The decorative dovetail box I built for my Colorado Client had a gap in the joinery. In this video, I show how to repair the gap so it is invisible.
Dovetail joints are a hallmark of fine woodworking, but even the most experienced craftsmen can encounter small gaps in their work. The good news? Many of these imperfections can be fixed with a little patience and the right technique. In this post, I’ll walk you through how I repaired a gap in a dovetail joint using a scrap piece from the original test cut.
Identifying the Problem
The gap appeared on the widest part of the dovetail, making it relatively easy to assess. Since I always keep my test pieces, I had a perfect color and grain match to work with. This is why saving off-cuts and test cuts is so valuable—when something goes wrong, you often have exactly what you need to make an invisible repair.
Preparing the Repair Piece
I started by eyeballing the thickness of the gap and slicing a small piece from the test stock to fit. A tight fit is crucial, so I took my time sanding the shim until it slid snugly into place. If the fit isn’t perfect, the repair will be much more noticeable, so patience here pays off.
Gluing the Shim in Place
For this fix, I used CA (cyanoacrylate) glue because the fit was tight enough that no gap-filling was necessary. However, if the fit had been looser, I would have opted for colored epoxy, which can fill small voids and be tinted to blend in with the surrounding walnut wood.
After applying a small amount of CA glue, I gently tapped the shim into place and used an activator to speed up the curing process.
Finishing the Repair
Once the glue was set, I carefully sawed off the excess material and sanded the area smooth. The result? A nearly invisible repair. Unless you knew exactly where to look, you’d never spot the fix.
Key Takeaways
- Save your test pieces—they can be invaluable for color-matching repairs.
- Take your time fitting the shim—a tight fit ensures a cleaner result.
- Choose the right adhesive—CA glue works for tight fits, while epoxy is better for gaps.
- Sand and blend carefully—the final touches make all the difference.
Small mistakes happen in woodworking, but with the right approach, they don’t have to ruin a project.
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