Double Twisted Dovetails

I have seen this joint on a couple of pieces of furniture and was intrigued. Time to have a go myself. The joint looks as if it is impossible to put together-the secret is to have the angle the same on both the face and edge of the pins and tails. The joint is then assembled at 45 degrees. It demands extreme precision or it won't go together (don't ask me how I know this!) Have a look at the pictures and maybe have a go yourself?

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Prepare your boards flat and square. Using a marking gauge run a line around the two pieces, marking to the depth of the parts.
Layout the joint using a bevel gauge-I set mine to about 15 degrees. (the actual amount is unimportant, as long as you use it for all the marking out.)
Then saw out the waste. The cuts need to be spot on.
Both parts cut and cleaned up.
The joint is assembled at 45 degrees-put the edges together and wrestle them together. My first attempt split just as I got the pieces fully home. The degree of accuracy needed is very high!

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