Short blog from Chris Schwarz on hand cut dovetails

 

https://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/chris-schwarz-blog/dovetailing-trick-beginners?k=O5aSyEQDrOJ71MtJucCkmub0UnqR%2BIUKrY3UU4gftQ8%3D&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=pww-kbo-nl-180502-dovetails

Edited May 3, 20187 yr by lew

I've read this a couple times and still don't follow it all.   It appears he does "tails first?"  Because most of the discussion is about pins and does not discuss tails at all  Then I get confused with "front face" and "inside face" is this relative to the joint or the sawyer, and if the latter, which way does the piece face???

I do tails first, also. It's how I learned so it seems natural to me. That said, I think it's probably 50/50 on how woodworkers choose to do it.

 

As far as faces are concerned, the inside face is the face that will be on the inside of the box, drawer, etc.

 

The sawing tips work for both pins and tails. By sawing down along the line on one of the faces- sort of cutting only partially thru the thickness of the board- you create a path for the saw to follow when leveling out the saw and cutting completely thru the piece. The path of least resistance he mentions.

i hate dovetails.....

 

tried doing them by hand once.  

 

got a jig (actually have 2) for making them.  still spend more time re-reading the directions and doing test cuts, and more test cuts, than actually doing the cuts on the work.

 

easier to just change the design.

 

lock miter is not option B.  also a very fussy joint.

Jigs (but I would go with Leigh if you can) are great when you have a lot of dovetails to cut. Hand cut dovetails have a learning/training curve. One possible option for training for hand cut dovetails is to use a magnetic dovetail guide available from David Barron (at Highland Woodworking) or Katz-Moses (they have their own website). These guides are more like training wheels and can produce very good dovetail joints. Using Chris Schwarz's method in the link above is a good method of learning/training to saw the pins. I would think the method would apply equally to the cutting tails. Sawing accurately is an important skill but chisel technique is equally important to obtaining crisp dovetails joints. 

I seem to find pins first easier for me.....about the only time I do a tails first is with half-blind dovetails....

 

Gave that 4210 jig away years ago....haven't missed it, yet. 

@DAB I have the book for my jig with lots of notes . Also watched a video on the jig and he had the instructions written on the templates . I hjave found that to be a big help.

I think the hardest thing is deciding that one is going to go for it.  Then suddenly it's shocking how easy it is.

On 5/2/2018 at 9:31 PM, kmealy said:

I've read this a couple times and still don't follow it all.   It appears he does "tails first?"  Because most of the discussion is about pins and does not discuss tails at all  Then I get confused with "front face" and "inside face" is this relative to the joint or the sawyer, and if the latter, which way does the piece face???

IS THERE A SKULL DR. IN THE HOUSE? N  THIS LAND OF PLENTY TELL/EXPLAIN TO ME WHY IN THIS WORLD DOES ANYONE WANT TO DO SOMETHING THE "HARD WAY". GOOD GRIEF CHARLIE BROWN! THEYS ALL SORTS/PRICES OF DOVETAIL JIGS & THEY WILL WORK SO GOOD WILL MAKE/CAUSE TEARS TO ROLL DOWN YA CHEEKS/BEARD/??? 

   IS DOING'M A BRAGGING POINT, OR SELF ADMIRED, THAT YOU ACTUALLY DID SOMETHING COMPLICATED?? I'VE BEEN IN WWing MOST OF MY LIFE, & ITS ALWAYS THE QUICKER THE BETTER. YEAW I'M ALSO TUNED INTO 'TAKE YA TIME & DO IT RIGHT'. FOR THE LOVE OF, 'GOOD GRIEF U AINT DONE WITH THAT YET'. YEARS AGO I HOPED TPWW WOULD HAVE/START A DTJig IN/WITH ITS MANY SUGGEESSTTED PLACES, WWing, FREE FA, TOOLS, BUGS, ETC.,ETC. you'll git it.

OK, I'M  GITTIN DOWN OFFN MY STUMP.

COME ON IN WATERS FIND

 

 

On 5/6/2018 at 1:32 PM, Ol Buck said:

WHY IN THIS WORLD DOES ANYONE WANT TO DO SOMETHING THE "HARD WAY

Well for my  money it isn't the hard way.   IT's easier and I think it looks a lot better too.   I can't stand the jig and the router and  the noise and the  dust and  the terrifying  holding on for dear life while the  cutter takes a bite that is insanely too deep.  It all gets on my nerves.

 

Dovetails are pretty. Hand cut ones are prettier. I don't do either one but, I admire those who do. 

We had a pre-civil war tool chest at the woodworking club Saturday.   Had the nicest dovetails I've ever seen on the corners.   Many more inside on the tills.  Someone said, "Do you think they were hand-cut?"    Duh!

Ya think?

9 hours ago, kmealy said:

We had a pre-civil war tool chest at the woodworking club Saturday.   Had the nicest dovetails I've ever seen on the corners.   Many more inside on the tills.  Someone said, "Do you think they were hand-cut?"    Duh!

Do they let him near power saws?

9 hours ago, steven newman said:

Ya think?

Can't  do that with a jig!

On ‎5‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 10:06 AM, lew said:

Can't  do that with a jig!

 

Nope...!

 

...and once one gets the hang of sawing in a straight line, they come out even mo' better... 

 

Hell...some folks complain about their bandsaw not cutting in a straight line...!  (ya think this'll start a ruckus?  No offense intended to those that own such bandsaws...)

 

 

1 hour ago, Nickp said:

 

Nope...!

 

...and once one gets the hang of sawing in a straight line, they come out even mo' better... 

 

Hell...some folks complain about their bandsaw not cutting in a straight line...!  (ya think this'll start a ruckus?  No offense intended to those that own such bandsaws...)

 

 

I thought band saws were for cutting curves and circles????

 

Now, Table Saws , you have a problem.

Why is a TS better than a BS? The blades don't come off the wheels or break.

Why is a BS the same as a TS? you have to have the teeth on the blade facing you and pointing down.

That is all you have to know.

 

Herb

1 hour ago, Nickp said:

No offense intended to those that own such bandsaws...

None taken