magnets

[devonwoody]

Yes I am having trouble with my dovetail joints

Can anyone please tell me where I can purchase 3" flat bar type magnet.

Another jig coming on

(Axminster only advertize round earth magnets. )

 

[Chris Knight]

Devon,

If as I suspect :wink: you are wanting to make a magnetic jig for guiding your saw, have a look at this offering from Brimarc/Veritas http://www.brimarc.com/home.php3?page=p ... pc=C_106_3

I think Andy(Deedee) has one and likes it.

OTOH, how many practice cuts have you made?

 

[devonwoody]

Devon,

If as I suspect :wink: you are wanting to make a magnetic jig for guiding your saw, have a look at this offering from Brimarc/Veritas http://www.brimarc.com/home.php3?page=p ... pc=C_106_3

I think Andy(Deedee) has one and likes it.

OTOH, how many practice cuts have you made?

Yes you are correct, but I reckon two pieces of scrap timber spot of super glue and one magnet £3, and I've got some money for some more tools. Post the picture of my idea later today.

Lots of cuts and but bluddy chisels playing me up, the bevel doesn't go right to the back edge of chisel blade.

 

[Chris Knight]

Devon,,
If my picture indicates the problem area, there is only one answer, grind it to the edge. I have done this on old chisels for getting into tiny dovetails.

 

[devonwoody]

Yes to problem area.


But you've done it to old chisels I've got new ones :twisted:

 

[devonwoody]

Seen the ubeat thread where Derek Cohen is using a grinding table, Do you reckon for a small job like above could use my belt mobile sander (fixed in the vice upside down) to do that small job?

 

[Anonymous]

Seen the ubeat thread where Derek Cohen is using a grinding table, Do you reckon for a small job like above could use my belt mobile sander (fixed in the vice upside down) to do that small job?

Definitely YES to that DW. Just be very careful that you take it down slowly and regularly dip the chisel in cold water to stop it heating too much and thus losing the hardness. You need to avoid 'blueing' the cutting edge which will heat up very quickly as it is thin.

Finish off on a waterstone or diamond stone after you have taken the bevel as far as you want.

 

[devonwoody]

My idea for a dovetail jig for use with handsaw.

In addition to the drawing there would be a face plate attached to the side of magnet and timber and would provide support when clamped to joint piece being cut.

Any suggestions to improve design welcome.

Thanks Tony for encouragement re using my mobile sander, I do have a vicious grinder of course, but thought the Aussie idea sounded better.

 

[Anonymous]

DW

If I may make a suggestion mate?

Rather than sorting a jig to support your saw, why not try my approach?

First, check the saw. How much set is on the teeth? If it is much more than the blade thickness, then gently run an oil stone or diamond stone along the edges of the teeth to take off any high points. The saw will HAVE to track dead straight once you have taken the set down adequately

I placed pieces of wood in my vice, drew loads of vertical lines using a square in the end grain of some waste hardwood and practiced cutting straight down them over-and-over again over a period of days. I probably made 100 test cuts before I started to hand-cut DTs. After cutting a 30-40 lines, you will find that you can't help cutting dead straight to the line :wink:

When cutting the actual DTS, set the wood so that you are cutting straight down again, rather than at an angle - you can see that I did this in my houndstooth tutorial photo

Give it a try, you'll be surprised

 

[devonwoody]

Tony, Thanks you have re-inspired me on this Monday morning, (100, cuts my new saw will be worn out)

My wife want her kitchen mirror back.

Other problem, its spring, down here 20 planter boxes to prepare for planting, patio wants cleaning, lots of dandelions sprouting, 100 practice cuts to do, chisels to grind, this retirement is very time consuming

 

[devonwoody]

OK Tony,
I've started the practice cutting ( 24 cuts yesterday) before the wife reminded me about the spring garden season having started.

Do you think it is worth while whacking the chisel down on the shoulder line first (full size) and then marking up the dovetail to match this chisel line. I was thinking if this was done on the face side of timber it would eliminate the shoulder needing more than one cut showing, and saw cut would also definately join up at chisel mark?

 

[Anonymous]

OK Tony,
I've started the practice cutting ( 24 cuts yesterday) before the wife reminded me about the spring garden season having started.

Do you think it is worth while whacking the chisel down on the shoulder line first (full size) and then marking up the dovetail to match this chisel

Glad to hear the practice has started DW Are you following the line OK?

I think marking out to a chisel is a great idea and should make life much easier :wink:

Lets have some photos when you get on to the actual cuts mate

 

[Chris Knight]

Devon,

Be careful! Your first chisel cuts should be away from the shoulder line otherwise pressure from the bevelled side will force the back of the chisel over the line. If you knife your lines and leave about 1mm of watse on the shoulder, you will later be able to register your chisel blade in the knife cut and pare down for a nice clean shoulder.

 

[dedee]

DW,
Chris is quite correct. I do have the veritas jig and it certainly gave me a lot of confidence to cut DTs without one.

Before I found that jig I handmade one of these

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/featu ... sp?id=1087

which also produced passable results. It would be quite easy to add a few magnets to the faces if required.

Andy

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks for the last three replies, pleased to report things are improving
but not yet ready for a display picture

 

[devonwoody]

Another day and still cant put up a dovetail joint to be proud of.

My problem at the moment I think must come down to marking up, I make the tails first and when I use the tails to mark up pins I note that the marking up is taking place on the backside of timber (not its face side)

This means when my joint is assembled the pins were not created from the face side mark up and consequently there is some inaccuracy showing .

Or perhaps its my new saw and I haven't got used to kerf allowances.

BTW the hand held sander put in the vice worked perfectly to grind off the bevels on my chisels, so will most probably progress to a permanent jig set up sometime in the future using this tool for grind ups.