Hand cut dovetails

[Scoony]

I guess my approach is a bit different. I have found that I can make a better cut along the edge of a pencil line then along the side of a knife make. I can get a nice fit from the saw using a fine pencil to mark the pins. I also do tails first because I can make more accurate curs in the pins and the second cuts are what matters.

[Tapper]

A couple of articles of mine to pass the time ....  


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/H...eTape.html

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/T...sDead.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

Great tips all around, Derek! I like the triple tape fence idea. I recommend that the OP take a look at the video you posted in the thread about the hall table you made for your niece - very good technique and lots of gems there! 


Doug

[Halfathumb]

A couple of articles of mine to pass the time ....  


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/H...eTape.html

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/T...sDead.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek;

Great ideas. I'm sure I'll be trying this method on my next DTs

Jim

[Scoony]

Derek, that 3 layer blue tape trick looks smart. Going to give it a try this week on some drawers for the current project.

[Halfathumb]

A couple of articles of mine to pass the time ....  


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/H...eTape.html

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/T...sDead.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek;

Although you replied with this very useful information, my rudeness overwhelmed me & I didn't respond in a timely matter. I thank you very much for these articles. I don't normally make my own tools, but I feel compelled to try to make the kerf chisel. I have a project coming up that will require BDTs and I'm sure going to give it a whirl. In addition to using blue tape on all species of wood.

Jim

[Derek Cohen]

Jim

Goodonya! Let us have a critique of the tricks, and how they work for you.


Regards from Perth

Derek

[CStan]

I've cut quite a few DT by hand the last 4 or 5 years and still have a problem. It seems like I constantly have an issue with the pins coming up a little short. I've slowed down trying to pay close attention to what I'm doing etc. but still not perfect results. Does someone have a trick I can try?

Pin length = thickness of the tail board.  Gauge this with a cutting gauge.  There are some slight refinements to this setting, but don't worry about them right now.  Set a cutting gauge to the exact thickness of a meticulously prepared tail board and strike a line on the inside of the pin board with the gauge registered on the perfectly squared end of the pin board.  If this doesn't fix your problem, then the issue is how you're removing waste at the baseline.

These problems are generally caused by conceptual errors about what the various gauge lines represent, which tool is used to put them in, and how their integrity is preserved in the process of removing waste.

Good luck.

[woodydixon]

Jim

Goodonya! Let us have a critique of the tricks, and how they work for you.


Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek<

I have been using the painter's tape and it works well. For me it is also visually easier to cut straight pins when looking at a solid blue pin rather than just line. Going to give the kerf chisel a try also, Ordered a trowel similar to yours. Assume you cut it in half and am curious how you mount it in the handle. The bottom part is fatter than the part which exits the chisel Do you bore a hole sized to the thickest part and epoxy the top where there would be space? Appreciate the wealth of information you provide.

Woody