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Dovetails

Dovetails first - Our Tool Chest is Coming Together

Dovetails first - Our Tool Chest is Coming Together

I suppose I didn't hear of tails being cut from pins until about 30 years ago. As I said in an earlier blog, we needed to cut tails for pins when we worked on restoration and repair work. I know both ways work and that once skill is

Gauge lines on dovetails

Gauge lines on dovetails

Paul, I'm playing along at home with your book and dvd's. I notice that you're using the marking gauge for laying out mortises but not for scribing the layout for dovetails. Your thoughts on the use of a marking or cutting gauge for dovetails

Hope chest - half-lap dovetails

Hope chest - half-lap dovetails

I was truly busy today working with my students but I took half an hour out to cut the half lap dovetails to my Hope Chest drawer. With mahogany as my secondary wood and oak for the drawer front there is enough contrast to make the joint vivid and attractive.

Questions answered #4 - 8-minute box dovetails

Questions answered #4 - 8-minute box dovetails

Q: Paul, Can you post a close up picture of those dovetails, a good clear close up shot. A: I took pics today and will show and tell tonight,later. You guys must remember I am a working craftsman making furniture for my living. I am not hanging out. I

Demonstrating dovetails

Part of my demonstrating was cutting dovetails and it’s one I have done many times in the USA shows where I perfected the demo, so people are used to it there. Here in the north of the UK that wasn’t the case so they were interested straight away.

Hound's tooth Dovetails

Hound's tooth Dovetails

Here is another handcut dovetail joint I made this weekend at the Penrhyn Castle workshops whilst my class was going on. Turned out OK. The secondary wood is Oak and primary wood is Sapele Mahogany. I like the less showy and less stark contrast of oak with mahogany rather than

The harmony of dovetails

The harmony of dovetails

I cut these dovetails yesterday from mahogany and oak. Such simple saw cuts split the fibers to separate the waste from the wanted and tails remain. The second I trace, each with the knife's point, and then, again, the knife, the chisel and the saw cuts define the