Bang for the buck chisel and saw for dovetails

Usually marples are the best bang for the buck.

http://www.amazon.com/Irwin-Marples-M444-S4-Woodworking/dp/B0000457K2/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1256780657&sr=1-22

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Veritas has a good saw. Lee Valley $65.00.
-Rabbet

On your Marples chisels, slow/wet grind the first inch or more of the square sides so that they are sloped/angled and leave the side edge about .030” or so thick, not sharp. A good angle is about the same as your chisel’s working end. This allows the chisel to get into the tight dovetails without the side of the chisel damaging the wood. Be very careful when grinding not to over heat the metal, you want to save the temper.

-- Never board, always knotty, lots of growth rings

I have done just what Kindlingmaker suggested. I love using the marples chisels for banging out dovetails. They are very affordable and keep a good edge.

-- Julian, Park Forest, IL

In the FWW tools & shops issue that arrived yesterday, they mentioned a dovetail saw in their “Top 10 Tools for a Tough Economy”: the Zona Universal Fine Kerf Dovetail Saw
I haven’t used it, but they seem to really like it. And it’s only $6.50.

Personally I really like my dozuki saw

As far as chisels go, check out this thread

-- Steve -- University Heights, Ohio

Narex chisels are a very good bargain. They are on sale this month at Highland woodworking
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/narexboxed6-piecebenchchiselset.aspx

-- The best thing online is a fish

harville tool has a nice gents saw on sale for $11 right now. i have tried the veritas and it is a nice tool. just got a 1900 disston dovetail from ebay that is nice too.

-- Happiness is being covered in sawdust

I prefer the western saws to the japanese pull saws so I bought an old 1917 disston backsaw from an antique dealer for cheap, then bought the tiny files necessary for refiling the teeth and made an old saw cut like a finely tuned machine. I really like cutting dovetails by hand now and try to incorporate them into my work as much as possible now that the possibilities aren’t limited to a jig.

-- Julian, Park Forest, IL

Here, try this link; Japanese Dovetail Chisels, page 68
http://www.leevalley.com/home/OnlineCatalog.aspx?id=295a43a2
And for your Dovetail saw, page 29
http://www.leevalley.com/home/OnlineCatalog.aspx?id=295a43a2

-- Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy-May all your dovetails fit tight and right the first time