# Hand tool dovetailing



## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

Not really sure what I'm asking here but here goes.

I have been loving watching Rob Cosman hand-cut dovetails and thought I'd give it a try just for snits and giggles. I am a firm believer that having the right tools makes all of the difference in the world BUT, just to try my hand at it I just refuse to pay:

$250 for a saw (I have a few already including the one that *@the fridge* made for me
$50 for a fret saw (I've seen a few posts where someone bought the fret saw but switched back to a fine blade coping saw which is $8 at Lowes)

$30 for his wooden dovetail marker. (I have a plastic one that was $9 on Amazon)

The one item I can't seem to find a suitable substitute for is his $65 marking knife that has a sawtooth blade. I'm tempted to just buy the blade and make a handle.

I know there are lots of ways to hand-cut dovetails but Rob's system works and he does a great job of explaining it with 2 or 3 hrs of vids on how to do it and how to refine it.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

What's the saw tooth blade for. His dt saw looks great but it's too much $$ for me to.


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## DavePolaschek (Oct 21, 2016)

I'm cutting four mitered dovetail corners every day as part of making my bookcases.

Here are the tools I'm using:

#2 pencil
Stick of wood marked with the dovetail edges for the width of the boards I'm joining
Shop-made dovetail marker 
Shop-made square
Blue combination square from the big box, used as a marking gauge for the baseline (with the pencil)
Veritas dovetail saw
Gramercy Tools turning saw
And a small rasp, since I'm dovetailing pine, and it's easier to file smooth than chisel the baseline.

I've got multiple marking knives. I'll use them if I'm looking for precision or if I'm working in hardwood, but for pine, a pencil is good enough for all my marks. I cut the dovetails tight, and test-fit, then a pass with the rasp fixes things if they're too tight.

I've got a Cosman dovetail saw. I'm using the Veritas more at the moment.

And I could get by without using about half the marking tools if I didn't mind resetting a gauge or square, but I made a bunch of them myself because I knew it would make life easier when I was making a bunch of dovetails. But the most important thing has been practice. I've made 20 boxes, and I'm still finding things I can improve.


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## metolius (May 26, 2016)

Maybe you are asking why you should pay that much $ to try a grin ?

All you need is a saw, a chisel, a marking gauge and something that holds the work firmly.

Cosman's a great teacher. Lots of different approaches are out there, for variety I'd recommend Frank Kausz, Paul Sellers, Mike Pekovich + they aren't all marketing their products.

But… I am sure that saw is *super* nice.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

The funny thing about Cosman is he will sell you a $600 setup to cut dovetails. But in one of his videos(you can google it) he cuts perfect dovetails with a cheap hacksaw, and a drywall screw screwed into a block of wood as a marking gauge. Its ALL skill. Thats why Paul Sellers can also cut perfect dovetails with whatever used tools he buys on ebay or the ones he tells you to get on his Common Woodworking site.

For budget, this is my list:

Dovetail marker: Veritas dovetail marker saddle square combo- $14(also has the saddle square so you can mark across at the same time)https://www.craftsmanstudio.com/VeritasDovetailMarkers.html

Saw: Lie Nielsen DT saw: $125 or Veritas for $70( for wven cheape get a Gyokochu Dozuki for $45)

Marking: #2 pencil sharpened(or you can splurge and get the $12 Graphgear 1000 mechanical pencil that Chris Schwarz uses. If you are adamant on cutting it then just get the Swann Morton that Cosman resells with the notmal blades for $10 on Amazon(what Matt Estlea uses)

Coping Saw:
$16 for Olson coping saw at Tools For Working Wood. Lifetime supply of Pegas blades is like $6 more
https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/item/ms-cope.xx/deluxe_coping_saw_(360_degrees)_and_blades

Paul Sellers and some others don't saw out the waste but chop with a chisel. I find this crushes some kiln dried woods so i cope out most and then pare away.


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> What's the saw tooth blade for.
> 
> - Aj2


 He's got quite a few vids on his process. Here is one of the videos. Can't really explain it since I don't do dovetails yet.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Seems to be the key is …..how sharp the tools are, and the skill of the user…..more than who made the tools, or how much they cost….

