# hand cut dovetails



## JMendez035 (May 14, 2008)

has anyone here attempted and had good results with hand cut dovetails. i tried once and it didnt go to well.. for anyone who got some good results what was the process you used?


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## ch0mpie (Nov 10, 2006)

I decided to try this for a project I've been working on. I failed miserably twice, but I finally got it today. Go on google and search for "dovetailing a box" under videos(series of 4 10min videos). This is the method I used, along with cleaning up with a file, and I got acceptable results.


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## JMendez035 (May 14, 2008)

ch0mpie said:


> I decided to try this for a project I've been working on. I failed miserably twice, but I finally got it today. Go on google and search for "dovetailing a box" under videos(series of 4 10min videos). This is the method I used, along with cleaning up with a file, and I got acceptable results.


do you have any pics? and thanks for the info


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## ch0mpie (Nov 10, 2006)

The project a large night stand/small dresser which matchs a bed I made last year. The wood is pine which I salvaged from a 100+yr old house I was working in. The drawers will be made of poplar, only because I heard its and easy material to learn to cut dovetails. Heres one of the pine before glue up and thicknessing and one "as is".


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## ch0mpie (Nov 10, 2006)

I didn't take any photos of the process, but heres a few of the first successful joint I cut yesterday. Not perfect, but acceptable imo. The black marks you can see between the pins and tails are pencil marks not gaps (for the most part anyway).:thumbup:


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## ch0mpie (Nov 10, 2006)

if I have some time to work on it this weekend and it stops raining, I'll post some pics of the process


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## ch0mpie (Nov 10, 2006)

ok I'm working on the last drawer and I took some pics. After making sure my stock was straight, cut to length and width, I layed out the pins first. Cut the pins, chiseled the waste and marked the tales. Please no comments on my picnic table/workbench:laughing:


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## ch0mpie (Nov 10, 2006)

Cut the tales and removed the waste. Had to do a little filing, but by draw #3 I've gotten pretty good. The bottom drawers are finished now.


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## JON BELL (Nov 2, 2007)

1.Make sure you're chisels are sharp,really sharp.Huge difference between sharp and really sharp.I keep a couple stones out and hone the chisels periodicaly.
2.A good saw is important.My Dosuki cuts like butter compared to my previous saw.Almost moves itself.
3.Make score lines with a knife not a pencil.Very important.Deepen them with 1or2 chisel blows and work back to the lines,don't start at the layout line.
4.The harded the wood the better.It doesn't split asmuch.
5.To make sure you're chisel is cutting straight you can clamp a piece of scrap to the workpiece .Put the back of the chisel against the scrap and use it to guide the chisel straight.
6.Use the smart tails.Blocks of wood that guide you're sawblade.
7.Patience.Lots of it.:wallbash:


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

Looks fun...... But ill stick with a router....LOL


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## STAR (Jan 1, 2008)

JON BELL, from a Bell in Oz some good tips there. Never thought of using a marking knife and the cutting the line with a sharp chisel.

I suspect the Dosuki is a Japanese pull saw. I have just got a Japanese marking knife and a Japanese saw. I also recently purchased a LN dovetail marking gauge. 

I have not used any of them yet as I have been too busy with other wood work projects.


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## alindobra (Nov 23, 2008)

JMendez035 said:


> has anyone here attempted and had good results with hand cut dovetails. i tried once and it didnt go to well.. for anyone who got some good results what was the process you used?


You can take a look at these videos I made a year ago. 37 minutes with all the details you need to cut dovetails successfully. The video should answer most of your questions. 

Dovetailing a box - by Alin Dobra | LumberJocks.com :: woodworking community

Alin


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## Mychal Berry (Nov 23, 2008)

Last night I finished my first dovetail joint that I didn't have to smash in with a hammer!!! My jaw dropped when I was able to fit the pins in with just a bit of hand-pressure


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## Deadhead Derek (Dec 15, 2008)

Mychal Berry said:


> Last night I finished my first dovetail joint that I didn't have to smash in with a hammer!!! My jaw dropped when I was able to fit the pins in with just a bit of hand-pressure


well done. rewarding isn't it. Valley or east of the mountains?


