Hand-cut dovetail issues

[TraditionalToolworks]

I have built many marking gauges, including this wheeled one ...

Yeah, that's the one I was referring to, I love that monstrous face to register against!

In the usual vein of your tools, the wood looks nice, it's a nice shape, large face to register...it really looks like a nice gauge. If I ever make one again, I will make it big like that...

I hope you understand my accent

Yeah, but you're a Porsche owner so you get some slack...


it's not so much the accent in Peter's case (R.I.P.), he was kind of soft spoken and the accent only made it worse. Mainly you couldn't hardly hear him...That's how I remember the videos I saw, I could be totally off base. This is to say Cosman does a much better job for my taste

As much as I prefer not to use aids, there are some, such as the kerfing chisel and angle markers, that make the work easier. I am not a hero. I just build furniture.

I think it should be said that whatever tools work for an individual are the right ones. It is probably why I use the 140 trick, because I have used it and know it works and that's the way I go about laying out the dovetail. Kind of like teaching an old horse new tricks...I not really looking for any right now, but when I run into something I have a problem with I will most likely use the Internet to find the solution that will work, or come up with one myself.

Cheers,
Alan

[Tony Z]

In the end, for whatever method used, it comes down to "practice, practice, practice". One must be thoroughly familiar with the task, with muscle repeatability and so forth. I doubt there is a wrong path to take to reach the ultimate goal (in this case, attractive, well fitted dovetails), though some paths may be longer and some a bit rougher.

[rwe2156]

Another is that you can use the same procedure for doing half blind dovetails.

How do you do your half blind dovetails?

Alan

Tails first.

Speaking of tricks, I often put a shallow rebate on the tails boards. Makes for easier alignment when marking.

[Handplanesandmore]

Tails first.

Speaking of tricks, I often put a shallow rebate on the tails boards.  Makes for easier alignment when marking.

How can one do pins first (in an efficient and accurate manner) in a half blind dovetail joint?

in some cases, you can only do pins first, and the tails first approach does not work.

Simon

[TraditionalToolworks]

How can one do pins first (in an efficient and accurate manner) in a half blind dovetail joint?

in some cases, you can only do pins first, and the tails first approach does not work.

Simon

Simon,

I have done it before, marked and cut the pins, then stand them on end and mark the tail board. It is not ideal but one can get it pretty close.

For myself I prefer to do tails first, it just always works for me.

That's why I was curious what rwe2156 did in that case. I don't like doing them that way.

Alan