Getting ready to teach

[Matt Evans]

I've been getting ready to teach a new-ish employee how to cut dovetails.

Had to make another twin screw vise, and wasn't wanting to run another batch of wooden screws, so I grabbed a few offcuts from screws I have shortened the past year or two for one reason or another and turned some very basic hand wheels.

Got it all wrapped up the other day, so last night I gave it a whirl to make sure it was 100%.

Worked perfectly, so the dovetail training starts on Tuesday.

[Frederick Skelly]

Your vise is a work of art in and of itself. I love the figure and the sculpted front edge. The hand wheels are delightful too.

Question. In the 4th pic you have what looks like a fixture to hold the horizontal board square. I cant quite make out whats happening - it sorta looks like you hold the tail board vertical in the vise and trace the tails onto the pin board. Is that so? How do you get a marking knife in there to do the trace - it seems like that would be tough to do well?

Thanks,
Fred

[Jim Koepke]

Very nice work on the vise. Your employee is most fortunate.

jtk

[Matt Evans]

Your vise is a work of art in and of itself. I love the figure and the sculpted front edge. The hand wheels are delightful too.

Question. In the 4th pic you have what looks like a fixture to hold the horizontal board square. I cant quite make out whats happening - it sorta looks like you hold the tail board vertical in the vise and trace the tails onto the pin board. Is that so? How do you get a marking knife in there to do the trace - it seems like that would be tough to do well?

Thanks,
Fred

Thanks. Depending on what sort of marking knife you use and how small you make your half pin, it does cramp the area. Not a big issue for me for a few reasons.
A: I made the "tail" of the fixture thinner than the boards being dovetailed. This allows the fixture to be removed to mark the last pin if needed. I normally leave it in place though.
B: I don't use a marking knife. I use a long scratch awl and a mechanical pencil normally. I do use a knife on the face of the board to help create a chisel ledge at the marking gauge line, but that about it.

Very nice work on the vise. Your employee is most fortunate.

jtk

Thanks. He does pick things up relatively quickly, so hopefully he'll have a few projects of his own under his belt soon. The dovetails he'll be working on are for a small Poplar tool chest for his use in the shop. I'll be working beside him on a few hope chests of a similar design to the tool chest, so he can look over and see how the joints are made.

[James Pallas]

Really well done set up Matt. Putting good tools in the hands of your employee will encourage them to do a good job. An investment in your future is always worthwhile.
Jim

[Richard Jones]

Can't say anything any better than all of the above posters. Excellent work and ethic.

[Matt Evans]

Well, for a first go with minimal instruction and oversight, not too bad. I had to step out to meet with customers so didn't get a chance to correct/instruct as much as I should have.

He'll need to get it sanded, painted and make the tills.

I've pointed out methodology corrections, will keep a closer watch as he does the tills later on. (Plus, 5 hope chests are ready to get the joinery cut, so he can see me do a few of those before tackling his tills.)

[Matt Evans]

He got it pretty much finished up the other day. A few handles, ring pulls for the tills, then making some racks and holders for the tools he starts getting. (Currently he has very few tools)

By the end of the last till his dovetails were significantly improved. Still a bit to learn, but a good step towards dovetailing competency.

For all of the tool chests faults it ought to serve him pretty well, and looks pretty decent.