Woodworker's Journal 2009-33-2, страница 62
Techniques Tails Hand-cut Dovetails By Frank Grant the Drop-leaf Table's drawer (see project on page 32), my advice is to cut some practice dovetails in scrap lumber first. Then do it again, trying to refine your cuts after you've had a chance to wrap your head around the process. Here are some basic how-to concepts that I follow for cutting both through (shown here) and half-blind dovetails. For details on the drawer in the Drop-leaf table, look to the Drawings on page 38. The first rule is to start with flat, square drawer workpieces that have matching widths. My next rule is to always cut the pins first. I lay out the pin pattern with a half-pin on each end of the board. They add strength and create a pleasing visual balance. As you saw the pins, the key is to split the line with the blade, with the kerf to the waste side. The pin cuts need to be made straight and neatly, but the tail cuts are almost more important to how well the joint fits together, because the tails must fit precisely between the pins. Use your already-cut pins as a template for drawing the tail layout lines on the drawer side. Don't fight gravity or ergonomics as you make the tail cuts. Align your saw blade to vertical by clamping the tail board in your bench vise at a slight angle. Line up your shoulder and forearm with the cut, and saw straight down. Finally, always wait to cut the drawer bottom grooves until after cutting and fitting the dovetails, to make sure you don't nip a corner of the bottom half-pins on the drawer face. Hand-cutting dovetails is very satisfying, but you'll find that success only comes with plenty of practice in the shop. Start removing the waste by back-cutting along the scribe line with a sharp chisel. Continue chiseling, chopping inward from both faces of the workpiece to remove the waste. Once the pins are completed, use the pin board as a template for marking the tail layout on the drawer side. Then, clamp the workpiece in your bench vise at an angle so you can saw straight down to make the tail cuts. Chisel away the waste to finish the tails. Lay out the dovetail pin pattern on the drawer face with a half-pin on each end of the series. Cut along the pin lines with a dovetail saw, keeping the blade kerf in the waste areas. I like hand-cutting dovetails, and I've literally cut thousands of them. As a result, I try to execute them in a manner that hearkens back to the day when dovetails were all done by hand, and guys got paid to get them done fast and right. Before you start on the pieces for Scribe the bottom of the waste areas to help register your chisel and prevent tearout. 62 April 2009 Woodworker's Journal |
