Finally

I’ve noted before that I am terrible at hand-cutting dovetails, and so avoid it whenever possible. Not this weekend, though. While I do handwork whenever necessary, I tend to go…

I’ve noted before that I am terrible at hand-cutting dovetails, and so avoid it whenever possible. Not this weekend, though.

While I do handwork whenever necessary, I tend to go for machines when I work. Nowhere is that more true than for dovetails. I’ve admitted in the past that I am terrible at cutting dovetails by hand, truly awful, and so I generally rely on a router to cut them. I’ve also noted in the past, however, that cutting dovetails by hand is a skill that I’m going to develop “one of these days.”

Well, those days are coming up this weekend. At the moment I have no project of any kind on my to-do list, and expect it to stay that way for about the next week. So I’ve decided that with a bit of extra time on my hands I’m just going to practice cutting some dovetails.

My plan isn’t to just cut a bunch in some stock for the literal practice, but to make a small dovetailed box. No goal for the box itself, but it seems to me that the practice will be more meaningful if I actually make something while practicing. Even if it turns out terrible (a possibility), I can still put the box to use in the shop. Not only will it serve two functions – practice and storage – but it will also stand as a reminder that I’m finally tackling an area where my skills are weak. I’m thinking that it can only encourage me to practice further.

Wish me luck.

A.J.

 A.J. Hamler is the former editor of Woodshop News and Woodcraft Magazine. He's currently a freelance woodworking writer/editor, which is another way of stating self-employed. When he's not writing or in the shop, he enjoys science fiction, gourmet cooking and Civil War reenacting, but not at the same time.