Dovetail poll

[Keith Christopher]

When cutting dovetails, do you prefer to saw out the waste then clean up with a chisel or chisel it all out start to finish ?

[Jim Koepke]

Having tried both ways, using a fret saw to clear most of the waste and then pare down what is left seems to not only be quicker, but in softer woods lowers the chances of blowout.

So put me down for sawing out the waste.

jim

[Brian Kent]

Assuming you mean after sawing with a dovetail saw, I have just followed Frank Klausz' "Dovetail a Drawer" video and find that I usually do not have to cope out the waste first. That changes if the stock is more than 1/2" thick or if using brittle wood like white oak.

[Rich Neighbarger]

put me down as chisel for clean up only.

[John Keeton]

I am a Rob Cosman kind of guy, so my vote was for using a saw as much as possible. I enjoy paring with a chisel - not so much for the chopping!

[Russ Massery]

Same here I use the Cosman method. I fret saw saw out the waste.

[gary Zimmel]

One more for the Cosman method here.

Cope saw to cut as much waste as posible

[Frank Drew]

I can't imagine doing dovetails with only a chisel; mortises, sure, if you choose to, but dovetails?

[Sean Hughto]

What exactly is hard to imagine?

You need to saw pretty close to the base line, or you will have a lot of paring to do. With a chisel, you chop to arrive at (or very very close to) the baseline, and little or no paring to do.

I made a goofy one minute thirty second movie when I was making a drawer a few month back. I wasn't really trying to show how to make dovetails as much as goofing around with sound effects and just playing, but it shows me chopping (a la Tage Frid and others) if it helps you imagine it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chevy_chase_hughtos/3496155520/

[Rick Erickson]

+3 on the Cosman method. It doesn't get any easier than that. TAILS FIRST!!! :eek: Sorry, I didn't mean to start something ;)

[Frank Drew]

Sean,

If what we're talking about is no sawing at all, just chopping out dovetails (pins and tails) with a chisel, what I couldn't imagine is why anyone would want to do it in such an inefficient manner, but to each his or her own, I guess.

[Keith Christopher]

For me it depens on the tails but lately I've been noticing a better fit when using a chisel the entire process. Make a small relief cut towards the mark line then straight down with a sharp chisel.

[Sean Hughto]

Frank, I invite anyone to jump in here if I'm wrong, but as I read the original post in this thread we are talking about removing the waste once the tail or pin sides have been sawn. Some folks use a coping saw or jewlers saw to cut out the waste close to the baseline, while others, like me, prefer to chop it out.

[Stephen Reid]

Just my view on this but I think the question is how do you remove the waste after the cuts with the dovetail saw.I use the coping saw to cut out as much waste as possible. Then hopefully not much paring needed.Clean out to your base line then you're done.Personally I find it faster and I have to admit everything I know about hand cut dovetails I learned from Rob Cosman video's.For sure I am tails first!!!!! When I make drawers I stake both sides and cut both sets of tails at once. A big time saver.Can't cut two sets of pins at once:confused:(at least I can't)To each your own I think as long as the end result is what you are after how you get there is what makes this a fun hobby for so many of us.:)

[Don C Peterson]

I'm a chisel guy. I have tried using a coping saw and I can't say that I get better results either way. It just seems simpler and easier for me to make the cuts with the DT saw then use chisels for the rest. Less switching tools, and in most wood I can remove the waste faster with a chisel than with a saw.

I'm also a tails first kind of guy...mostly

[Frank Drew]

Sean,

You're probably correct and I didn't understand the original question ("... chisel it all out start to finish.")

[Leo Graywacz]

I use a router and jig. Never did a hand cut before

[Don Dorn]

I'm a chisel guy ala Frank Klausz method. I recently bought the Cosman video (and book) and have tried it but having difficulty getting clean bottoms after the use of the fret saw. Not sure I understand it well enough, but if the whole waste is there, it serves as support while you chisel. If you cut most of it out, I'm struggling trying to chop out what little is left.

It's not that I don't agree with the Cosman method - he gets beautiful results - it's just harder for me to do this because I'm so used to chopping them out.

[harry strasil]

+1, tails first, and chiseling

[Wilbur Pan]

I chisel them out, because sawing out the waste doesn't provide the same stress relieving properties of pounding away on a tool with a hammer. ;)

[Derek Cohen]

I'm a chisel guy ala Frank Klausz method. I recently bought the Cosman video (and book) and have tried it but having difficulty getting clean bottoms after the use of the fret saw. Not sure I understand it well enough, but if the whole waste is there, it serves as support while you chisel. If you cut most of it out, I'm struggling trying to chop out what little is left.

It's not that I don't agree with the Cosman method - he gets beautiful results - it's just harder for me to do this because I'm so used to chopping them out.

Whether you chop or pare out the waste, you should never do this deeper than half way through the waste. Ditto on the thickness of the "slice" you remove - only pare away what comes cleanly, and when you chop, leave enough waste at the line to avoid breaking/blowing out (spelching).

Still, for all activities, only work to the mid point.

I use both methods. There are times when it is easier to chop, but I do prefer the precision afforded (not guaranteed) by paring. Sawing just allows one to proceed to paring rapidly.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Bruce Page]

I am a Rob Cosman kind of guy, so my vote was for using a saw as much as possible. I enjoy paring with a chisel - not so much for the chopping!

I’m with John on this. I’ve only made a few dovetails at his point but the first few practice runs were chisel only (don’t ask me why..) and it was way too much work.

[Billy Chambless]

I use both methods. There are times when it is easier to chop, but I do prefer the precision afforded (not guaranteed) by paring. Sawing just allows one to proceed to paring rapidly.




And brings up a problem with most "technique" polls: there's rarely a response that begins "It depends...".

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

you need an option shat says " It depends."