Cutting dovetails on a tall piece

[Chris Atzinger]

I have convinced myself this afternoon that I should hand cut dovetails on a white board cabinet I am making instead of whipping out the P-C dovetail jig. This does raise a question I thought I might run by some more experienced folk. The vertical sides of the cabinet are 50" tall and 3.5" wide. My benchtop is 35" high, so when I put the piece in my face vice, i have 15"+ and it flexes and vibrates too much to saw cleanly. Any suggestions on how I can support the piece so that I can cut the tails?

Thanks
-Chris

[Charlie Stanford]

I have convinced myself this afternoon that I should hand cut dovetails on a white board cabinet I am making instead of whipping out the P-C dovetail jig. This does raise a question I thought I might run by some more experienced folk. The vertical sides of the cabinet are 50" tall and 3.5" wide. My benchtop is 35" high, so when I put the piece in my face vice, i have 15"+ and it flexes and vibrates too much to saw cleanly. Any suggestions on how I can support the piece so that I can cut the tails?

Thanks
-Chris

Clamp thick battens at the baseline on the front and back of the tail board. Using a very fine dovetail saw, a high tooth count gent's saw, is also helpful. The more aggressive saws on the market are a liability, IMO, in this particular application.

[Richard Line]

This question also came up a few months back. Try a search for it. In addition to Charlie's suggestion, gang the two tail pieces together and cut them at the same time; that helps stiffen them for the cutting. You can also further stiffen them with boards (ply?) clamped to the tail pieces, from just below the tails to below the face vise.

[Jeff Heath]

I run into this situation frequently, and I don't try to cut them standing up. I lay the board down hanging off the end of the bench just enough to not cut into the bench.

It may seem a little awkward at first, but sawing to a line is...well...sawing to a line. Make a few practice cuts on scrap to get the feel for it. I find now that it's no different in practice. Often (read almost always) I will sit in my shop chair and cut them. This gets me nice and low, and keeps me off my knees, which are completely shot from 35 years of playing hockey.

Jeff

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

I asked this not too long ago:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?187833-dovetailing-long-stock

Some good ideas in that thread,

Things that have worked for me included stabilizing the wood by clamping it against something stiffer (putting both the stock to be dovetailed and a long 2x4 in my leg vise, oriented with the 2" edge against the bench, and clamping the stock close to the cut line up above) helped, cutting horizontally (a pullsaw helped make this more feasible for me) and cutting the cuts on the long stock with a powered jigsaw (if you're doing the tails - I don't know if I'd try and do the pins this way) all have worked well for me since I asked that question. (I've had time to try a few methods since I had to remake one of the doors for that cabinet)

[Jim Koepke]

Does your vise open wide enough to include a 2x4 in front of and behind the work piece?

Also include a light clamp near the top of the work. (but of course below the cut lines.)


jtk

[Jack Curtis]

I run into this situation frequently, and I don't try to cut them standing up. I lay the board down hanging off the end of the bench just enough to not cut into the bench....

Me, too; but then I use Japanese saws and often saw this way for even small pieces.