If a $100 chisel isn't sharp….it is basically…useless. IF no one shows you HOW to use a tool….or keep it sharp….


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> Seems to be the key is …..how sharp the tools are, and the skill of the user…..more than who made the tools, or how much they cost….
> 
> If a $100 chisel isn t sharp….it is basically…useless. IF no one shows you HOW to use a tool….or keep it sharp….
> 
> - bandit571


Yes indeed. Your work shows the importance of the skill of the user.


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## Sylvain (Jul 23, 2011)

I have looked at the Rob Cosman video (link above)
I am not at all impressed by his technique.

I will stick with what Paul Sellers teaches.
Plenty of videos about through and half blind dovetails.
https://paulsellers.com/paul-sellers-videos/

No need for that micro-saw.

One can do a dovetail gauge by oneself.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Here is a much cheaper option for the blades.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

A dovetail saw with a plastic handle, that is just wrong. For that kind of money you could get a Bad Axe stiletto.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

I have cut dovetails by hand and I always like Rob Cosman's technique but can't seem to spring for that expensive dovetail saw but I really like the idea of a saw with the different pitch to the blade for marking and fast sawing. I made a 14 degree and and 8 degree template and I used the Japanese draw saw to actually cut the angled cuts and the bandsaw to remove the waste if the piece would fit in there or a scroll saw. i don't make them very often but like to practice once in while. I will have to look at Paul Sellers technique.

thanks, Jim


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## drsurfrat (Aug 17, 2020)

+1 w SMP. Grab some scrap and just do it with tools that you have (assuming you have a saw and chisel). In no time you will know what is (& isn't) an important tool for you.


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

I don't recall where I saw the technique, and as a disclaimer I do not frequently use dovetails, but while chasing a youtube rabbit hole I saw a trick with using a simple bandsaw fence jig to cut the tails after which I use the BS to remove most of the waste and pare the tails clean with a chisel, using the tails and an x-acto knife to mark the pins, which I cut close with a pull saw and then clean up with a chisel. I don't cut enough to bother with the versions that have all the ramps, but a lot of times I use dovetail connections inside of casework where they are more for the strength than the look and it's very quick and easy. It will also work for half blind and finer joints, which I did in this project, I just have to be a bit more precise with the chisel work.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

I like Rob's method but found the marking knife a little pricey too. I found this one for $18.00 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00124QFMA?psc=1&ref=ppxpopdtbasin_title

I settled on the Kats Moses guides and that marking knife. Was using a cheap pull saw but now have the Veritas pistol grip western saw. The fret saw is required if you need to saw into the saw kerf but the cheap coping saw will work if you saw into the waste instead of the dove tail saw kerf.


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> I don t recall where I saw the technique, and as a disclaimer I do not frequently use dovetails, but while chasing a youtube rabbit hole I saw a trick with using a simple bandsaw fence jig to cut the tails after which I use the BS to remove most of the waste and pare the tails clean with a chisel…
> 
> - ChefHDAN


Sorry, but that does not sound like it qualifies as a hand tooled dovetail. We haven't had a what-constitutes-hand-tooled debate in ages. It's time for a fresh one:

I hand cut my dovetails. I carefully set up my Leigh jig and skillfully guide my router-by hand-to achieve beautiful results.

Just kidding. That's not hand tooled either, but the point is, where do you draw the line? Is using anything other than marking tools, a saw and a chisel considered hand tooled? If I use one of the magnetic guides for my saw, is that still "hand tooled?"

Oh, and to further fan the flames-should you cut the pins or tails first?


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

Another completely different technique is watching Kevin Drake cut DTs and use his saws. (He is the maker of the Tite Mark for those not sure who he is). He has given me hands on guidance at using his products at a few tool shows, and its a fascinating process. He uses a "kerf starter" similar to Cosmans saw knife thingy, then uses feeler gauges, and his saws have a couple inches on each side with no teeth, and its much easier to start the cut, but you have to swing it like a pendulum, the momentum has to get it going. It feels strange at first but with his guidance I got used to it in just a few minutes. 
You can check out his saws here to see what I mean:
https://www.glen-drake.com/

Overall, i just preferred the more traditional way that Paul Sellers uses, where you just take a little effort to learn how to properly use a saw and you don't need all those other fancy gizmos.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

The magnetic guides rally help me stay on track but only on the start because my saw back hits the guide about halfway into the cut. The rest is a free cut following the kerf. I hope to have my hand trained by the time the guide wears out.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Pins first….so does Frank Klausz…

Saws?


