One Handed Dovetails

[manxnorton]

Good examples, Custard.

With one hand, the marking out is the area of difficulty as it is balancing two parts together and keeping them steady while the work is done.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. I'd go tails first here. It will be far easier as marking the tails from the pins - that is too fiddly.

2. Sawing tails should be done without any marking out (other than the baseline - clamp board in vise to steady it). Just approximate the angles and saw. I would also forgo the saw guide - that is also fiddly to move into position and clamp.

3. Transferring the tails to the pins is best done with two aids. This first is David Barron's dovetail board. This will align the sides of the two boards. Clamp the boards down.

The second is to use blue tape. This allows for a single knife mark to be made, and with less pressure than directly into wood. It is the paper tape that is cut, and then peeled away. Plus this gives one a second chance - remove and reapply the tape if the marks move.

Here are two links:

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/ ... eTape.html

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/ ... ails3.html

4. First undercut for a knife wall, and then use a fretsaw to remove most of the waste ...

5. Waste is removed by paring thin shavings. It pays to remove as much as possible beforehand. The fretsaw (above) is essential here. Learning how to use it is important. Once this is done, use a very sharp bench chisel with a short, squat handle to push down. A traditional paring chisel is not indicated for one hand use. A standard bench chisel may not offer enough area to maximise down force. My thoughts run to something along the lines of my awl ...

This Narex butt chisel would be great (short is more controllable than long, and a wide handle that may be pushed with the palm) ...

Regards from Perth

Derek

M8!
Great advice.
The Narex butt chisel would be great for me to use!
Obviously I've got keen interest on this thread coz I'll use custard thread to make my project as best as I can!
Any probs along the way, I just shout out and done nowt til I can fathom out the next stage.
I'm nearly done buying certain aids I will need and then pop over to Bri's projects and inform you all I'm ready to start!!!
Nervous as!! Lol
ATB
Bri

 

[manxnorton]

Now it's time to transfer the markings from the tail board to the pin board.

This was difficult, I just couldn't find a way to do this with just one hand. Or rather I couldn't find a way of setting up the workpieces satisfactorily.

I'm not sure it's helpful one handed, but here's an idea - it's actually the way I do it, two handed.

http://www.woodworkinfo.site88.net/tour ... il_marking

BugBear

Hello m8!
Great idea!
I'll wait for custard for advice before I do anything!! Shopping is my worse nitemare!! Lol
ATB
Bri

 

[fiveeyes]

Brilliant, custard..will even help me..and I have two hands..both of which are not very talented...well done

 

[manxnorton]

Was catching up on old threads.
and I've a few items I bought a few years ago.
i'll try and find them to show you's.
Really chuffed the effort people go to help.
Thank you
Bri

 

[Jacob]

I'd wonder about foot operated clamping. The "saddlers clam"* comes to mind. Many variations;
a counterweighted beam over the bench with a string to pull it down, or similar vertical to hold things in, in place of a vice?
I'd still recommend freehand as it saves all the tool /divider holding etc. and that's how it was traditionally done (faster, easier etc). Seems to be a lot of tooling involved above!
Pin holes first with no marking at all, though you could roughly space them first (with dividers or by eye) if you are a perfectionist!
Marking pin-hole to pin easiest with a thin chisel-ended craft knife - you just poke it in vertically.

*PS or the shave horse - adapted to suit.