Dovetail sawing technique
Adam Cherubini, NJ
>Yeah, there is a trick to sawing dovetails. Its no secret, so I'm surprised guys either don't know it or don't use it. But I'm gonna describe it because I really need my shop swept out. I'm up to my ankles in cedar shavings. I feel like a hamster!
In both instances, tails and pins, the boards are clamped vertically. The marking gauge (or cutting gauge) marks the depth of cut on both sides. I use a pencil to mark across the face on the near side, and across the end grain on top.
Now you'll notice that the dovetail saw has a special handle. Its either a straight turned handle or an open handle high above the spine. The reason for this strange handle is to avoid an uncomfortable angle of your wrist when using the following technique.
The dovetail saw is held with its toe pointed up at a 30 - 45 degree angle (see what I mean about the handle?). The saw cut is begun at the near corner. The cut progresses on both pencil lines at once. If one line goes astray, you can back out and recut it, by ceasing progress on the good line while fixing the bad. Just remember: When cutting tails first you need to hold the endgrain/square line at the expense of the angled line. Since you'll mark the pins from the actual saw cuts, the angles needn't be perfect. When you come to do the pins later, you must hold both lines. To finish the cut (through the material you can't see), you rely on the fine set of your saw. The blade will track in the kerf you have carefully made.
When sawing out half blind pins, you overcut approx one inch on the face side (below the marked line). With each passing stroke you bury your saw's heel into drawer back, digging out that corner (reason number two for the saw handle position). You can saw out almost all of it this way. The thin lines in your drawer backs are nothing to be ashamed of. They are very difficult to see, most people will never notice. The finest furniture have these overcuts.
There may be other techniques. This is just the way I do it. But it makes sense when you look at old saws. It explains the wierd grip, the need for little set, its fast and clean. As I've said before, the time to shoot for is one hour per drawer (I can't do it). That doesn't leave much time for paring or jigs or any of that nonsense. Its not a difficult technique and won't take you more than a few days to master. The technique/concept of "sawing the corners out" is useful for other operations.
The other trick I've mentioned before is knowing where to saw. That took me some time to figure out. You'll have to figure that out for yourself. Its actually pretty complicated. It is related to how you chisel, and how and where you locate the drawer side to the drawer front when you mark.
I leave the line on the pins (which is irrelevant, but that's what I do). I saw out the line on the tails. When I leave the line I have trouble dry fitting. Sometimes when I beat dovetails together, I have trouble when I introduce glue. Good to leave a little room for glue.
Adam