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Eat your heart out.


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## Deadhead Derek (Dec 15, 2008)

done it in 4


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## justin2009 (Jan 5, 2009)

Let's see.... 3.5 minutes and two videos showing you how... I have 10 drawers to make, meaning 40 sets of dovetails to cut. That's 140 minutes, or 2 hours 20 minutes, not allowing for a beer break during the process, or the fact that I will screw up the first 100 dovetails that I try to cut... hmmm.... better try to get this router jig figured out!


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## 12penny (Nov 21, 2008)

justin...understand that frank has been cutting dovetails by hand for proably 50years. Its understandable that you would choose to use a $600 setup (jig, router, bits) to acheive the same goal. You'd be surprised at how easy they are to learn if you just take the time to practice. Finewoodworking.com has several articles on the subject. Clear pictures and easy to understand instructions. And remember that handcut dovetails are'nt supposed to be perfect. They are supposed to look like they were done by hand. At the least, when you show them off, you can say you cut them. Not porter cable and leigh. Thats my opinion and I'm stickin to it! :2guns: lol


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## KevinK (Sep 18, 2008)

Hi

You may want to check out Rob Cosman, he has produced a step by step guide that apparently is the best out there, I am planning on ordering it as well.

www.robcosman.com

Good Luck


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## justin2009 (Jan 5, 2009)

12penny,

Thanks for the advice! I actually tried my hand at cutting some dovetails (by hand) in the same manner as cosman and many others do, tails first. I was working with some treated wood scraps that weren't square - just fooling around. It worked, although I could see light through the joint in a few places, the joint would not move and it was stout. I can definitely tell that a better saw and a marking gauge would have helped me be more precise. I'm definitely going to get the jig figured out, as soon as Porter Cable sends me the bits that were supposed to be included in the package - should be here just in time for me to get finished painting the shelves so I can start on the drawers this weekend.... which reminds me, I'm planning on making these drawers slideless... but I'll start another thread about that.

Eventually, when I'm not in such a rush to get this number of drawers made, I want to start fixing up all of grandad's hand planes he left me and do a lot of woodworking by hand.


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## autoBrad (May 21, 2008)

*My handcut dovetails*

Just to add my 2 cents... I have been practicing making these for about 5 days now.. Here's my last two.. I jut cut them off and re-start haha.. I am using an english backsaw.. I used the japanese one when I was taught by someone how to make them.. It as much easier then.. But after practicing with the english backsaw.. I think I'm going to stick with it.. It's just harder on the push stroke and wants to catch.. But once you get the hang on it, you don't have this problem at all.. That and I'm kinda funny, I'd rather use an, "English" saw with english steel.. lol If I didn't get the hang of it though... I would have went and go the other one probably.


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## b00kemdano (Feb 10, 2009)

I just watched a video about how to use a dovetail jig with a router. It sure looks a lot more time consuming than dovetailing by hand!

Maybe I won't buy a jig for dovetails after all.


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## Geoguy (Feb 22, 2008)

b00kemdano said:


> I just watched a video about how to use a dovetail jig with a router. It sure looks a lot more time consuming than dovetailing by hand!
> 
> Maybe I won't buy a jig for dovetails after all.


It usually takes a lot of set-up time and trial cuts to get the jig and router bit height adjusted correctly but after you finally get it right, you can zip through'em pretty fast. I guess, it depends on how many you have to make. I personally, have a jig and an old router dedicated to half blind dovetails (the bit never changes unless it needs to be replaced) so my setup time is greatly reduced. I've never tried through dovetails with a router and jig (I'm poor and can't afford the jigs):no:.


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## johnv51 (Oct 27, 2008)

I really admire folks that take the time to learn hand cut dovetails. I have the Leigh D4R and have used it to make both half blind and through joints. I have a couple of boards cut to help me set up bit depth so that doesn't take multiple test cuts. When I start dovetail joints, like most I'm making multiple cuts. When making drawers with half blind front joints and through back joints I set up for jointing on both ends of the D4R jig. I'm working on a couple of 5 drawer dressers now. That's a total of 40 board cuts to make. Once set up I should finish fairly quickly. No more than one weekend.


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