Should I channel my inner Klaus?

[Tony Wilkins]

I’ve decided to build a Dutch tool chest. It calls for dovetails on the bottom. My only experience with the joint is test joints. Most of the time I’ve done it tails first but when I tried pins first I liked it.

my question is: should I go for pins first when I make the tool chest?

[steven c newman]

Might as well...
380359
Makes it easier to lay out the tails this way...

[Tony Wilkins]

Might as well...
380359
Makes it easier to lay out the tails this way...

Forgot to mention that is one of the reasons I am considering this. My only vise is a moxon and it seems quite a kludge to try to transfer the other direction. It seems that all I see transferring tails is done in a front vise of some description.

[ken hatch]

Forgot to mention that is one of the reasons I am considering this. My only vise is a moxon and it seems quite a kludge to try to transfer the other direction. It seems that all I see transferring tails is done in a front vise of some description.

Toney,

If your Moxon doesn't have a shelf just find a hunk of scrap slightly wider than your Moxon is tall. Put your pin board in the Moxon so it is the same height as the hunk of scrap. Place the tail board on the pin board and the HOS, mark away. BTW, the 140 trick can help aline the base line.

ken

[steven c newman]

Just remember which side of the lines is the waste side. When you saw, leave the lines, and saw on the waste side of the lines. the more of the lines are left, the tighter the joint will be.....you can always pare a bit for fit.

[David Eisenhauer]

6 of 1, 1/2 dozen of the other Tony. Do whatever feels like the thing to do. Or, change it up somewhere along the way and do it the other way for a while. Don't overthink it and go ahead and build the tool chest. It has already been proven that either way will work, so it'll all work out. You may decide to not do something "that way" again, but you will have the chest and some more experience.

[Don Dorn]

I can only tell you that I learned dovetailing from watching Frank a number of times and practiced till I had it. Therefore, I'm a pins first person but have tried to do tails first. It just never worked out as well so I quit fighting it and have stuck with Pins first. Not sure it makes a difference but since you said "inner Klausz, I can only imagine we are in the same boat.

[Derek Cohen]

I’ve decided to build a Dutch tool chest. It calls for dovetails on the bottom. My only experience with the joint is test joints. Most of the time I’ve done it tails first but when I tried pins first I liked it.

my question is: should I go for pins first when I make the tool chest?

Hey Tony, a few weeks ago you were complaining that you never finished a project. Now you are beginning yet another. What happened to the other projects?

Focus ... focus ... focus. :)

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Tony Wilkins]

Hey Tony, a few weeks ago you were complaining that you never finished a project. Now you are beginning yet another. What happened to the other projects?

Focus ... focus ... focus. :)

Regards from Perth

Derek

It’s one of those projects.

[Mike Baker 2]

Awesome! Glad to see you pushing forward.

[James Pallas]

You should be very careful about saying your experimenting with pins first. That may be the third rail of woodworking. You could be cast out and banished from the rolls. If you do decide to do so you should be quiet about it. Good luck in your adventures. :) It does however work very well if you are willing to risk the wrath of the backsiders oops I mean the tails firsters.
Jim

[Tony Wilkins]

You should be very careful about saying your experimenting with pins first. That may be the third rail of woodworking. You could be cast out and banished from the rolls. If you do decide to do so you should be quiet about it. Good luck in your adventures. :) It does however work very well if you are willing to risk the wrath of the backsiders oops I mean the tails firsters.
Jim

If I really wanted to get things going I’d ask how Paul Sellers does it :0

[Jim Koepke]

The best way to do dovetails is the best way that works for you.

My observation was mentioned in my last project post with dovetails about making a box from firewood. For me it is easier to saw a square vertical line than it is to saw square across end grain. So my results are better when my weakness goes first cutting the tails and then transferring the tail outline to the pin board for cutting.

If someone has more trouble keeping square on the vertical but cuts well across end grain, then it might be better for them to cut pins first.

One time when practicing dovetails my attempt at cutting pins first surprised me by coming out better that day.

jtk

[David Justice]

Absolutely! Whatever works for you is the way to do it. All that matters is how it looks and works when completed.

[Tony Wilkins]

Here’s an update after I’ve got the pin board initially cleaned out...
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