Popular Woodworking 2006-04 № 154, страница 71

the thickness of the pin board. With this setting, I scribe the two faces of the tail board; then, with the same setting, I scribe the end of the pin board referencing off the face side. I now set the gauge to be V32" less than the thickness ofthe tail board at the rabbeted end and scribe this on the two faces of the pin board.

I use a pair of dividers to establish the width of the half pins in the end grain of the tail board. I want these half pins to be thick enough to prevent them from breaking or splaying during assembly. On a 5"- to 6"- wide joint, I would make the half pins about ¹4" at the top. I use one leg of my dividers to register on the outside edge of the tail board and I make a point in the end grain with the other leg.

With the interior pins just the width of my saw blade, I use another pair of dividers to step off the number of large tails I want between the half pins. Starting on one half-pin point, I walk to the other half-pin point using the number of tails as the spacing. I adjust the width of the dividers one way or the other until they land right on the opposite half pin point.

Until you have the exact setting, be careful not to leave any points in the end grain. To lay out the small houndstooth tails, I split each of the large tails in half (dividers make this easy). Then, using a dovetail marker, I mark out the tails. With my pen in the first half-pin point, I slide the marker over to it and strike a line across the end and up the face from the second (or furthest) scribe line. On the second point, I strike a line across the end and up the face starting at the first (or closest) scribe line. The third point starts at the second scribe line, the fourth at the first, and so on until I reach the second-to-last point.

On the last point, I turn the gauge around to mark the opposite slope of each tail, the first one starting at the second scribe line, the next one at the first, and so forth. I also take the time to clearly mark the waste. A moment invested here can save frustration and expense as a result of having to start over because of an errant cut.

The tails are then ready to cut. I secure the tail board in the vise so it's plumb and keep it low to reduce sawing vibration. I use a shoulder-wide stance and my right foot makes about a 60° angle with the front edge of the bench.

I grip my dovetail saw loosely with three fingers, index finger pointing down the saw. I want my sawing motion to be in a straight line from the tip of the saw to my shoulder. Think of the drive piston on an old steam engine for this. I use my left thumb and forefinger as an anchor point to start my saw. I pinch the top of the board with the bottom third of my thumb and forefinger. This keeps the end point of each digit above the set of the saw teeth. Light lateral pressure with the saw against my thumb and finger will ensure the saw starts cutting where I want it to rather than skirting across the end of the board.

With my thumb and finger pinching the end of the board, I can "inchworm" them one way or the other to move the saw closer and parallel to the line. Lifting to take most of the weight of the saw gives me a smoother start. I start my cut on the forward stroke; once the kerf is started the weight of the brass back will supply the needed downward pressure. Although I add a little extra to speed things up. My job is to aim the saw and move it forward and back. One of my students came up with the five "Ps" to sawing: 1) Pinch the wood; 2) Press the saw against the fingers; 3) Position the blade

against the line; 4) Pull up on the saw taking most of the weight; 5) Proceed with the cut.

It can help the new sawyer to first get a shallow perpendicular kerf started across the end grain, then pause, aim the saw to match the angled line and begin sawing. Don't try to correct an errant cut. It is better to continue off a few degrees and have a straight cut than to mess up the kerf by trying to change direction halfway in. Developing the skill to hold the saw level during the cut comes with practice; so in the beginning, saw to the face scribe line then carefully tilt and saw to the inside scribe line. Cutting to the line will

help when cleaning out the waste between the tails - particularly between the small houndstooth tails. I make all the cuts angling the same way before changing and coming back the other way. This gives me a better chance of getting the angles right.

Removing Waste

Before I reposition the board to cut off for the half pins, I use the fret saw to remove the bulk of the waste between the tails. I slip the blade down the kerf to the bottom; feeling the bottom of the kerf with the fret saw blade gives me an idea oflevel. I then rise up just a bit and begin sawing as I turn the blade.

After you define your tails with your dovetail saw, remove as much waste as possible with a fret saw.

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Sawing off the half-pin waste on the ends of the tail board is a critical operation. Make sure your layout lines are precise and deep.

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Popular Woodworking April 2006