Dovetail help

Randy, Google for “hand cut dovetails dividers” without the quotes (one link is www.woodworkersinstitute.com/print.asp?p=1382 ). On the other hand, I strongly recommend you just eyeball them. If you want them to look perfectly spaced, use a router jig. Maybe not in the beginning, but I think you’ll eventually agree that if the eye can see that they are not perfectly spaced (within reason), then you’ll like them better.

I also HIGHLY recommend Rob Cosman’s book and DVD on HCD. The best techniques I’ve seen.

-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--

http://www.blocklayer.com/Woodjoints/DovetailEng.aspx

http://www.handcutdovetails.com/

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

Cool Calculator Lew, Thanks.

-- I don't make mistakes, I have great learning lessons, Greg

Wow that calculator with the printable template is a huge time saver. Thank you!

-- "A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history - with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila." ~Mitch Ratcliffe

Two nice links there (blocklayer & diyinfo).

-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--

The truth about handcut dovetails…. Any style or size will do but it needs to be fit. I had made dovetail joints in different joints: one of the difficult one is the tapered and the other is when the wood are of different thickness and texture. One thing for sure you must have a sharp chisel and dovetail saw. Here is a photo of the results:

and here is the tapered joint:

I made a little practical video on cutting the dovetail using the edge of the vise…

video
hope this will help.

-- Bert

Great info. Thanks folks
Randy

After taking a woodworking class that covered hand cut dovetails – scribe, chisel, dovetail saw, I discovered some youtube videos that pointed out you can use a coping saw to remove most if not all the wood after you make your original cuts on the outlines. MUCH faster, and if you’re careful you can cut right to the line.

There is some excellent DVDs from a maker in Devon England that teaches you step by step how to make them perfectly… I swear if I ever win the lottery I will study there.. They are not expensive and they are perfect reference.

He is a Maker/Designer…. This guy sells one off chairs for 40-60K…. and the DVD’s are shot in the shop with the apprentices taking notes. He has like 5-6 of them and I have them all they are brilliant.. straight forward and exacting… (key is exacting… they demand perfection!)..

Do a real web search on “DAVID SAVAGE” His bio is like like the tip of the who’ is who’s in fine woodworking…

Or just use a router and hope for the best.

Rich (sorry for the rant..) Its FUNNER to make them perfect by hand! really it is…..

-- Duct Tape is the Force! It has a light side and a dark side and it Binds the Universe together!