I had a little fun in the shop yesterday and today trying to get my dovetails to look reasonable. I have tried to cut them in the past with mixed results, and never actually used them in any projects I have done, but I really want to learn to cut this joint by hand and I think I am on my way.

My attempt a couple weeks ago yielded sloppy results, I was using 3/4" pine and the softness of the pine made it difficult to chop the waste out.

Earlier practice

My attempt earlier was rushed too, I clicked on a YouTube video in my home, took mental notes and carried them into the shop and just went at it, I also had a little too much coffee.

Latest attempt

This time, I sat down with purpose, and focus, and took each step slowly and deliberately. I am a big fan of the Mortise and Tenon Magazine and the editors thereof, I think I might have everything they have published and a few other wonderful reads off their store.

I pulled my "Joined" book out of my library, and I carefully read through the chapter for through dovetails, and verbatim I followed each step to the letter, and I am pleasantly pleased with my progress on this 1/2" thick Poplar board. I finished each step, and turned the page of the "Joined" book slowly, and thoughtfully and worked through it.

It was a combination of less coffee, more focus, slowing my roll, accepting the fact that the first few runs are going to take awhile, and just like anything once the understanding comes clear and the techniques get comfortable, I'll be more efficient and better in the future, it'll just take time and practice.

The book "Joined" by Joshua A. Klein is meant to be at the bench, to be used and abused, and referenced frequently, this is the first time I have used the book for its intended purposed since I bought it over a year ago, needless to say, it now has a permanent place at my bench.

Below are my dovetails, and, it was a fit the first shot, I pressed the joint together and gave it some taps with my steel hammer head and they sat in pretty good, not bad! Still needs much work, but it's light years ahead of my attempt above, but my above attempt was a needed stepping stone to get to this point. And uh, ya, I need to be careful how I tap my tails in to the pins, you can see some hammer marks in the tails. 🤷

The tails and pins sat a hair proud, I planed them down with a few swipes of a plane.

Feel free to share your dovetails in this topic so I can see how you are doing, and so I have something to aspire too. 😊

The above book can be found in a bundle now, at a great price, I bought both Joined and Worked separately as they came out, but the bundled price is a wonderful deal.

Mortise & Tenon Magazine

Bundle: “Worked” & “Joined”

A Two-Book Discounted Bundle Worked: A Bench Guide to Hand-Tool Efficiency & Joined: A Bench Guide to Furniture Joinery  By: Joshua A. Klein In Joined: A Bench Guide to Furniture Joinery, author J

Most excellent!!!

1 minute ago, lew said:

Most excellent!!!

Thanks sir.

I even took both attempts into the house and proudly showed my wife and she was impressed! It's funny how grown men like little boys, still try to impress the women in our lives, and seek that patronizing "oh very nice honey, good job!". 🤣

Ain’t that the truth…

Nice writeup John! You're making progress, getting better, and that's good!! Dovetails are one of those noble pursuits IMO. It requires alot of practice and attention to little details. Developing a muscle memory is important.

Paul Sellers, Rob Cosman, and Frank Klausz are some people to watch on YouTube. I've made a number of posts about Dovetails. Here's one.

Biggest tip I have for doing Dovetails?

NEVER get in a hurry....

Always saw on the waste side of the line

Always mark which is the waste...usually with an "X" Oh, and knife the "Baselines" keeps things from splitting out into the face of a board..

Sometimes, I forget to abuse the Baseline..

1 hour ago, MrRick said:

Nice writeup John! You're making progress, getting better, and that's good!! Dovetails are one of those noble pursuits IMO. It requires alot of practice and attention to little details. Developing a muscle memory is important.

Paul Sellers, Rob Cosman, and Frank Klausz are some people to watch on YouTube. I've made a number of posts about Dovetails. Here's one.

Thanks for the tips and link to your DT's Rick! Beautiful work.

The videos you listed seem to pop up among recommended videos for the DT beginner, reliable and straight forward, just how I like my instructions to be, thanks for the tips Rick!

32 minutes ago, steven newman said:

Biggest tip I have for doing Dovetails?

NEVER get in a hurry....

Thanks Steve! And more tips as you suggested, thanks all of them, and it looks like your DT's are going to last a few lifetimes, thanks for support and tips sir!

I love the London style dovetails, the elegance and slenderness, my goal for now.

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And they look spectacular as half blinds, IMHO.

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I love them too John! Definitely a challenge getting those pins so narrow!

One of the earlier pieces I made for Mimi was a blanket chest. I had been using a Porter-Cable dovetail jig for dovetails but wanted to try my hand at had cutting them. I talked to a friend, who collected early American chests and we discussed the joinery. I was surprised to learn that the current dovetail "philosophy" is very much different than what it was way back then. He showed me that dovetails were quick and dirty ways to make strong joints. They were most often hidden, sloppy connections. Often shimmed to fill imperfections and covered with veneers. It wasn't until later on that it became a status thing among woodworkers

!

A close inspection of the lower front corner shows where I had to add a thin piece to fill a gap.

I was getting a little better when I got to redoing our bathroom. The vanity was made from red oak but I used poplar for the drawers and added false fronts. Through dovetails.

I guess the bottom line is that I don't get too upset if my dovetails are not of the quality of some of the early "masters".

That really looks good lew!

56 minutes ago, lew said:

I guess the bottom line is that I don't get too upset if my dovetails are not of the quality of some of the early "masters".

Reading Sotheby's book on Early American Furniture a few years ago, they pinpointed the region and time period Dovetails started showing up and for that time. It was a game changer and you are right Lew, in the beginning they were crude and utilitarian, till they weren't.

By the way, nice DT's Lew!

My two cents.....

While they say dovetails were strictly employed for practical reasons back then and today, they appear on furniture primarily for decorative and aesthetic reasons...I don't completely buy it.

My Swedish side (Dad's side) were cabinet makers and they always took pride in their dovetails. For them, cutting dovetails by hand was considered a real benchmark in the development and training of a furniture maker back then. I personally feel it is a skill every novice woodworker should aspire to master.

Interesting to note...

I have an 1830 English sideboard (with certificate of authenticity) made out of solid oak. The drawers are hand cut dovetails. The dovetails are quite perfect. They are "London style" look closely and zoom in. Keep in mind these were hand cut by saw and chisel. Back in 1830!

Sometimes..things take a curve..

Sometimes they're done in contrast

5 hours ago, steven newman said:

Biggest tip I have for doing Dovetails?

NEVER get in a hurry....

The first dovetail lesson I had was from Frank Klausz. He stressed speed (probably mostly just showing off). It took me a while to learn to slow down.

Paul Sellers posted this week that the most important thing was to make your cuts for the tails SQUARE.

And muscle memory is important, I think.

Now for the big question: Pins first or tails first (running and ducking for cover)

4 minutes ago, kmealy said:

Now for the big question: Pins first or tails first (running and ducking for cover)

4 minutes ago, kmealy said:

Now for the big question: Pins first or tails first

I watched a maker cut the London style DTs and his statement was always pins first for those, to get a marking knife or even pencil into the slim pin openings if you did the tails first is difficult.

Always tails first. Always. Cosman says this and so does Sellers.

Edited April 20Apr 20 by MrRick