Dovetail practice

[Shawn Pixley]

I've been practicing my hand cut dovetails. I am using various scraps and offcuts from other projects. This turned out well enough I turned it into a box and gave it to the owners of the local woodcraft. Not my usual style but good practice nevertheless. Sorry for the lousy iPhone photos.

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I am sawing square but tend to oversaw my gauge line. More practice, I know. Finish is an oil varnish mix.

The item behind is a prow for a wooden boat that is in progress at the Woodcraft store.


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The shop dog helps.

[Jim Matthews]

Your standards are considerably higher than mine.

I'm trying to get clean across the bottom of the sawkerf by only sawing the line I can see.
That requires flipping the board 'round to reach the bottom of the opposite side.

It's not ideal, but I can't manage a consistent depth without stop in the saw.

Our own Derek Cohen has recovered the "Kerfing chisel" (http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/TheLastDovetail.html) technique shown by Tage Frid in the past.
I will be using this, to stay clear of the scribe line (which I can barely see, anymore).

PS - The finger pulls in the lift out tray are slick.

[Don Jarvie]

I've found if you cut a hair behind the waste line so it barely shows on the tails you dont have to pare much.

[Jim Koepke]

I've found if you cut a hair behind the waste line so it barely shows on the tails you dont have to pare much.

This sounds like a pins first method. Doing the same thing with pins marked by tails first does the same.

Getting it just right on where to cut is the difference between fitting off the saw or having to pare a little.

jtk

[Chris Griggs]

A lovely little box Shawn. I don't think your dovetails need anymore practice. I like you shop dog!

[Gary Hodgin]

Nice dovetails and nice box. I'm not there yet.

[Shawn Pixley]

Thank you for the kind words. Let me assure you, I need more practice. I struggle with four things.

1. I saw too deep sometimes. I am not sure whether this is related or not to the cutting/stock height issue.
2. The height of my stock can feel wrong when sawing. I am trying to learn to saw western style. I generally saw with pull saws.
3. I need to refine my chopping technique. I am not at my desired level of precision yet.
4. While I am reasonably precise (less the comments above), I am fairly slow.

I went to the local Woodcraft store and looked at the Rob Cosman dovetails from his demonstration there. His are markedly better. I cut tails first. So I have a long way to go. My next is a larger box with thin stop. This presented a different challenge, glue-ups with the thin stock create a clamping challenge to avoid bowing the sides. I haven't yet tried the half blind dovetails, but my next project will require them.

Jim, thanks for Derek's info. I think I can employ some of the finer points. Now, how to build a kerfing chisel?

[Shawn Pixley]

I like you shop dog!

Thanks. He is almost the ideal shop dog. Being deaf, he doesn't react to loud noises, saws, etc...

[Shawn Pixley]

PS - The finger pulls in the lift out tray are slick.

I made a mistake on the tray. I went for about a 1/32" gap (what I might call a "piston fit"). When finished it is even a bit tighter. If you don't lift it straight out, it can bind. The lifting detail is one of my favorite details. I also like using a bowl recess.