Heinz 57 Dovetails

[fivestring]

Has anyone ever mix and matched dovetail making in a project?

For example: Using the router and dovetail bit for one piece and then handcutting the other piece to match?

Or hand cut one and bandsaw the other?

Or router w/ dovetail bit on one, table saw and dado blade for the other?

 

[Monty]

There's an article in one of the WW mags from a few months ago... maybe it was PWW. They described a sort of hybrid technique - using hand tools for layout and a dovetail saw for the initial kerf, then using a router bit to clear out most of the waste and finally a chisel to do final cleanup/fitting.

 

[Ozzie-x]

I always use the same technique for both pieces on the same project. My current "trend" is to bandsaw all the cuts and chisel out all the waste. Probably nothing wrong with doing the tails one way and the pins another way, as long as accuracy is maintained.

 

[woodguy1975]

That is pretty much the way I do my big half blind dovetails. I use a jigsaw to saw out the tails, router to waste the sockets and a chisel to clean everthing up. I know Lonnie Bird showed using a dovetail bit in the latest PWW article, but my angles weren't perfect so I used a straight bit and pared down to the lines.

Thanks,

John

 

[Travis Porter]

I think the article was in FWW with Matthew Teague, maybe the most recent?