Replies

1. 
   MarkRoderick | Feb 04, 2003 08:10pm | #1

   Personally I think it makes more sense to remove most of the waste with a scroll saw or a very small blade on a band saw, and only chisel out the last tiny bit. But I'm not a professional.

1. 
   BG | Feb 05, 2003 12:01am | #5

   Mark,

   I was following the Klaus method of back cutting and poping out the material.  I don't have a bandsaw but, as Nick suggested, I cold save a lot of time and effort with a coping saw.  I just thought someone might tell me red oak was not the right material..or ya gotta use a morticing chisel.  Live and learn...thanks

2. 
   mrles | Feb 04, 2003 08:22pm | #2

   For through dovetails I use my bandsaw for roughing out and finish up with hammer and chisel, for stopped dovetails I add my Japanese pullsaw.

   Don't make a job out of it, have fun.

   God Bless

   les

1. 
   BG | Feb 05, 2003 12:04am | #6

   Les,

   I bought the Stiff backed japanese saw..dozuki (sp?) and that cuts the oak like butter.  If I take a second slice (widen the kerf)and make some room for the coping saw that should help. thanks

   Edited 2/4/2003 4:09:23 PM ET by BG

3. 
   quinbychris | Feb 04, 2003 08:42pm | #3

   BG--Are you chopping all the way through across the grain? If so, I can understand your exhaustion. To remove the waste between the tails, I start with light cuts across the grain.  Then I reposition the board vertically and pare down with the grain to my cut.    Light taps with a mallet is all it takes, even in oak.

1. 
   BG | Feb 05, 2003 12:08am | #7

   Chris,

   Yup, all the way through the cross grain using the japanese 1/2 chisel.  I found the 1" sorby useless, the wood was too hard and the clisel too large.

    When you make your cross grain cuts what are you using?  saw? chisel? thanks

   Edited 2/4/2003 4:09:47 PM ET by BG

1. 
   quinbychris | Feb 05, 2003 01:07am | #9

   I use a chisel.  I keep the first cut light so I don't mess up the line.  After that I get a bit more aggressive.

4. 
   NickC | Feb 04, 2003 10:46pm | #4

   After you make the saw cuts that define the pins, and before you take the board out of the vise, try using a coping saw to cut away most of the waste. You can cut almost to the line, leaving very little chisel work to do. After the pins are marked out, you should be able to to both ends of a five-inch pin board in about 10-15 minutes. Nick

1. 
   BG | Feb 05, 2003 12:14am | #8

   Nick,

   I'm going to try that method with the coping saw.  I'll widen the kerf a bit so I can swing the saw.  Interestingly, the Japanese chisel did stay sharp through all this rough work.  The Sorby is brand new and the edge of hte blade rolled on me in the pine pieces....developed a burr on the flat side of the blade...disappointing.  I resharpened and will give it another chance.  thanks

5. 
   ChasStanford | Feb 05, 2003 03:18am | #10

   Remove the waste, down to about a sixteenth from your gauged line, with a coping saw, ala, Ian Kirby.

   Finish to the line by vertical and horizontal paring..  With very hard wood, light taps with a mallet will be needed.

   Screw the band saw, the drill/forstner bit combination, and all that rot.  You simply don't need it.

   Get Kirby's book The Complete Dovetail.

1. 
   BG | Feb 05, 2003 04:57am | #11

   Chasstanford,

   I cut the tails before dinner...and used the coping saw..it all took about 10 minutes.  I also clamped a straight edge piece of scrap to help support the chisel as I pared to the gauge line....also, put a little dish in the base. 

   Now I'm working on fitting the pieces together...I was a bit to conservative on my cutting to the waste side...

   thanks

1. 
   Thom1 | Apr 18, 2003 10:58pm | #12

   I use a coping saw at times, but chiseling is faster.  So if your main concern is speed, have a look at the Klauz tape again.

   - first twisting hit undercuts the scribe line, several cuts to remove chips about half way through the material. leave the material at the edge intact, do all sockets and flip.  Undercut scribe, power through the material with a series of cuts just like taking out a wedge in felling, this time break away waste from the end, get deep enough to sever the material.  Out pops the block.  There isn't anything wrong with coping, but it does mean you are cutting through the material several times, and you are reclamping the stock in various ways, so it isn't any faster.

   By the way red oak is a misserable material for dovetails, hard, and difficult to get a crisp look from.  I wouldn't practice with it if I had a choice.  Pine is kinda easy, and things work there that don't work in other materials.

1. 
   ron61 | Apr 19, 2003 10:33pm | #13

   I'm trying to learn and no what you mean about Red Oak. Have you ever seen or done the Heart shaped Dovetails? 

2. 
   BG | Apr 20, 2003 01:30am | #14

   Thom,

   After I posted that thread I bought Ian Kirby's book and followed many of his suggestions.  I prepared two pieces of Mahogany about 18" long and 7" wide.  I would just do a set of dovetails, cut off about an inch and start all over again.  It worked out well and I'm reasonably confident in my dovetail making skill..not high quality yet, but reasonable. Recently I made two large plywood boxes (27x16x12high) for a lateral file and dovetailed the joints...it was fun.

   Three little tricks that helps me are:

   1. Don't press your marking gauge (wheel) to hard and get to thick a line 

   2. I use a mechanical pencil to mark out the dovetails, gotta remember to cut on the inside of the line

   3, I chop on the horizontal.  I put my stock in the front vise of the workbench along the cut line and use the vise jaw to rest my chisel on....reduces set up time..and I believe the chisel needs sharpening less frequently also.