Smart Tails hand cut dovetail jigs

[Charles Neil]

had alot of emails and request to show these so we filmed it... here is the link ....hope ya like

http://www.antiquesbuiltdaily.com/tips.htm

[Bob Noles]

Thanks Charles, your work is always appreciated.

[harry strasil]

neat jig, but my old antique dovetail saw will go the depth of the saw blade in one push.

[mike holden]

"but my old antique dovetail saw will go the depth of the saw blade in one push"
Gee Harry, if you can't control it, what good is it? (G,D,&R)
Mike

[harry strasil]

LOL, Good one Mike, it just seemed to me that he was using a dull saw as he used a lot of unneccesary strokes of the saw to accomplish a simple one or two stroke job.

[David DeCristoforo]

"...he used a lot of unneccesary strokes of the saw to accomplish a simple one or two stroke job..."

I'm biting my tongue so hard it's bleeding.....

[harry strasil]

LOL, not sure what you meant by that, but if a saw is that dull, sharpen it.

I always cut from the front side with the saw held level with the cut, that way any rough edges or a bit to deep a cut is on the back side, and a lot of times I don't even lay out the dovetails or angles, just what looks right and cut, you are gonna mark the pins from the tails anyway. I don't do those iddy biddy dovetails either so no need for special iddy biddy special chisels. I guess its my years as a blacksmith repairing weak things, I like hefty joints.

So I'm an oddball, the only one I have to satisfy is myself.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Harry

I don't think that the saw was necessarily blunt - if it was a Japanese saw (as Charles mentioned reversing the blade of a Western saw to imitate a Japanese saw) - typically Japanese saws are about 20-26 ppi, which could make one cut really slow.

But I agree, a 15 ppi Western saw, like my IT, would cut that in a about 3-4 strokes.

Hi Charles

That is a very nice jig, and I think that it should help a lot of would-be dovetailers get started. Well done.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Charles Neil]

actually...that saw was pretty dull....I used it to test using different grades of alumnium and brass...the soft grades were no issue but i got into some grade 8 or something and well its time to sharpen it up....usually its only 3 or 4 strokes on that one and 2 or 3 on an eastern saw i have