Hi Brian. I didn't check how old this thread is, but if it is current... I am using some recycled cedar (of British origin I presume) and I find it difficult enough to work with, especially when it comes to cleaning out the doves and tails after initial cutting. Cedar (British) is very brittle apparently, and I have confirmed this as I lost a tail on my first joint for the project; just snapped off with no sign of a knot or a crack. I wouldn't say don't use it unless it's Canadian cedar, but just be careful. Even when it is wood "just lying around" we still paid for it or won it from a skip or somewhere else, so just as precious if not more so!
Dovetails in softwood
- Thread starter brianhabby
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Jacob
New Luddism. Awake and resist!
Two essentials (amongst others);
1 Make deep cut knife lines for the shoulders, both sides both pieces. You chisel back to the line without going a gnats over. Aim at undercutting the shoulders very slightly so they are a tight fit where visible.
2 Overcut with the DT saw very slightly on both pinholes and tails. This makes it much easier to cut out the waste as the corners then take care of themselves.
3 Have a look at some old hand done DTs if you have some old drawers on hand. They almost always show the knife lines and the over cutting - sometimes excessive!
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It is 13 years old and you'd have found it easier/faster to check than to write the caveat above ...
Nothing wrong with adding to an existing thread but sometimes a question is well past it's sell by date.