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## cmacnaughton (May 17, 2019)

I use a Veritas dovetail saw (around $70), Veritas dovetail markers ($15), an Olsen coping saw ($12) with Pegas blades ($5) and a folding Stanley marking knife ($11) I also use painters tape when marking, peeling away the waste portions of the tape.

I used to use a Japanese pull saw, but I prefer the Veritas because the curled thread is on the back with the push stroke and I can see my line better as a result.

I'm sure Rob's saws are wonderful, but I cannot justify those prices for my own budget. The most I've ever spent on a saw is $175 for Lie-Nielsen tenon saw, and while it is beautiful, would say after using my beloved Veritas dovetail saw that the LN too is probably more than I should have spent.

Dovetails take a lot of repeated practice to get good, never mind perfect.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I learned how to do it using a bow saw I made myself. I bought a butcher saw blade, filed the teeth for ripping, and stoned off part of the set so it would cut a tighter kerf. It still works but the blade needs sharpening I think. I got a fancy bow saw with a Japanese blade later.

I use a claw shaped marking knife made from a piece of hack saw blade.

I learned how to do these things reading FWW articles years ago.


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

First off, I love this site.

My ramble: 
Not that anyone cares but I have watched what seems like hundreds of hand-cut dovetailing vids over the last few years including most of the folks mentioned above. I looked at it as a kind of zen type exercise but I know I don't have the chisel skill that Paul Sellers has so I knew that would be an exercise in frustration. I have cut them using my PC dovetailing setup but that too is a pain to set up and I like to make jewelry boxes etc and that just seemed like taking a chainsaw to a dollhouse. I've managed to become proficient at a few joints for that purpose including using lock-miter router bits. My youtube feed keeps feeding me this kind of stuff to look at and Cosman is a good teacher with a well-explained method so I thought I'd give it a shot as over the last few years I have acquired the tools and equipment to have scary-sharp chisels and plane blades. I know that I am not going to be cranking out drawers etc but want to learn the skill without dumping a bunch of $ into something that I know I'm not going to use more than a few times a year if I'm lucky. I'm sure Cosman has wonderful tools but I can't really justify spending $250 because the saw has finer teeth at the tip of the saw.

Thanks @controlfreak and @hokieken for the blade suggestions and using the coping saw to cut without entering the kerf so, the $8 Irwin makes sense. Plus, I think I can use my shoulder plane to make the rabbet. Now, I'm all in for less than $50. I know there are many ways to skin a cat but I like the idea of a good detailed method to skin it hence the Cosman method.

I was about to give up but now it seems affordable. Bought some pine from the Borg to practice on. Sadly, I've had my 3rd request in a year to make a cremation urn box and thought it might be a nice touch if I can pull it off.

I'll post some progress info if I ever get to actually do them.


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

Its 75% sawing and 24% chisel. IOW you need the quality on the saw end of the game. For 1/2 the price, the Lie Nielsen dt saw is quite nice if you ever get one in your hands you'll agree with me.

That said, a japanese DT saw is a good option for even 1/2 of that.

The laying out can be done with pencil you don't need all the gadgets and gimmikcs like Cosman. All due respect, but I've seen him mark with an knife and move it over the width of the knife mark-come on!!

Before I had the LN I used a Veritas saw and it works fine. For years and years before that, I used a cheap gent's saw they do the job, but you need a saw file and set to get them working good.

Be careful what kind of wood you practice on. Get some poplar rather than pine. Soft wood is a lot harder to chisel.


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> Its 75% sawing and 24% chisel. IOW you need the quality on the saw end of the game. For 1/2 the price, the Lie Nielsen dt saw is quite nice if you ever get one in your hands you ll agree with me.
> 
> That said, a japanese DT saw is a good option for even 1/2 of that.
> 
> ...


Thanks. Think I have some poplar laying around but will grab some more from the Borg.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Andy;

I'm thinking you have what you need to learn dovetails without spending any cash.

