handcutting dovetails

[Boyd]

I finally decided to take the plunge and try my first attempt at cutting dovetails. I sharpened my chisels, layed out my lines with an exacto knife and then proceeded to cut about the worst dovetails I bet anyone's ever cut in the history of mankind. In fact I bet a neanderthal with a copper axe probably did better by a couple orders of magnitude!! Now my own autopsy findings suggested a few possible causes.....1)soft cedar wood that broke out rather than chiseled out smoothly(picked cedar because it was for a box to stay outdoors) and 2) somehow I strayed off the line when I was cutting the shoulders for the pins/tails so my fit suffered. My correction would be to improve the lighting where I'm working and stop and check the backside line more frequently instead of just following the line on the facing side. If anyone else has any pearls of wisdom they've learned I'd welcome the chance to learn from you......Boyd

[T_Connor]

Did you use a coping saw? When I started to use one, that solved my rough chiseling problems, similar to what you describe.

There are a lot of opinions on dovetailing by hand, but the best advice I ever saw was to rent a video and then practice a method that is comfortable to you over and over.

Tim

[Boyd]

I used a nice Japanese saw for the vertical cuts but then tried to chisel out the waste since that's how the guy did it in a demonstration I watched at the ww'ing show when it was in town. When I started to get frustrated I used the bandsaw to get out most of the waste and then tried to finish it with the chisel. Boyd

[WoodMangler]

I have posted Dano's excellent Primers on my web site.
Check out his primer on [link:www.fortunecity.com/business/busfour/64/id33.htm|Hand cut dovetails]...

Also, my friend Norm in Fujino Japan has just put a complete tutorial on his web site... Lots of pictures!

You can [link:www2.gol.com/users/nhavens/htmlfile/dt1-e.html|Click Here] to go there :)

[Billy B]

My goodness who is this Danford C Jennings fellow, is he some sort of God (Bowing):) ? What tremendous information!

Just when I thought my favorites folder was full and that I had a resource for everything, you give me another for good measure.

Thanks for sharing Marc, outstanding!

Billy B.

[aawood]

OH, PLEASE!!! (rolling eyes). Don't get him started!:)

(Just joking, Dano :) )

[WoodMangler]

I'm sure he'll be a famous author soon...

... and I'll be able to say "yea... I knew that guy when he was just an ordinary guy hangin around woodworking.com forum" ;)

[Lou_williams]

Billy,

Dano is a friend. He is also a Professional furniture maker and high end reproduction finish carpenter.

He was trained in the Europe style early and knows hand tools better than anyone else that posts on this forum.

He has had a desire to make sure that information he has gained through training and practical experience over the past 30+ years goes on to others.

When enough questions would come up he would take the time to write a primer on the subject.

His is not the only way, maybe not even the best way, but it is a way to do quality work his knowledge is vast.

This forum is a much better place when he posts.

[Danford C Jennings]

Tony,

Not to worry; when I first saw Billy's post I too rolled my eyes...

I'm both embarrassed and flattered by Marc's and Lou's posts, though I appreciate their kind words.

Dano

[Danford C Jennings]

Boyd,

'Bout the only "pearls of wisdom" that I can offer up is to use a marking knife instead of an X-Acto knife. The stiffer blade on a marking knife goes a long way in accurate lay out. I'll also suggest that you insure that your paring chisels are razor sharp and make smaller paring cuts; even on a softwood like "Cedar" shavings should result from those cuts regardless if they're made on the end grain or long grain...and of course, practice...FWIW.

Dano