Figuring out how to cut dovetails by hand after 4 years of using jigs

Last week I finally sat down with some scrap walnut and a set of $20 chisels from a garage sale and somehow managed to cut a full set of dovetails that actually fit together, what method did you guys use when you first learned?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim8192mo ago

My first successful set came from Frank Klausz’s old video where he marks all three angles with a sliding bevel. I tried his method on some poplar and got decent fit on the third attempt. The trick for me was keeping the saw cut consistently just shy of the line so I could pare to it with a chisel.

the_sandra1mo ago

I get what you're saying, but honestly, I think the whole "cut shy and pare" thing gets overhyped. If you're already sawing close to the line, why add another step that takes time and can mess up your joint if you go too deep with the chisel? Poplar is soft, so yeah, it works, but try that on hard maple or white oak and you're fighting tearout more than fixing anything. I've got plenty of tight joints just from a sharp saw and a steady hand, no paring needed.

diana202mo ago

Keeping the saw cut just shy of the line and paring" is exactly the part most people skip. That little extra step makes all the difference between a tight joint and a gap-filled mess.