# My first dovetails....need some practice



## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

Bought my saw (finally). Veritas Dovetail 20tpi and a small fret saw.

Here is my first attempt. (I bought 1/2 inch poplar to practice with.


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

Those are a good first try! Pay close attention to marking and staying on the waste side of your lines and you'll have it in no time. Are you using a knife to mark those or a pencil? If you are using a pencil, that is probably part of your error. Even using a 0.5 pencil is not nearly as accurate as a knife. I fought with fit when I used a pencil for marking and couldn't figure out why - switched to a knife and most of my problems went away.


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## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

trc65 said:


> Those are a good first try! Pay close attention to marking and staying on the waste side of your lines and you'll have it in no time. Are you using a knife to mark those or a pencil? If you are using a pencil, that is probably part of your error. Even using a 0.5 pencil is not nearly as accurate as a knife. I fought with fit when I used a pencil for marking and couldn't figure out why - switched to a knife and most of my problems went away.


Thanks...you answered a question I was going to ask. Do you saw on the line or on the waste side....thanks/


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## SeanStuart (Nov 27, 2011)

Thanks for posting that! What made you try by hand first instead of router. BTW, I'd like to do it by hand, but do not think I could even get the wood to join. "Smiley face to show I am not mad at the world! : )"


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## SeanStuart (Nov 27, 2011)

trc65 said:


> Those are a good first try! Pay close attention to marking and staying on the waste side of your lines and you'll have it in no time. Are you using a knife to mark those or a pencil? If you are using a pencil, that is probably part of your error. Even using a 0.5 pencil is not nearly as accurate as a knife. I fought with fit when I used a pencil for marking and couldn't figure out why - switched to a knife and most of my problems went away.


 What knife do you like?


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

I've got an inexpensive striking knife I purchased from Amazon ~$10. It's sharpened to a spear point with a flat back so I can use it on both the right and left. I've had it for about a year and I'm very happy with it, especially that it was only $10.


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## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

SeanStuart said:


> Thanks for posting that! What made you try by hand first instead of router. BTW, I'd like to do it by hand, but do not think I could even get the wood to join. "Smiley face to show I am not mad at the world! : )"


I am trying to get away from power tools as much as I can and to use traditional joinery. Since Novemember (when I started) I have done 7 projects and think I used 2 screws so far:icon_smile: (not counting hardware).

I do this as a hobby and the more I use traditional joinery and hand tools I have more satisfaction and quite honestly....I think they come out better.

I have been using dowels (make my own now thanks to Kenbo's video), M&T, box joints, splines.

A friend of a friend wants me to make his wife a vanity bench like I made my wife. It will be my second paying job. I told him he could most likely get it cheaper somewhere. He said the reason why he wants me to make it is because it will be "one of a kind".


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## windygorge (Feb 20, 2013)

I will be dovetailing a couple of toyboxes. They are larger than my dovetail jig, so I will be using a tablesaw. This is the jig I will make, except a little longer.
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=EootxBzj4Yk
Good luck


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