Switched from dovetail jig to hand cutting about 6 months ago, my drawers look worse but I actually enjoy my shop time now | Cabinetmakers - Guest Forum
Switched from dovetail jig to hand cutting about 6 months ago, my drawers look worse but I actually enjoy my shop time now
Spent $180 on a Porter Cable jig that cut perfect tails in 10 minutes, but after 6 months of hand sawing in my garage in Tulsa I'm never going back to the jig even though my gaps are still hit or miss.
That line about enjoying your shop time now really hits home, I did the same thing a couple years back and never touched my jig again. What helped me with the gaps was slowing way down and marking my lines with a knife instead of a pencil, then sneaking up on the cut with a sharp chisel. My tails still aren't perfect but they got a lot closer once I stopped rushing to beat a clock.