- Saw
- Pencil or pocket knife
- Chisel
- Coping saw
- Mallet or Hammer

You really do not need a dovetail gauge or saw toothed knife. Lay out the tools you'll use as a matter of routine, each time to you practice cutting. Here's (I think) everything I use.










And these links will shine some light on my approach to learning DTs. Nothing wrong with stuff Cosman details, but he's never been my cup of tea.

https://cdn.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/DovetailaDay.pdf

https://blog.lostartpress.com/2014/05/08/dovetail-sawing-for-non-professionals/

Good luck!!


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> Andy;
> 
> I m thinking you have what you need to learn dovetails without spending any cash.
> 
> - Smitty_Cabinetshop


Too late to not spend any cash but I'm probably $50 all in plus the poplar I just grabbed at the Borg.

Thanks. I like that 30-day dovetail workout and there's another popular woodworking vid too.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

Btw for layout(the one thing I over analyzed when first learning) take advice from Chris Schwarz. He uses sets of dividers and "eyeballs" the layout and uses the dividers to mark each pin and tail location. Otherwise you will be stumped on where to start and stop the half pins and how wide to make the tails and pins etc.





Also, in lieu of a dovetail marker you can use a bevel gauge and 99 cent plastic protractor or measure (for example for 1:7 ratio measure 1" over and 7" across a piece of paper, draw the line and then align the bevel gauge to that)


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

This reminds me a lot of pen turning. After making over 100 pens I now have my own technique which is a hodgepodge of other techniques I've seen. There is no right or wrong way to do it and everybody does something different but in the end, you end up with a great looking pen.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> This reminds me a lot of pen turning. After making over 100 pens I now have my own technique which is a hodgepodge of other techniques I ve seen. There is no right or wrong way to do it and everybody does something different but in the end, you end up with a great looking pen.
> 
> - Andybb


Yep its just practice. Find what works for you then practice practice practice. Like mastery takes x hours of doing something. Actually if you follow Paul Sellers he will tell you before you even try to cut a dovetail, to first take your saw, and a scrap of wood, and draw 100 pencil marks straight and at angles, and just practice cutting to the line. Your first dovetails will be saw and cleaning up with a paring chisel, but as you get better sawing, they will fit straight from the saw.


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> Yep its just practice. Find what works for you then practice practice practice. Like mastery takes x hours of doing something. Actually if you follow Paul Sellers he will tell you before you even try to cut a dovetail, to first take your saw, and a scrap of wood, and draw 100 pencil marks straight and at angles, and just practice cutting to the line.
> - SMP


Thanks. Great idea.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> Yep its just practice. Find what works for you then practice practice practice. Like mastery takes x hours of doing something. Actually if you follow Paul Sellers he will tell you before you even try to cut a dovetail, to first take your saw, and a scrap of wood, and draw 100 pencil marks straight and at angles, and just practice cutting to the line.
> - SMP
> 
> Thanks. Great idea.
> ...


Here is one of his exercises on his Common Woodworking site. It says for beginners but I am still learning after 30 years of machine woodworking lol!
https://commonwoodworking.com/angled-cuts/


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> A dovetail saw with a plastic handle, that is just wrong. For that kind of money you could get a Bad Axe stiletto.
> 
> - bondogaposis


That saw is way too short. This is what you need.


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

> Sorry, but that does not sound like it qualifies as a hand tooled dovetail. We haven t had a what-constitutes-hand-tooled debate in ages. It s time for a fresh one:
> 
> I hand cut my dovetails. I carefully set up my Leigh jig and skillfully guide my router-by hand-to achieve beautiful results.
> 
> ...


I suppose you raise a good point, if it was purely and totally for sawdust therapy then I should likely have some light native American flute music playing in the background and toss some wonderfully scented sawdust in the air and begin chopping the wood…. but…. I'm in some ways an impatient bastard and realize that the industrial revolution did bring us power tools for efficiency and I'd no sooner take the wheels off of my car than ignore the fact that the craftsmanship of the final product is the final attention to detail, I use the power tools to get most of the waste removed and then use the chisels and practiced technique to soothe my OCD by getting nice joints; (different meaning 30 years ago).

