Hand-Cut Dovetails by Rob Cosman
I watched a couple of videos last night that have changed my perspective on hand-cut dovetails:
- Hand-Cut Dovetails
- Advanced Hand-Cut Dovetails
Both are by Rob Cosman, a Canadian who calls himself, “Your Hand Tool Coach.” As I watched these videos, I can see why.
He explains when and why you’d want to use hand-cut dovetails vs. those cut using a router. He shows some cool tricks for laying out the dovetails that only involve a couple of dividers and no measuring tools. Then he shows how to mark layout lines to help you guide your saw.
Rob cuts the tails first and uses the tail board to mark the pins. (He shows a couple of tricks for doing that, too.) And when he’s all done, he applies glue to the long-grain edges of the tails and pins and knocks the joint together. No test-fitting, no paring of the pins or tails with a chisel…just a perfect fit the first time. He says (and I agree) that once you test-fit, the joint will never look right the second time you put it together.
The trick is in making clearly-defined layout lines and “cutting to the line” with the saw. Rob used a Lie-Nielsen back saw, but the principles apply if you’re using a Japanese-style saw.
The videos are available from Rob’s web site (where you can view previews) and also from Lie-Nielsen. They’re worth a look.
Paul Comi said,
Rob Cosman’s video on cutting dovetails by hand is THE best I have seen. He patiently explains the process of laying out and cutting dovetails by hand and the camera work frequently shows up close what Rob is doing. Well worth the money to have this one in your collection.
(posted on March 23rd, 2007 at 2:06 am)