Dovetail Base Line Cutting

[David Eisenhauer]

I have always chopped out my dovetail baselines because I could never consistently make a coping saw work for me. I never felt I could control the cut to stay close to the baseline without cutting into the base line and working the blade down the saw cuts to get down towards the baseline with the coping saw blade further degraded the appearance of my saw cuts (and I definitely don't need any more of that). I basically quit trying to use a coping saw and stayed with chopping. Due to reading daily (and watching You Tube videos) of others sawing out the bulk of the waste, I recently afforded myself a basic ("entry" level) Knew Concepts fret saw. Oh my, I now see what everyone has been talking about with this "just saw out the waste, then pare to the line" business. Hey Presto, it is so much quicker than chopping and, when the blade starts getting too close to the baseline, the blade obeys the command to climb up and away from the baseline. Chopping works just fine, but it takes quite a bit more time than the one dovetail (to date) that I have used the saw on. I got the 5" saw without the quick release function and the blade turning capability to hold the cost down because I truly can't afford a $100 fret saw at this time, but could go the $65 or so. I have been converted by the fine blade kerf and the tension available to apply to the blade by this saw as compared to my older coping saw.

[Jim Koepke]

David,

You are not the only one converted by a decent saw. Before finishing your post my mind was working on a response to tell you about the benefits of a good fret saw.

Your $65 saved a lot of pixels today.

jtk

[Andy Nichols]

Use the Cosman version, just a fret saw with tension nut at the end and a good skip tooth blade bent about 30 deg to the side, works great and much cheaper...no doubt the Knew Concepts is a great saw though.

Andy,
-- mos maiorum

[Derek Cohen]

Hi David

This may help you to progress ...


As with the dovetail saw, the fretsaw must be held as lightly as possible. Never force the cut. Let the saw do the work. A way of determining how you are doing is to watch the blade – it should hardly deflect. You should be rewarded with a fairly straight saw cut.



http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/ThroughDovetails3_html_m46d81eff.jpg

Link: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/ThroughDovetails3.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

[David Eisenhauer]

Thanks guys. I had no problem with my sample cut earlier this afternoon. As Derek says, all it needed was a light hand and let it work. I use both hands on the handle of a coping saw and that technique worked for me with the new saw. The difference was in the effectiveness of the blade (it seemed to cut more aggressively than my old coping saw but made a finer cut than my coping saw does) and it was much more responsive to my intended direction changes. This saw cuts with less effort and less effort equates more control in my experience. Every now and then, one receives value for the $ spent.