As for tails or pins, I put that into the chicken & egg basket…


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## drsurfrat (Aug 17, 2020)

I ALWAYS do pins first, then when I realize I've marked out tails, I do tails first.


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

For some people, they should be doing them by candlelight.

On a project with lots of DT's like dressers or large carcases, my system is cut the tails on the table saw using a flat top blade ground to 7°. Tilt to 7° and you get precision tails. Then I do the pins with handtools.

I'm over worrying whether any electricity was involved.


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## EarlS (Dec 21, 2011)

Meanwhile, I'm a Leigh D4R guy. I never learned how (taught myself) to efficiently use a hand saw, chisel, plane, or lay out dovetails. The jig takes care of all of that for me. I doubt that learning to make hand cut dovetails will ever make it to the top of my "to do" list.

My hat is off to all of you that know how to make dovetails in the traditional manner.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Hmmm..show and tell..maybe..









Ahh, the all important "Baseline" is marked out









Pins laid out…usually using a bevel gauge ( Sometimes even a dovetail router bit to set the angle needed)









Saw the lines..either split or leave, does not matter, as this will be used to lay out the tails..









Lay the board on a scrap, clamp it down. I start on the "show" face. Baseline can be deepened with whatever knife you like. Goal is to chop only halfway down, leaving a bit of "porch" on the end…to support the waste for the next chopping…flip the board over, and chop the waste out..









Un-clamp, stand this up on the "Tail Board" 









I just use a very sharp pencil. I trace around each pin…an "X" will mark which is the waste…(power tool alert!)









Because once I mark things out, I take this over to the bandsaw, and make a lot of cuts..









A square and a knife to cut a baseline….then chop out the waste…same as the pins..1/2 way down on the show side..flip over…









Tails are chopped…bring the pin board over for a dry fit…









Then just repeat for the rest of the corners…
IF you want, you can transfer the pin layout to the next board…just clamp the two pin boards together..









Just remember which is the waste sides, and mark them. ( inside face to inside face, or, outside face to outside face. )

Tools?









Nothing fancy, plus the chisels of your choice.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

Good idea. Here is my dovetail kit:










Probably about $200 total, of which the saw was $125.


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> Good idea. Here is my dovetail kit:
> 
> Probably about $200 total, of which the saw was $125.
> 
> - SMP


Is that a coping or fret saw??


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> Is that a coping or fret saw??
> 
> - Andybb


Coping saw. Its an Olson I got from Tools For Working Wood. A couple notes on coping saws:

1. Blades are key - get Pegas skip tooth
2. Make sure blades are equal or thinner than your dovetail saw. For example, at a Lie Nielsen tool event when I was buying my saw, i asked about the regular vs tapered saw, the guy asked if I was going to be chopping out waste or sawing. I said sawing. He said get the regular, as the tapered is .015 and the regular is .020. Pegas coping saw blades are .020, so they fit right into the kerf.

I considered buying the Knew concept fret saw, but this works well enough. I find the key is really to have razor sharp chisels.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

I use two coping saws with regular Olsen blades. One saw is a craftsman made in the USA and the other nit sure but it's very similar.
I'm more into great chisels and a saw that feels right then all the rest of the stuff.
I used to be a self proclaimed dovetail master but my eyes sight isn't as good. 
Good Luck everyone


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## Smirak (Dec 24, 2016)

Just because I want to throw my 2 cents in too…

1) Rob Cosman is a personal friend, so take the rest with whatever grains of salt you want…

2) Robs DT saw handle is not plastic. It's made from swanstone (think kitchen/bath countertops…not granite or corian, but not Formica either). His saw has "starter teeth" that may or may not be a gimmick, but it works for him and his customers. His one main "thing/advice" is to be able to fit a joint "straight from the saw".

3) Rob will be the first to tell you that you don't have to spend $1000 on tools to get a good dovetail. He will however say that with whatever tools you use, know how to use them, know how to sharpen them, and know what results you expect. You wouldn't expect the performance of a Porsche in a Nissan Altima for example.

