A new approach to half-blind dovetails
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Whats your opinion on this one guys
http://americanwoodworker.com/blogs/techniques/archive/2011/01/06/precise-hand-cut-dovetails.aspx
19 November 2013 at 10:06 am #21760Crazy. They’ve massively over-complicated the process to remove all chance of anything going wrong! They even mentioned it in the introduction: “Using machined parts and my new method, you can make perfect half-blind joints the very first time you try.” I can’t begin to imagine how long it would take to set up all the jigs and guides needed.
I’ve only cut two half-lap dovetails for a drawer in my workbench, and used Paul’s method from the tool chest build. They weren’t perfect but were quick and easy. I’d been making a few boxes so had recent practice making through dovetails but half-lap ones really aren’t that different. Had I not made one stray chisel chop they’d have been almost perfect!
George.
I completely agree with George. A complete over complication of what is a relatively straight forward process. I don’t doubt that it would lead to perfect half blinds but how much longer would it take to learn the skills to do it without. I personally find half blinds a little easier than through dovetails to get right as it’s only visible on the one edge.
19 November 2013 at 1:38 pm #21773Disclaimer…I’ve only cut half-blind dovetails (12) times to date. Have they all been perfect? Heck no. Have they all been serviceable? You bet. That being said, this article makes a relatively simple thing extremely complicated. In fact, it is articles like this that scared me away from cutting dovetails in the past. Even with my limited experience, I can see several chances for failure in this articles method. How disheartening would it be for someone to go to all this trouble and then have a failed joint? This is what leads to electric routers and dovetail jigs. A slippery slope indeed. 🙂
19 November 2013 at 2:07 pm #21775I am wore out just by reading that. I’ll pass. Thanks for posting. It is nice to see other ideas.
19 November 2013 at 2:40 pm #21776Ken…thanks for posting this. It made me realize how my view towards woodworking has changed in the last year. Two years ago I would have given that article some serious thought. I might have even went as far as to build the jigs and try it. Its strange how the human mind can over complicate simple things, then we are shown how simple the thing is and wonder why we didn’t see the simplicity before. This has played out for me time and time again during Masterclasses.
It’s that kind of article that kept me from getting started. As a new hand tool woodworker, I needed a more simple, basic approach to get started.
I must say that I’ve been looking for a simple jig to guide my paring chisel and I may try a block of wood when cleaning up joints to see if the results are better or faster.
19 November 2013 at 3:51 pm #21785For what ever reason I can not see the illustrations but from what I read seems much more complicated. I like Paul’s method and have had my issues’s but each time is getting better. As most know I have been working wood a long time but just recently in the last couple years or so converted to Hand Tools and love it. I also haven’t done any Half Blind Dovetails yet but will soon.
Steve
24 November 2013 at 7:12 pm #22211Just see this wow it will probably take longer to cut all those jigs than to cut Dovetails in first place.
Way over complicated.That’s really complicated! Since I was looking for a method to make halfblinds before Paul started to cover it, I chose a method I saw on youtube where you cut to the lines like always and then finish the saw cut with a card scraper that you carefully drive in with a hammer. This was easy and worked well. Another thing that I did was to pair with the “cordless” router. Just gave it a try and since it worked I kept on.
Yeah that video is posted here, as you say it works well. 🙂
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