Dave Richards
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- SE Minnesota
Machine Cut vs Hand Cut
I've been pondering this subject for a while and would like your thoughts. Why is that most machine cut dovetail joints look like zipper teeth (OK, box joints) while hand cut dovetail joints don't? The typical machine cut dovetails have pins and tails that are the same width. I've never seen a hand cut dovetail joint cut that way. Generally the width of the pins is but a small fraction of the width of the tails in a hand cut joint and there are usually a small number of pins relative to the machine cut cousins.
Yes, I'll grant that with a jig such as the Leigh, the spacing can be more like you would do with a hand cut joint but it seems that even with the Leigh jig, many woodworkers shoot for getting as many pins and tails as they can in the joint.
With the common comb-type jigs and router table-based jigs such as the Incra, zippers are the rule.
Is it that those who hand cut dovetails are just plain old too lazy to cut a lot of them in a run? No, I don't really think that.
I realize that there is more gluing surface area in the zipper-like joint but I don't think that is a valid reason when you can look around any antique store and find a bunch of old, hand cut joints that have yet to fail. And with the sorts of adhesives we have these days, there really isn't a need for the larger surface area.
In my opinion, the typical comb jig type dovetails are not aesthetically pleasing. surely I'm not the only one who thinks that.
So what say ye? Anyone?
I've been pondering this subject for a while and would like your thoughts. Why is that most machine cut dovetail joints look like zipper teeth (OK, box joints) while hand cut dovetail joints don't? The typical machine cut dovetails have pins and tails that are the same width. I've never seen a hand cut dovetail joint cut that way. Generally the width of the pins is but a small fraction of the width of the tails in a hand cut joint and there are usually a small number of pins relative to the machine cut cousins.
Yes, I'll grant that with a jig such as the Leigh, the spacing can be more like you would do with a hand cut joint but it seems that even with the Leigh jig, many woodworkers shoot for getting as many pins and tails as they can in the joint.
With the common comb-type jigs and router table-based jigs such as the Incra, zippers are the rule.
Is it that those who hand cut dovetails are just plain old too lazy to cut a lot of them in a run? No, I don't really think that.
I realize that there is more gluing surface area in the zipper-like joint but I don't think that is a valid reason when you can look around any antique store and find a bunch of old, hand cut joints that have yet to fail. And with the sorts of adhesives we have these days, there really isn't a need for the larger surface area.
In my opinion, the typical comb jig type dovetails are not aesthetically pleasing. surely I'm not the only one who thinks that.
So what say ye? Anyone?