Dovetails

Quick Links:

How do I cut a dovetail?

Do you have anything to help cut consistent, even dovetails?

Would you ever gang cut dovetails?

Do you use a coping saw to cut dovetails?

How do I cut a dovetail?

If you are a beginner, we recommend our sister site, Common Woodworking, which takes you through how to make a dovetail step by step:

https://commonwoodworking.com/courses/how-to-make-a-dovetail/

Do you have anything to help cut consistent, even dovetails?

Would you ever gang cut dovetails?

Making the Toolbox – Pare and Chop Dovetails and Pins

It’s not really a good habit to gang up dovetails. In many cases ganging them up together can result in both dovetails being out of square or misaligned or both and thereby the two dovetails end up being different sizes. Also, the very practice we need when we begin dovetailing is denied by introducing something we never really do in practice.

Do you use a coping saw to cut dovetails?

We tend not to use the coping saw method for the majority of fine woodwork and furniture making, as it is not as precise and it takes quite a bit of practice to get as accurate as Paul is at it. There is also risk of tear-out. So for fine work we would use the method as seen in our making a dovetail video above. Paul might use a coping saw for rougher carpentry, but the cuts are consistently finer when done with the chisel.

There are several blogs discussing this:

Making the Toolbox – Pare and Chop Dovetails and Pins