Tony Wilkins Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 If I'm up to it tomorrow, I'm going to cut my first dovetails on my Dutch tool chest project. Feel fairly confident but guess we'll see. I'll either succeed or go from building a large to a small chest 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Spend 20mins warming-up on a small box, then go for it... Be the saw... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doomwolf Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Good luck, I cut my first just a month ago. When transferring between the boards, always double check your layout before you cut, or you will have gaps; ask me how I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Freddie Posted July 8, 2014 Popular Post Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 I love these first time posts. They always get built up like your first intimate encounter (you're nervous and you don't want to mess this up). Listen Slack, go for it dude!, If you make a mistake, or end up terrible the first time, the dovetails aren't gonna go back to whisper their friends about it, so you're all good. I do second the test run before the main event though, it helps get your mind in the right place. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 You'll be fine slack! Mine are horrible, but they work for this. This build is great practice for the real stuff. It's a nice thing, but it's still shop furniture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 It's a connection, right? You've made a connection or two in your life, go for it! triple H got it right, just be the saw! You don't need anyone to wish you luck, you'll see that it's as natural as breathing. If you're the saw! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Wilkins Posted July 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 triple H got it right, just be the saw!... If you're the saw! Not the first time I've been called a tool to be sure Ok, got the tails set up in the vise and everything in place. Think I might take advice given and get some of my poplar scrap and do a practice with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Wilkins Posted July 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Well, glad I tried a practice joint. Learned a lot but it was in no way successful. Of course I cut a lot of corners so it wasn't a good test. I only used pencil marks and didn't mark the back so the back kerfs ended up higher. My angles were marked with a little dovetail marking jig but apparently sawn by a sight impaired person. Probably wasn't the best time to try my coping saw for the first time either. Worked on it a bit but everything was so far from fitting it was a lost cause. So, after lunch, set up for another practice run with a little more care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Been there, done that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Wilkins Posted July 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Won't talk about the second try after lunch where I failed to mark the waste. The third one almost doesn't suck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 You can always chuck 'em on the fire Freddie :-). Slack, Mel is your friend here (and Zack on the other forum......). Realy don't worry too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Women and dovetails always look better after a couple of beers 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Wilkins Posted July 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 OK, so question. When CS cut the dovetails on The Woodwrights Shop, he gang cut them. Should I try to do it that way or just do one at a time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 ==>gang cut them (in a cheesy accent that's badly lip-synced) --- Grasshopper: one must learn walk before run... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Wilkins Posted July 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Single it is. What I was leaning toward but considered it since they said it was easier. So here's what I have so far... above: used a couple of sets of dividers to line out 3/8" half pins and 5 tails. below: and what I have after penciling down the dovetail angles using my little jigger. * also used Moving Filister plane to put a small 140 trick rebate on the back. Not pictured is using a gauge to put in the baseline on all four sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Gang cut if you're doing tails first. No reason not to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Wilkins Posted July 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Gang cut if you're doing tails first. No reason not to. Ok, now I have a vote going the other way. Any drawbacks to gang cutting the tails? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 I agree with gang cut tails first but I am a heathen jig and router dovetailer. Lots of the layout and setup work is common. I take it in stages, stock needs to be squared up ,equal thickness, and uniform dimensions. Layout has to be exact and detailed, learned the hard way to mark both sides of everything cause you know you might have to cut something from the other side. Until your cutting skills develop cut leaving all of your lines then pare, file etc till it fits. Keep plugging on the test cuts and keep learning from your mistakes. You are on the right path. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 ==>they said it was easier ==>Gang cut if you're doing tails first. ==>now I have a vote going the other way OK, I'll qualify my answer: gang-cut if it's thin drawer stock... With thin stock (5/16) drawers, gang cutting can be much easier. But you're doing a tool chest, so assume you're not looking at 5/16 stock Saws have effective ranges based on tooth pattern. Mark (BAT) just published a nice graphic summarizing working ranges for various tooth patterns... Dedicated dovetail saws (e.x. BAT) have a typical working range of 1/4 - 5/4, with the fine dovetailers (e.x. Gramercy) at 3/16 - 3/4. If you want to regularly gang-cut, you might look at a 12"x.02x14ppi Rip... That'll take you to about 6/4... Plate thickness also comes into play --- Most of the new-generation dovetailers are 0.18 or 0.15 plates -- gang-cutting is a bit iffy below 0.18 BTW: I've got all three dovetail saws mentioned -- I only gang-cut with the 12"x0.2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Wilkins Posted July 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 Well tripH, the saw isn't going to be what prevents me. My dovetail is a 12"x.2x14 point hybrid filed Bad Axe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 ==>My dovetail is a 12"x.2x14 point hybrid filed Bad Axe Got one just like it... BAT 12"x.02 is my go-to dovetailer. Why? I dimension 99% of my drawer sides/back to 5/16, so I gang-cut about 80% of the time.... With that saw, you can dovetail to a combined total thickness of just about of 6/4 --- give or take. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Wilkins Posted July 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 The stock is 4/4 (3/4" s2s) so it'd be close. Still getting the vibe I want to just go single cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 ==>stock is 4/4 (3/4" s2s) so it'd be close Got yourself a Carcass Saw filed Rip? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Wilkins Posted July 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 Nope -- the 12" and a 16" BAT hybrid Tenon saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CStanford Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 Get Ian Kirby's The Complete Dovetail and reset. I don't think you're ready for carcass dovetails. Please don't take this as an insult. You need to make a couple boxes, Shaker candleboxes, something like that, before you tackle dovetails on large workpieces. You also need to make sure that you can 4-square your large-ish panels to a pretty tight tolerance or the whole thing will give you fits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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