Q: Paul, Can you post a close up picture of those dovetails, a good clear close up shot. A: I took pics today and will show and tell tonight,later. You guys must remember I am a working craftsman making furniture for my living. I am not hanging out. I put in 8-10 hours a day…

Part of my demonstrating was cutting dovetails and it’s one I have done many times in the USA shows where I perfected the demo, so people are used to it there. Here in the north of the UK that wasn’t the case so they were interested straight away. Here is how it went at the…

Here is another handcut dovetail joint I made this weekend at the Penrhyn Castle workshops whilst my class was going on. Turned out OK. The secondary wood is Oak and primary wood is Sapele Mahogany. I like the less showy and less stark contrast of oak with mahogany rather than the whiteness of maple and especially the…

I cut these dovetails yesterday from mahogany and oak. Such simple saw cuts split the fibers to separate the waste from the wanted and tails remain. The second I trace, each with the knife’s point, and then, again, the knife, the chisel and the saw cuts define the remaining shape until two unmarried parts become joined inextricably, irrevocably,…

Just to follow up on yesterday’s post re hand cutting dovetails, which I eye-balled with no measuring, no jigs, no gauges using only a dovetail saw, coping saw, chisel and chisel hammer, knife and combination square. 16 minutes total including demoing and talking about dovetailing options. The more you rely on your eyes, the more…