cutters?

Dovetail cutters are - as the name suggests - primarily used in a milling machine to create the male and female parts (or pins and tails) of dovetail joints. They excel at cutting dovetail angled grooves into a material or workpiece, which allows users to join or fit parts together.

Why a dovetail cutter?

Dovetail joints are extremely strong and are typically the go-to joint for joining two pieces of wood at perfect right angles. As an added benefit, dovetail joints can be strikingly beautiful when used for high-end furniture, as two complimentary wood colours can be joined into a single, seamless joint.

This makes dovetail joints a go-to for professional craftsmen, meaning a reliable dovetail cutter is required to produce them.

Dovetail cutters are highly versatile and are commonly used on metal, too. For example, dovetail cutters can be used to create the slots that keep jet turbine blades connected to the engine shaft.

Our vast range of dovetail cutters means industry professionals trust Cromwell time and time again to deliver class-leading cutters and tools.

When are dovetail cutters used?

Dovetail joints are commonly used in furniture creation, thanks to their inherent resistance and tensile strength. A few of the most commonplace uses for a dovetail joint (and therefore a dovetail cutter) include:

• Furniture, such as drawers, cabinets, shelves, etc.
• Dovetail slides on a lathe
• Attaching turbine blades to jet engine shafts
• Joining bodies to necks in guitars, basses, violins and other instruments
• Masonry

If you're looking for the ideal dovetail cutter for your jobs but aren't sure about the best one for you, feel free to ask our experts for specialised advice.

Types of dovetail cutter

Standard dovetail cutter - Standard dovetail cutters are the most common type of dovetail cutter, used to produce dovetail slideways.
Inverted dovetail cutter - Inverted dovetail cutters are used to produce inverted dovetail slides as well as angular recesses and chamfers.

Considerations when choosing a dovetail cutter

• Material - The two most popular materials available for dovetail cutters are as follows:

HSS - HSS (high speed steel) is the most commonly used material for dovetail cutters, thanks to its relative strength and dependability combined with its cost effectiveness.
Cobalt - Cobalt dovetail cutters offer better strength, reliability, and longevity over HSS cutters. Cobalt cutters are the perfect choice for professionals who use dovetail cutters on a regular basis.

FAQs

What angle is a dovetail cutter?
Modern dovetail cutters are typically available with an included angle of 45 degrees. Another common angle for more general usage is 60 degrees, and some dovetail cutters are available with an included angle of 90 degrees.