"
 Umm, neither of those examples is actually correct. On metalworking machinery, they are dovetail *slides*. They don't join. They make a sliding fit which is resistant to lifting. You can achieve the same effect with box ways by putting a sliding surface along the opposite side from the main bearing surface, but a dovetail is cheaper to make. In turbines, they are not called dovetails and they are not the same shape. They are called ""christmas trees"" in the shop, my aging brain has forgotten the correct technical term. But it ain't ""dovetail."" They are shaped like an upside-down christmas tree with NO SHARP CORNERS. The principal is similar but not the same as a dovetail. Also, in general they are once again not a tight fit. They have to have a fair amnount of clearance to account for large temperature variations. In operation they actually rattle around some. So once again, as this article is mostly about permanent or semi-permanent joints, the use in turbines and metalworking equipment does not seem applicable. 210.22.142.82  "