Inside the Innovation: How Calibrated Collinear Marking Works

TL;DR: Let’s unpack how TailSpin’s patented marking tools work, and why calibrated offset, physical registration, and simultaneous marking result in a more efficient dovetail layout.

Recap & setup

Previously, we talked about the transfer problem and how Myko founded TailSpin to solve it. Now we dig into how the solution works.

What does “collinear” mean?

On the TailSpin website, collinear is defined as:

“Passing through or lying on the same straight line. … Having a common line.” tailspintools.com+1
Essentially: you want your layout marks on the pin board and tail board to line up exactly. No offset, no mis‑alignment, no guesswork.
The calibration built into the tools ensures the pencil line winds up precisely where it should. As the Fine Woodworking article explains:
“When you mark a line off of a ruler, the line never winds up EXACTLY next to the ruler. There is always some offset. The TailSpin tools have that offset built into them, so the line winds up exactly where you want it.” FineWoodworking+1

Physical registration vs eyeballing

With traditional methods, much depends on your eye, muscle, and how well you align the parts. The TailSpin system uses:

• Two boards clamped or held face‑to‑face so their reference surfaces are flat and aligned. tailspintools.com+1

• A gauge calibrated to a 0.7 mm mechanical pencil (for example) for fine lines. tailspintools.com+1

• A sliding or indexing mechanism that allows you to mark multiple faces (pin board + tail board) consecutively without repositioning. tailspintools.com

The result: the same layout marks are transferred to both boards in one workflow, without using one board as the “template” for the other.

Specific workflow highlights

From Myko’s description:

• Start by joining the two boards in the orientation they will be assembled (outside faces together). tailspintools.com+1

• Mark the layout lines with the mechanical pencil and gauge on the combined board stack.

• Then use the calibrated gauge to mark both boards simultaneously.

• Because of the registration of the tool to the board surfaces, no further measurement or alignment is required for the transfer step.

• When you separate the boards for cutting, they carry matching layout lines, ready for sawing.

Comparison to traditional layout

Myko empirically compared his method:

Using TailSpin I marked out and entire set of dovetails — both sides of the joint — in 2 min 54 s. Using the traditional bevel gauge and square I marked only the pinboard in 2 min 05 s, and marking the tails plus transfer pushed the total to 9 min 05 s. tailspintools.com
That kind of time saving adds up when you’re doing multiple drawer boxes or production work.

Why other tools don’t quite match it

Traditional tools (divider, square, bevel gauge) depend on partial transfers, alignment by eye, secondary marks, and adjustments. As Ben Strano notes:

“For most joinery… layout is taken for granted and cutting is the hard part. … Most dovetailing issues can be traced back to a bad transfer.” FineWoodworking+1
TailSpin’s key innovations: built‑in offset, simultaneous layout of both boards, and eliminating the awkward transfer step.

Now that you understand how calibrated collinear marking works, check out a demo video on the TailSpin site and consider how your workflow might change. In our next post, we’ll look at real‑world benefits: when this method shines, what projects to apply it to, and tips for implementing it in your shop.