Dovetail template

[Berncarpenter]

Made this little baby today out of some reclaimed sapele and ash.

You can use it as a template to mark out your tails and it also could be used as a saw guide made it the same size as the tails i had to cut . Its a 1.6 pitch for softwood.

Cheers Bern

 

[blackrodd]

What a cracking little Gem! Thanks for that. Regards Rodders

 

[Glynne]

I'd almost be frightened to use it as in case I damaged it!

 

[Berncarpenter]

I'd almost be frightened to use it as in case I damaged it!

Glynne Took me an hour to make this first one and most of that time was spent rummaging through the timber pile to find something nice. Working out the size and spacing the tails ,actual build time was 20 minutes . Now if i have to make another i think it would only take 15 minutes so no big deal if i damage it and better to make something when practicing rather than just knocking out these.

What a cracking little Gem! Thanks for that. Regards Rodders

Thanks Rodders I am practicing cutting dovetails by hand and made this to try to speed things up a bit . I got the idea from David Barons saw guide which i have to say is a great little tool.

Cheers Bern

 

[Glynne]

I've also got a David Barron guide which is really good, although not cheap.
You obviously work a lot quicker than I do but I gave up cutting practice joints as, stating the obvious, all you are left with are one off joints. It was spending a week with Roger Berwick (Dodge) that convinced me to bite the bullet and go straight into projects and just focus on accuracy rather than speed. I'll admit some of my dovetails are less than perfect but it tends only to be me that notices the faults and at least I'm left with a completed project.
Given the quality of your dovetails, I don't think you need to practice!

 

[nathandavies]

I think everyone on here would be interested to see your dovetail challenge bern, can you cut and paste from the other site? and i'm allowed to comment on this site.

nathan

 

[Berncarpenter]

I've also got a David Barron guide which is really good, although not cheap.
You obviously work a lot quicker than I do but I gave up cutting practice joints as, stating the obvious, all you are left with are one off joints. It was spending a week with Roger Berwick (Dodge) that convinced me to bite the bullet and go straight into projects and just focus on accuracy rather than speed. I'll admit some of my dovetails are less than perfect but it tends only to be me that notices the faults and at least I'm left with a completed project.
Given the quality of your dovetails, I don't think you need to practice!

Thanks Glynne
Like you i would usually practice on making something rather than just a joint and in the past this has been the case .The reason for practicing is that i am going to attend the Shwarz class and want to be able to run off dovetails accurately and fast .With over 100 dovetails to cut on the tool chest we will be making i dont want to be beavering away when the cleaners turn the lights out.So i have followed the challage set by Paul Mayon Of The New English Workshop to cut a set of dovetails every day for a week timing yourshelf to see if you can speed up without loosing accuracy .
The first set took 32 minutes and after a week the last set was under 10 minutes .Well worth doing as i feel confident now that i wont show myself up and its helped me to fine tune my technique and tools.
First set

Last set

Tools that produced the best results for me so far.

Cheers Bern

 

[Berncarpenter]

I think everyone on here would be interested to see your dovetail challenge bern, can you cut and paste from the other site? and i'm allowed to comment on this site.

nathan

Thanks Nathan
I may need some help with moving the post from the other side :roll: I am a numtpy with the laptop and very slow . I will try to ask the mods to see if we can get you on over there as well

CHeers Bern.

 

[nathandavies]

Cheers bern

You put some great work over there, I may have to try and get over to your place and see what all the fuss is over the domino system. and your guillotine.

nathan

 

[RogerP]

With a metal cutting blade in the bandsaw you can make half-a-dozen different angle brass ones for a tenner

http://tinyurl.com/ngsgmg3

 

[Berncarpenter]

Cheers bern

You put some great work over there, I may have to try and get over to your place and see what all the fuss is over the domino system. and your guillotine.

nathan

Your welcome any time Nathan and i have put a request out to the mods for you on the other side.Still getting to grips with the dom not getting perfect results just yet your welcome to have a ply with it when you call in .

Cheers Bern

 

[Berncarpenter]

With a metal cutting blade in the bandsaw you can make half-a-dozen different angle brass ones for a tenner

http://tinyurl.com/ngsgmg3

Thanks Roger i think i will have a go at that . Havent got a metal cutting blade but have got some old blunt blades that may do it .

Cheers Bern

 

[RogerP]

With a metal cutting blade in the bandsaw you can make half-a-dozen different angle brass ones for a tenner

http://tinyurl.com/ngsgmg3

Thanks Roger i think i will have a go at that . Havent got a metal cutting blade but have got some old blunt blades that may do it .

Cheers Bern

... Ian at http://www.tuffsaws.co.uk will supply a metal cutting blade. They're not cheap but very handy to have one in the workshop for lots of jobs.

 

[Berncarpenter]

With a metal cutting blade in the bandsaw you can make half-a-dozen different angle brass ones for a tenner

http://tinyurl.com/ngsgmg3

Thanks Roger i think i will have a go at that . Havent got a metal cutting blade but have got some old blunt blades that may do it .

Cheers Bern

... Ian at http://www.tuffsaws.co.uk will supply a metal cutting blade. They're not cheap but very handy to have one in the workshop for lots of jobs.

Thanks for the link Roger i havent used this company before but from what i have read on the forums they are good

Cheers Bern

 

[Berncarpenter]

With a metal cutting blade in the bandsaw you can make half-a-dozen different angle brass ones for a tenner

http://tinyurl.com/ngsgmg3

Thanks Roger i think i will have a go at that . Havent got a metal cutting blade but have got some old blunt blades that may do it .

Cheers Bern

Roger just came across this while looking for ideas, it seems to make a brass template will take me a little longer than a timber one .

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTo ... brass.html

I hope this link works still a bit green with the computer.

Cheers Bern

 

[RogerP]

Good grief he does faff about!

I'm sure I could make them in less than 5 minutes each on the bandsaw and bench belt sander.

 

[DTR]

A dovetailed dovetail marker... classy 8)

 

[Peter Sefton]

Very Nice :!:

 

[Berncarpenter]

Very Nice :!:

A dovetailed dovetail marker... classy 8)

Thanks Peter & Dave
Started making a spearpoint marking knife this afternoon out of an old chisel that i picked up for 50p . Just got to upload the photos and i will stick it on here.

Cheers Bern

 

[Glynne]

I had a look at your photobucket and your work is really impressive.
I noticed you had a Knew Concepts saw and I struggled a little with mine for a while until I contacted Matthew of Workshop Heaven. Admittedly I was working with very hard and brittle unsteamed pear but the 9R Skip Reverse blade he recommended was brilliant and I could cut right up to the knife line with ease and have no breakout on the back side. Not sure what blades you use but for a couple of pounds, it might be worth a try given the number of dovetails you are going to be cutting in the near future.
Hope you can post some pictures of your Shwarz Class - I did have a think about it when it was first advertised as I'm in commuting distance from but I'm afraid I need to up my skill levels (a lot) before I would undertake something like that.
Glynne