Technique #1: Looking for Feedback on my Dovetails

That’s about how I do it (though without the double-sliding leg vise). Don’t know of any other additional pointers except to practice, practice, practice.

-- -- Kevin in Mentor, Ohio

They look good to me. I am certainly no expert but if they hold and look descent then they are good in my book.

-- Bill - "Freedon flies in your heart like an Eagle" Audie Murphy

That’s probably better than I can do, although that’s hardly setting the bar high. There’s probably a limit to how well you can dovetail in soft pine.

I’m curious about the rabbet question as well. You can hide the rabbet in one direction by putting it on the socket, but in the other direction you need to stop it. I’ve done that when cutting the rabbet on my router table, but it seems more problematic doing it with the table saw.

That’s a lot of dovetails! I think you are doing good. I chisel my dovetails starting from the inside going half way and flip the board over to complete the chiseling. This really helps eliminate blow out and if it happens, it is on the inside of the project.

-- Marc

what is the point in cutting hand dovetails that could be passed for being made by a machine?

the “pin” should always be “skinny” enough so that there is no mistake, it should always be thin enough so that there is ZERO doubt that it was done by hand as router bits only come so small.

otherwise, you might as well use a jig ?

study old furniture, you certainly have the skill to get it right.

-- "Good artists borrow, great artists steal”…..Picasso

I remembered seeing a stefang share blog post on how to close in gaps on dovetails. Luckily, I found it here – definitely worth looking at. From what I can tell, you are making great progress…

-- Steve - Impatience is Expensive

I haven’t really done that many dovetails. But I really like the vise you are using there. Is it your own design?

-- Tim, Missouri ....Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what the heck happened

Definitely check out stefang’s blog that Steve mentioned. Regarding the stopped dado, I think you do as much as you can with a plow plane then finish the stopped ends with a router plane.

-- Good judgement comes from experience and experience comes from poor judgement.

The only other solution I know of for a through dovetail like that is to plug the opening with a piece of matching wood. Of course this is still visible. If it were a half-blind, you could hide it in a tail, but Timbo’s suggestion is all I can think of as well.

-- Robert - Visit my woodworking blog: http://littlegoodpieces.wordpress.com

i normally plug the opening with a piece of wood, it almost disappears completely. the nicest would be on a routertable.

rick

-- http://thewoodworkersattic.blogspot.com/

You can reduce/eliminate the blow out by chiseling out the waste from one side, about half way through the material. Then flip the piece over and chisel from the opposite side towards the middle.

-- Lew- Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!

Very nice! As good as any router jig affair!

I like the fancy wheels on the bench too….and chrome no less!

-- “Once more unto the breach, dear friends...” Henry V - Act III, Scene I