Appreciate the input. I am not seeing a multiquote option.
Derek, there is indeed a bruise on the pictured baseline. I see the picture doesn't show it well, but the sidewall of the tail was janky. Like the teeth are unevenly set on the DT saw. They were set good when my Veritas DT saw was new, I have put many many dovetails into my woodstove this winter so there is no evidence for later. COnfident my DT saw needs to be sharpened and set. I did switch to my 3/16" chisel for ongoing baseline paring, that one has enough taper to the lands to not bruise.
Jim, for the next joint cut tonight, I did exactly that. I cut as well as I could with my DT saw, then used (thank you Jason) the bare iron out of a #3 Bailey to smooth up the janky cut walls on the tails BEFORE marking the pin cuts using the tails as a guide. Appreciate your kind supportive input as always.
For the next one tomorrow I will try to leave the layout line with the saw and then pare to it with the unfettered plane iron. My wife is getting antsy about all the items on the top of the chest freezer that need to be in the drawers I am making.
Intuitively I think Robert is correct that dovetails are 88% sawing skill and 12% chisel skill. I spent two years of free time, perhaps 200 hours shop time, learning to make mortise and tenon joints. It was having to (forcing myself to) pare to fit after sawing that brought my sawing game up to speed. Having MT joints fit off the saw takes confidence and experience, makes perfect sense to me that dovetails are the same.
One thing I did notice tonight is my kerfing chisel is not exactly the same width as my DT saw kerf. ( sound effect) First thing I did was pare the extra left behind by the kerfing chisel off the pin walls and I was halfway done with the chisels.
I think James' idea about a custom ground Xacto blade has merit. I don't have one to fool with, but it is a keeper idea.
Thank you Jack. I may need to upgrade my coping saw also. I got it out for the first set of tails, but it would have been like trying to use a bulldozer to clean out a moderate sized horse stall, too clunky for the job.
John, thanks for the idea.
It is clear to me, with all y'alls input and looking over my process and results I need to practice a LOT more, and set or at least check the set on my DT saw. In the interests of short term domestic tranquility I am instead going to saw on the waste side of the line, pare tails to my knife marks with a #3 Bailey iron, then mark the pins, pare off the kerfing chisel waste on the pin walls and get this thing done. Besides spousal consternation I am up against the time pressure of season change, the melt is starting here and daily humidity swings are impressive.
Thanks again everybody.