lew Posted May 3, 2018 Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 (edited) 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, 2018 by lew Gerald, Stick486 and kmealy 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmealy Posted May 3, 2018 Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 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??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted May 3, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 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. kmealy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAB Posted May 3, 2018 Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 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. Dadio and lew 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarletjim Posted May 3, 2018 Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 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. lew and Grandpadave52 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven newman Posted May 4, 2018 Report Share Posted May 4, 2018 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. Grandpadave52 and lew 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald Posted May 4, 2018 Report Share Posted May 4, 2018 @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. lew 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted May 6, 2018 Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 I think the hardest thing is deciding that one is going to go for it. Then suddenly it's shocking how easy it is. HARO50 and lew 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 6, 2018 Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted May 16, 2018 Report Share Posted May 16, 2018 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. HARO50 and steven newman 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Howe Posted May 16, 2018 Report Share Posted May 16, 2018 Dovetails are pretty. Hand cut ones are prettier. I don't do either one but, I admire those who do. HARO50 and steven newman 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmealy Posted May 16, 2018 Report Share Posted May 16, 2018 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! Gene Howe, steven newman, Grandpadave52 and 2 others 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven newman Posted May 16, 2018 Report Share Posted May 16, 2018 Ya think? HARO50 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Howe Posted May 16, 2018 Report Share Posted May 16, 2018 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? HARO50 and steven newman 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted May 16, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2018 9 hours ago, steven newman said: Ya think? Can't do that with a jig! Gene Howe, Nickp and steven newman 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickp Posted May 17, 2018 Report Share Posted May 17, 2018 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...) Dadio and schnewj 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dadio Posted May 17, 2018 Report Share Posted May 17, 2018 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 HARO50 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted May 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2018 1 hour ago, Nickp said: No offense intended to those that own such bandsaws... None taken HARO50 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.