larry merlau
Member
- Messages
- 18,741
- Location
- Delton, Michigan
i would say you have it coverd very well mike,
Dovetails, pins first-tails first complete different techniques.
- Thread starter Toni Ciuraneta
- Start date
- Messages
- 16,586
- Location
- Reno NV
Where do I sign up!
Sounds like a great class Mike!
Sounds like a great class Mike!
Cody Colston
Member
- Messages
- 336
- Location
- Tyler, Texas
I agree fully with that statement. After cutting just a few practice dovetails, both through and half-blind, I was able to proceed to real projects and very respectable hand-cut dovetails.
I'm still slow and it does get monotonous but it's an enjoyable process, too. Now, if I were routinely building cabinets and dovetailing lots of drawers, I'd probably invest in a jig. But, for one-off pieces of furniture, hand cut dovetails are my preference.
I've been striving towards excellence in my woodworking since I took up the hobby and hand-cut dovetails are a prerequisite for fine woodworking to me...and I am NOT a neanderthal. However, I'm finding out, just as I read years ago, that the more my woodworking improves, the more I make use of hand tools. It's just a natural progression, I guess.
Karl Brogger
Member
- Messages
- 519
- Location
- Dennison, MN
Sheesh...... I'm trying to figure out if I can justify buying a dedicated cnc or an automatic dovetailer for doing dovetail drawer parts. A router and a jig just takes too darn long.
Mike Henderson
Member
- Messages
- 1,405
- Location
- Villa Park, CA
Follow up on DT class
I taught my first hand cut dovetail class on Thursday and it went pretty well. There were a variety of skill levels - a couple of people finished fairly quickly and did a good job. But one guy just couldn't saw straight.
The rest of the people were middle-of-the-road skill level and were able to produce a pretty good dovetail - better than my first dovetails.
Next class is in November and I'll make changes based on what I learned in the first class. I only did through dovetails in this class but in the next one, I'm going to bring in the half blind dovetail - either as a student project or as a demonstration, depending on the time I have.
I provided all the tools and wood. I have a bunch of chisels so that was no problem. I now have two LV dovetail saws and two LN dovetail saws. I'll probably buy a couple more for the next class.
Mike
I taught my first hand cut dovetail class on Thursday and it went pretty well. There were a variety of skill levels - a couple of people finished fairly quickly and did a good job. But one guy just couldn't saw straight.
The rest of the people were middle-of-the-road skill level and were able to produce a pretty good dovetail - better than my first dovetails.
Next class is in November and I'll make changes based on what I learned in the first class. I only did through dovetails in this class but in the next one, I'm going to bring in the half blind dovetail - either as a student project or as a demonstration, depending on the time I have.
I provided all the tools and wood. I have a bunch of chisels so that was no problem. I now have two LV dovetail saws and two LN dovetail saws. I'll probably buy a couple more for the next class.
Mike
Chuck Ellis
Member
- Messages
- 6,999
- Location
- Tellico Plains, Tennessee
I didn't vote... while I love the looks of dovetails, have never made any and knowing my flat work skills, not likely to do so... i
- Messages
- 8,633
- Location
- Thomasville, GA
When I first got my Incra LS system several years ago, I thought the same thing: it's nice, but it seemed like it took me a long time to get setup. Then, something finally clicked in my old noggin and the whole process became easier. I can't put my finger on a specific step in the process but I'm sure it had something to do with reading the instructions!
Karl Brogger
Member
- Messages
- 519
- Location
- Dennison, MN
When I first got my Incra LS system several years ago, I thought the same thing: it's nice, but it seemed like it took me a long time to get setup. Then, something finally clicked in my old noggin and the whole process became easier. I can't put my finger on a specific step in the process but I'm sure it had something to do with reading the instructions!
I've got my system pretty well dialed in, but it still just takes too long. Start to finish, (including cutting notches and drilling holes for Blum undermounts), on average it takes me about 45 minutes per drawer. That fluctuates a bit depending on the ratio of drawer parts that must be glued up to get wide enough stock. The actual machine of the parts, just pins and tails, probably takes a bit less than five minutes I'd guess. I've been told the automatic dovetailer that Laguna sells will blast through 40 drawers in an hour. That'd probably take me about 4 hours with a router and jig. *guesstimate*
A few places I could shave time off would be to:
-figure out how to prevent tear out on the edges of piece with out starting out wider then cutting them down. ie; to make a 3-7/8" drawer side, I machine it at 4-3/8", then rip a 1/4" off the top and bottom edges after the dovetails have been cut
-Setting up a tablesaw with a feeder for cutting the drawer bottom slots
-skip sanding the interior of the drawer parts, widebelt is probably good enough
-possible making the sides shorter than the front/back to resolve any potential alignment issues once assemble. (then I'm back to having to rip the sides at a different width.)
-crap. there was something else I was just thinking off..
