Beginner - dovetails

[sm7]

So here are some dovetails I have done by hand. I haven't been doing this very long at all for those who didn't see my previous posts and wouldn't know I have only been at it for a week! I am thoroughly loving it and am really enjoying noticing how much better each joint I do gets.

Before putting this little box together, thus far, I had only ever done one dovetail joint before as practice before deciding to do these and join them all up! It isn't anything in particular, it is just practice so I thought I'd take some pics and share to see what I'm doing wrong/how bad it is for a first timer.

The box so far with one set of dovetail sockets to be removed.

The last and by far my set of dovetails so far. Nice and tightly fitted and pretty flush considering that all the pieces of wood I'm using have a twist in them. There is also an overextended saw cut which isn't brilliant. Hopefully the saw will have been angled and this might plane out if I was to try?

The only completed side so far.

Example of the extended pins to be planed off on a better project and example of how my dovetails are not perfect as the chiseled shoulder is not true.

Picture of the least flush joint. The other two are fine but I think I'd need to make the others deeper to level this left one out.

Thanks for looking, any comments are welcomed!

 

[stef]

Thats not a bad start...
use a piece of wood for support if you try and plane the end. otherwise, you will destroy the corners.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Find a bit gash hardwood, a piece of broken older furniture or something to practice on. It will be far easier than using shiit softwood.

 

[Racers]

You need a marking knife/gauge to mark the depth then you can place you chisel in the line accurately.

+1 for harder wood its easer cut but less forgiving of a poor fit.

Check this out http://www.popularwoodworking.com/video/klausz

Pete

 

[AndyT]

They look a lot like my first dovetails too - long before digital cameras!

A knife line will help a lot - it does not need to be a special knife; you can use a Stanley knife or a pen knife or even the chisel if you hold it right (grasp the vertical blade in your fist.)

One thing you have discovered already - straight, even thickness wood is essential - video demos always start with carefully selected square, flat wood as if it was all like that.

And keep on practising!