Originally Posted by
steven c newman
About Dovetails..:rolleyes:
Some say you have to have the thinnest saw plate known to man...or you just can't cut a dovetail....Super thin kerf !!!....just means more waste to remove.
???¿¿¿ Is my logic off in thinking it is the same amount of waste to be removed no matter what tools are put to the task?
Some say you NEED a fret saw, again with a hair thing blade ( that sometimes breaks if you sneeze on it) Hmm..one more tool to buy...and still NEED a chisel..
???¿¿¿ There have been many posts of people mentioning the advantages of coping saws and fret saws. The ones saying for cutting dovetails you "NEED" one must have slipped passed me.
BTW once the key to using a fret saw was learned, very few of my blades have been broken. If the blade is not tight, it will likely bend and break. The blade should "sing" when plucked if it is tight enough. If one is thinking of acquiring a fret saw make sure it has an easy way to adjust blade tension.
Some say you need x amount of teeth on the super thin dovetail saw....something like 126teeth? My saw has the same amount of teeth, just they are spread out over 14".
???¿¿¿ There is a lot to be said for the person who can cut clean dovetails in a piece of 1/4" stock with a 5 ppi rip saw and clean it out with a single push of a chisel. Again, the posts declaring this is the only way to cut a dovetal elude me.
Besides, once one feels the ease of control when using a saw made specifically for the task it feels great, not flimsy.
Some say..you NEED to build a fancy vise to hold the parts...a Moxxon?
Some say you need to buy ("from me!) a special chisel....some for getting into a thin kerf, or back into a back corner....
Oh, and, Heaven forbid you do not pocess a fancy guide to help guide your saw cuts...
All for something that is just a simple rip cut. Wondering what Old man Hepplewhite would say.....let alone Roy Underhill...
Just sitting, letting the right knee rest up a bit....carry on.