Bombarde16 Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 People's exhibit A And the prosecution rests. These panels are from a KD entertainment center. The stickers say "made in Brazil" and they're some sort of plantation grown conifer. Seriously, pith and all, the growth rings are a half an inch apart in some of the boards. For all that, they've been weathering the season changes in a baking hot attic and are dead flat. Freaky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missioninwood Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 Yah. Horrid. I have some chisels ground to 18 deg for work in softwoods. But I still have experiences like the picture above from time to time. I won't sleep tonight from the nightmares. miw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 Maybe a new coping saw and some sharper chisels ? But yea that kind of wood does suck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted August 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 Maybe a new coping saw and some sharper chisels ? But yea that kind of wood does suck. Don't I wish. I'm always looking for an excuse to add more gear, but these were indeed coped before being chiseled. And this was the tails board that I chiseled •after• sharpening my low angle chisel...the before board is even worse. Offered to the forum for what it's worth. Friends don't let friends dovetail cheap softwoods. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 AMEN! Soft wood must be sliced, not chopped. The soft summer growth is like cutting a sponge. Really tough on SYP, where the winter growth is FAR harder than the summer growth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 Just remember that the strength in a dovetail joint comes from the mechanical configuration and the glue on the face grain on the sides of the pins and tails. The end grain surface adds little or nothing to the strength. As long as the top and bottom edges are clean, the mess inside the joint doesn't matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derekcohen Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 Sharper chisels, lower bevel angle, saw away most of the waste and then, most importantly, remove the last layers in VERY thin slices. The photos indicate a dull chisel and too much removed at one shot. Regards from Perth Derek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CStanford Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 You can grind and hone a chisel as low as ten or twelve degrees for wood like that, I'd suggest a vintage cast steel honey from a British manufacturer. I'd saw it close with a coping saw and pare down. Don't chop in this instance. This wood is the measure of a chisel. Hardwoods will cut surprisingly cleanly with a dull-ish chisel and one honed at 30* or higher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 Sharp solves all sorts of problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted August 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 All true and I would add one more to Derek's observation: the photo is indicative of a shop project where the dovetailer doesn't particularly care to fuss about being neat. To bring things full circle, the nice thing about dovetailing softwoods is that they are...well, SOFT! I sawed to the line and could bang things together with no paring whatsoever. The time I saved not having to fuss over fitting pins and tails I was then able to put towards tracing some artwork for the little one to decorate the box in question. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted August 8, 2014 Report Share Posted August 8, 2014 Rob, the end results are great. Those laminated pine panels are the pits for neat chopping. I also concur that it makes not a shred of odds about some break out in behind the shoulder lines. No one sees it and it does not reduce strength in practical terms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jHop Posted August 9, 2014 Report Share Posted August 9, 2014 Well, this certainly sheds some light on my early dovetail disast..... I mean, attempts.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weithman5 Posted September 16, 2014 Report Share Posted September 16, 2014 by the way that finished box looks great with your lathe in your candlepost thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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