[OP]
Contributor
Dovetails are my latest fascination. For now, I'm going to push ahead with a Dozuki, a new Lee Valley coping saw with Pégas skip blades, and my vintage crutch: a Glasgow dovetail jig from 1989. Anyone remember those? My hope is that it will be the training wheels for me to start with.
Contributor
Nope, never heard of the jig Bob. Dovetails are all about sawing square in either the horizontal or vertical planes, depending on whether you start with tails or pins. I look at the saw plate and/or the spine of the saw for alignment in both planes before and during a saw cut for square alignment. It gets to be a habit after a while. I don't have any saws that won't cut straight if given the chance to do so, so I am ahead of the game there. If a jig helps you develop the muscle memory or the eye to see when a saw is square, use it if you want.
David
[OP]
Contributor
David, funny we each replied to the other's message today.
I do hope to reach the stage of confident handwork with dovetails, but I'm just starting out, really. I see them as my next level of evolution of technique.
I suspect a Western saw might be easier to cut straight with, but before I pop for one, I'm just using the pull type. My first one went pretty well. The corner is quite sharp and straight, although there is a very small gap where one of the pins bottoms into the tailboard.
The Glasgo jig is a thing of the past. My brother-in-law gave it to me last year. It's a relic from the 80s, although it's brand new. I like it –– for now –– because it clamps easily to the work so there's no need to hold anything but the saw. But again, the goal is to leave the jig behind sooner rather than later. Wish me luck.
Contributor
Bob,
I dont recognize the jig that you are describing. It would be interesting to see a picture though.
I decided to get pretty good at cutting DTs a couple years ago. I had some lessons learned that I included in this thread. LINK Maybe you could get a couple ideas that can help you. Warning: I'm not a Grand Poobah of dovetails - YMMV. I do highly recommend Ian Kirby's book. I found it very helpful.
Dont forget to post pics of your progress!
Fred
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
Guest
https://woodworker.com/dovetail-jig-16-mssu-814-065.aspOriginally Posted by Frederick Skelly
Contributor
Thanks Charles!
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
Member
Fred,
Ian Kirby's book is an excellent suggestion, to those wanting to learn DTs! Add to that Chris Swartz's "a dovetail a day, for a month", and you're on the path to being very competent.
T.Z.
If the thunder don't get you, the lightning will.
Contributor
If your goal is to develop freehand sawing skills I don't think the jig will help much. You will get better, faster, if you just cut them freehand.
I actually used a jig for the first time recently, a shop-made wooden version of the Barron magnetic guides. I did this because the tail cuts are on a 6' long panel and I have to cut them in an awkward position (on my knees) with the board laying flat on the bench. The guides worked very well, and I was able to saw accurately in a very awkward position, craning my head under the tailboard to check the baseline, etc. But, that's exactly why I don't think they do much to develop your technique- they correct too much for you. You can be flopping all over the place and still get a decent result.
The other thing I found was that its kind of tricky to place the guide exactly where you want. And while beginners tend to obsess over getting the dovetail angles right, placing the saw exactly in the right spot is arguably more important. It's easier to place the saw teeth where you want versus the guide edge, where there is a bit of parallax to deal with.
Plus, with that style of guide it will get old clamping it in place twice for every tail and every pin, and with the non-clamping style your off-hand gets tired of holding it firmly in place, at least on large case pieces.
Those are my thoughts anyways. Dovetails are not exactly easy but they are more forgiving than you might think as a beginner. A lot of the mistakes that you can make have nothing to do with the saw angle, and that's the only part the guide helps with.
Guest
Sure thing!
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