Just a few rambling thoughts…


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> Just a few rambling thoughts…
> 
> - Smirak


No question. The right tools tuned and sharpened makes all the difference.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

> Just because I want to throw my 2 cents in too…
> 
> 1) Rob Cosman is a personal friend, so take the rest with whatever grains of salt you want…
> 
> ...


Your a good friend Smirak. 
Good Luck always


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> His saw has "starter teeth" that may or may not be a gimmick,
> 
> - Smirak


Not a gimmick at all. Paul Sellers actually suggests filing "progressive pitch" teeth when sharpening, or filing the first inch or two down if its a brand new saw. I think Lie Nielsen even made some progressive pitch saws at one point but then stopped. I don't recall the reason.

I haven't done it to mine but considering it


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

I'd love to try one of those saws just to see what they do. If he has them on Amazon I could always order and return cuz even if it cuts like the second coming of Christ I still ain't spending that kind of money on one when people have been cutting dovetails for 5000 years without one. I'll bet that they do a superior job though.


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## Rich1955 (Jan 26, 2020)

I have to agree with most folks here. Practice is the key. when I first started cutting dovetails they were terrible. I was ready to give up but then I watched Paul sellers and changed my mind. The key for me is to cut on the waste side of the line, which I wasn't doing at first. As far as tools go I did purchase a veritas dovetail saw. I already had a good set of chisels and keep them sharp. I have a cheap marking knife that I sharpened and polished and it makes a crisp line. I cut 2 pieces of wood, one at 1:8 & 1:6 and that's how I lay things out. A cheap coping saw cuts out the waste.
Practice Makes perfect, as they say. But remember to also have fun in the shop.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> I ll bet that they do a superior job though.


Nah. If saws are straight and the same thickness plate it really comes down to sharpening. Paul Sellers can buy literally any saw on ebay and sharpen it in 15 minutes and it will cut better than any production saw out there, because he has been sharpening hundreds of saws for over 50 years. And I remember Chris Schwarz saying he got a prototype of the first Lie Nielsen saw before production, and when he bought another a year or so later it was drastically better, like the guy sharpening them now had a year experience sharpening saws all day long. Other than that its more of a status/pride type of thing. If you have a piece of crap saw you may not want to use it. But a nice saw you want to pick up, hold it, admire it and then use it. But again skill trumps the saw any day. I've seen Richard Maguire cut dovetails with the $15 Irwin panel saws from the home store that look better than mine. And Cosman himself using a hacksaw and sharpened screwdriver looks better than mine lol:


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Sharpening and setting is key for a dovetail saw. If you can't get a clean, thin kerf or can't get the saw to cut straight, it's a pretty frustrating effort. So whether it's a Cosman saw or a Lowes saw, eventually it's gonna get dull and the playing field gets a little more level. I will say that the quality of the steel and having a really rigid back and straight plate makes a huge difference though so I'm not implying that the two saws are equals even discounting the sharpening and setting.



> ...
> 
> $250 for a saw (I have a few already including the one that *@the fridge* made for me
> ...
> ...


I got one of those too 









I like it quite a lot. I had to stone the set a bit on one side to get it to track well but I really enjoy using it nowadays!


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## Sylvain (Jul 23, 2011)

Even a brand new saw will benefit from sharpening

look at:




the number of sawing strokes for a given kerf length is divided by about 2 and it is cleaner after a simple file pass on each tooth.

read:
https://paulsellers.com/2019/09/today-i-filed-a-new-saw/
https://paulsellers.com/2012/04/two-cherries-germany-and-robert-larson-california/


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## Kirk650 (May 8, 2016)

My set up is a lot like bandit's. Good marking stuff. Sharp chisels. Chopping board and hold down. Nobody has mentioned the need for real good lighting. And you guys might scream, but the saw I'm now using and liking is an Irwin pull saw. Real cheap. Cuts great. My real expensive dovetail saw hangs on the wall and collects dust.

The more you cut dovetails, the better you'll get. No way around it.

I should mention that I learned the basics on dovetailing at a 3 day class at a place near Waco run by a religious group (similar to Amish sort of). The wife and I both took the class, and she was cutting dovetails in short order. We really enjoyed that school, and there were folks from all over to take classes on woodworking, bee keeping, pottery making, and old style building construction and other stuff.

Heritage School of woodworking.


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