New pop wood mag: A&M

Re: New pop wood mag: A&M

Dan Donaldson

>I just got the magazine last night and haven't had a chance to look at it yet, but if he is talking about just sawing then chopping the waste, then that is what I do also. The only time I do any paring is if they don't fit together, and if that is the case, then it is a problem with my sawing. (Actually, one other case: If I am going to cut through the dovetail, such as for a box lid, then I will pare that one so that there is not a gap showing where it is cut through.)

I'd better keep practicing.....

John Hoffman

>

Re: I'd better keep practicing.....

vlparisian in Houston

>amen...

Re: I'd better keep practicing.....

Dan Donaldson

>Course I never said they were perfect either, just that they fit ;-)

Re: New pop wood mag: A&M

Adam Cherubini

>The question about paring relates to the article on my blog on using shooting boards. You must decide whether to saw to the line, or leave it and pare to it. I think the latter is only appropriate in extreme situations. Otherwise, its just too timid an approach and that timidity, when allowed to flourish, can really squish your work.

As far as gaps go, I do my best to ignore them. Some get filled with finish. Some fill up with hide glue. Some I will shim. If the gap is more than a saw blade, then obviously I did something wrong with my layout or sawing and I typically shim those. After my carcass went together, there was one gap I felt the need to shim. It was right on top and in front and unlike those on the sides, wasn't going to get covered by moldings. (I always seem to cover up my best work. no really. The dt's under that molding are exquisite! really!).

The trick to cutting dovetails is sawing.

The trick to making period furniture is recognizing that we don't think like people from the 18th c. We have to learn that our values are not always reflective of theirs. In the 18th c, dovetails are just joints and not very important ones at that. The faster you can complete them, the better.

Adam

P.S. Just finished shooting 10-15 step photos of half blind dovetails for my latest article. I'm not sure whether you'll see these photos in print or on the web. (If we print them, we won't have room for analysis- so one or the other will be on the web- email me offline with your vote)

Re: New pop wood mag: A&M

ThomD

>It is comon to saw dovetails paring may be appropriate in certain cases, but rarely so in the small scale joints that occur in furniture. When making revealed dovetails in the style of the 70s and 80s, I do proceed a little differently I use different layout, finer saw, and different chisels, but it's the same process, it's mostly just an accomodation to what is at stake, and the harder woods I may be using. I don't actually expect my fast and slow methods to produce different results from the viewer's perspective. A lot of the tight look of joints comes from the finishing methods used, You can make a tight joint look loose and the reverse, if you aren't careful in the finishing.

Can't Look Yet

Jim Shaver - Oakville, Ontario

>I will have to wait a week or two more till my copy arrives..UGH, I have to come back to this post AFTER I get my copy...

:-)

Tale care,

Jim

Striving for perfect dovetails

Jack Guzman from Maine

>I get asked to repair alot of old furniture in my job as a carpenter.The majority of my work is in repairs and modifications to old farmhouses.These people have old bureaus,desks,etc. that great grandma passed down to them.I was initially surprised at the dovetails in these old pieces.Gaps,tails not evenly spaced,clearly defined cuts from a marking knife. This is in pieces that have survived multiple children for 100 years or so.Some of these pieces are quite beautiful,hand carved etc..I came to the conclusion that dovetails were not meant as a decorative element but as a purely functional means of attachment.Kind of like nails.

Concentrate on getting the joint to do it's job well and forget about appearance.Practice your sawing and your joints will get tighter.Also,accurate marking is very important.

I love dovetails. I use them anywhere I can. I almost never pare.

Also: when I was learning dovetailing,advice from Adam helped me get it down.He taught me sawing technique.I think Adam should do an A&M issue or a Woodcentral article about dovetailing technique.---Jack

Great minds think alike *LINK*

Adam Cherubini, NJ

>Jack,

I posted almost your exact sentiments to my blog last night. Glad I'm not the only one who feels this way about dovetails.

And thanks for the encouragement everyone!

Adam


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