dovetailing problem

Re: dovetailing problem

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Assuming both boards are the same thickness and flat, set your marking gauge from one board, use this to mark the base line, then cut and chisel to the line, perhaps a very slight bit to the waste. Also, make sure there's no hump, however slight, at the base of the pins and tails.

Pam

Re: dovetailing problem

Jim in Burlington

>I would say you are not bieng diligent with getting all the material out. Soft woods can be cut a tiny bit fat and they will still go together. As for the chisels if your trying to chop to much at one time you can start crushing. Cheaper chisels do work they need to be sharpened alot more touching up the microbevel before the final pass and in soft wood you should be able to pare it away as Pam says.

Re: dovetailing problem

Wiley Horne--Glendora CA

>Steve,

Two main possibilities come to mind, if you are consistently getting gaps between the tails board baseline and the wide edge of the pin, but the walls of the joint are tight. There could be (1) a marking problem, (2) the chisel is backing up and encroaching on the baseline (this is why Pam said this may be an aspect of the post just above).

You may be able to diagnose what is going on by looking at the tails board after it has been cut and chiselled. If the board is gauged all the way across (rather than gauged at the pin intersection only), then look and see whether the sockets that you have made are violating the baseline. If the sockets are not violating the baseline, then it would appear to be a marking problem; otherwise it is a chopping problem. This is a very common problem when you chop right to the baseline--especially if the last chop is taking off too much material, and more especially if the chisel has a steep bevel, like 30 degrees plus.

If the sockets are creeping down below the tailsboard baseline, then you could do either of two things, both of which involve making paring cuts. One is to stop chopping about 1/32" short of the baseline, and pare the rest. Even there, you might pare it in two slices, so that the final cut is taking very, very little. The other thing is to saw the waste English style, which again leaves you with a paring cut.

The chisel used to make the final paring cuts should be way sharp. It should slice through the end grain without difficulty and with a very satisfying feel, leaving a burnished surface on the end grain. Sometimes you see talk about how many drawers can be dovetailed before a particular chisel is dull, but I like to start each board with a chisel that will carve newsprint. Touch it up at the bench as you go.

If you do determine that the chisel is crossing the baseline, another thing you can do to help your paring to use a paring block clamped across the board right at the baseline. Krenov shows this in one of his books, and I believe that Rolf shows it also down below in his series of photos. The paring block helps you to stay vertical, and to stay on the waste side of the baseline.

Wiley

Re: dovetailing problem

Steve Kubien

>I'm using boards of the same thickness and marking as you said so I don't think that's the problem. Could be, but I don't think so.

The chisel creeping backwards is something I hadn't thought about. That is a real possibility. This problem is worse in the pine than in the poplar which I guess is because the poplar is somewhat harder.

I'll also try taking lighter cuts. I'll let you know what happens.

Thanks,

Steve Kubien

This sounds reasonable...

Steve Kubien

>What I've been doing is fret sawing the bulk of the waste away ala Rob Cosman's video (and the same as the Brits you say? I didn't know that. Thanks) and chopping the rest out with the chisel in the scribe line left by the marking guage. Maybe I need to sneak up on the scribe line a little more slowly.

I'll also try the block idea that Krenov uses. I've seen that set up before but never tried it.

Thanks,

Steve Kubien

in snowy, freezin' rain encrusted Ajax, Ontario

Re: dovetailing problem

Charles

>Set your marking gauge for the base line about 1/64th thicker than the actual thickness of the stock. Undercut the sockets slightly ala' Tage Frid.

Tage Frid's video

Jack from Maine

>In his video on dovetailing Tage takes a further step when chopping. He defines the baseline by cutting it deeper(slicing) with the edge of his chisel. Then he removes a small chip . This leaves a ledge for the chisel back helping to prevent the chisel from pushing backward when you start chopping.I use this method and it works for me.If you haven't seen this video,I recommend it.That man's been cutting dovetails a long time.---Jack

Re: dovetailing problem

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>I have read that d-t's in pine are the problem. Pine crushes easily and is more difficult to fit the work pieces together. The comments were either here or over at the pond when it was up. Several posts supported that view...learn on hardwoods first.JR

Re: Tage Frid's video

Steve Kubien

>Thanks Jack. I will look for it.

Steve Kubien

Hand Dovetail Jig *LINK*

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Steve

Here is a jig I use to aid in paring dovetails. I find it particularly useful when paring softwood, such as pine.

Regards from Perth

Derek


Dovetail jig