Dovetail saw for beginner?

[Rob Luter]

Justin - There's been some good advice given. Please let me share my dovetail saw experience. I started with an old Jackson from an antique store. Worked OK but it was really a small tenon saw filed rip and was none too precise. On a budget, I next went with a really nice Japanese Dozuki saw (Rip) from Japan Woodworker because it seemed to represent a good value. It cuts a very precise kerf but I've never been able to control it while cutting dovetails. Maybe it’s just me . I recently acquired a Lie-Nielsen dovetail saw and found that it is both easy to control and very precise. I suspect the Lee Valley dovetail saw will perform just as well and at a lower price point. I purchased the Lie-Nielsen based on personal taste and not because I thought it would work better than the Lee Valley.

In the end I would have been money ahead to go with the Lie-Nielsen (or other quality western saw) right from the get-go. Other respected brands include Gramercy, Wenzloff, and Adria. I've heard good things about them all.

Your mileage may vary.

[Justin Green]

Oh, I have the obligitory circular saw, electric drill press, portable table saw, jigsaw, angle grinder, and orbital sander....

I find its more relaxing to do work by hand. I never am on a deadline for projects, and cleanup of the plane shavings this week was a lot easier than dusting everything in the garage... um err... workshop. Plus I can hear the radio.

Fortunately, my new bride is completely content to "let" me have the garage.... for now!

The planes are amazing. Even given my rudimentary sharpening skills, I was able to make some full width shavings that I could see through with the #7. The block plane is a little harder to master, though, for end grain....

So..... now that I've hijacked my own thread, for cutting a large scale dovetail of the type found on the end of some workbenches, which types of saws would I be looking to acquire instead of a dovetail saw? I've studied pictures of cross-cut vs. ripping saws, so that I can tell when I walk into the tool store what type of saw I'm actually looking at...

[Justin Green]

Thanks Rob.... now I'm back to not knowing which way to go again!!!

[willie sobat]

Justin,

Someone mentioned the Crown Gent's saw earlier. I bought one of these saws several years ago. Since then I have purchased a LN, an old Disston and Jackson as well as some carcase saws. The Crown may not be the end all but it will do a good job. At the price it is hard to beat and as mentioned has reviewed well. Even now that saw finds work in my shop when cutting small items. If you go that route you will save money and have a saw that will remain useful if you upgrade. Good luck.

[Robert Rozaieski]

I will also be needing a crosscut or tenon saw at the same time (building a workbench), plus bench hardware, dogs, and sharpening equipment, so all of this seems a little overwhelming when getting into the really fine saws. Here's the list so far, not necessarily in any order:

1) Face vise or end vise or both for bench.
2) Dovetail saw.
3) Crosscut or tenon saw.
4) Electric grinder.
5) Decent supply of sandpaper in varying grits.
6) Waterstones/oil stones...
etc., etc....

Justin,

Please don't take this the wrong way, but reading this post, I have to ask what you plan on doing with a dovetail saw right now ? If you don't have a workbench yet or a vise or other way of holding your stock, you won't get much use from a dovetail saw. You won't be cutting any dovetails for a workbench, at least not the kind that would require a small dovetail saw like you are talking about here. My advice is to focus on a project (workbench?) and acquire only the tools you need for that project right now. Don't worry about what tools you will need later. Your future projects will determine that and you can get them then. If you need to build a workbench, you need a bigger saw, not to mention marking gauges, a square, chisels, etc., long before a dovetail saw.

Don't get too sucked up by the tool acquisition bug and forget that you also need wood and a place to work. Before you know it you'll have a bunch of tools you can't use, even more that you will later find you don't really need and others that you find you will need that you don't have because they aren't real flashy like super tuned smoothers and premium dovetail saws and therefore don't get the print that the fancier tools do.

I can't stress enough to focus on the project and let it determine your tool needs, not magazines, internet forums and the like. I speak from experience .

[george wilson]

Robert,what's the matter with you? Obama needs us to SPEND!!!!

[Justin Green]

Justin,

Please don't take this the wrong way, but reading this post, I have to ask what you plan on doing with a dovetail saw right now ? If you don't have a workbench yet or a vise or other way of holding your stock, you won't get much use from a dovetail saw. You won't be cutting any dovetails for a workbench, at least not the kind that would require a small dovetail saw like you are talking about here. My advice is to focus on a project (workbench?) and acquire only the tools you need for that project right now. Don't worry about what tools you will need later. Your future projects will determine that and you can get them then. If you need to build a workbench, you need a bigger saw, not to mention marking gauges, a square, chisels, etc., long before a dovetail saw.

Don't get too sucked up by the tool acquisition bug and forget that you also need wood and a place to work. Before you know it you'll have a bunch of tools you can't use, even more that you will later find you don't really need and others that you find you will need that you don't have because they aren't real flashy like super tuned smoothers and premium dovetail saws and therefore don't get the print that the fancier tools do.

I can't stress enough to focus on the project and let it determine your tool needs, not magazines, internet forums and the like. I speak from experience .

Thanks Robert - I can feel that it's easy to get into the tools already...

I'm looking to dovetail the front apron into the end caps for the workbench. It will be a pretty big dovetail, so I'm guessing that a bigger saw would work? I currently have 0 hand saws for wood.

The core of the top of the bench is glued up and planed and sitting on two sawhorses. It's heavy. I have clamps... without attaching a vise at this stage, I had contemplated clamping boards to the top in order to square the material for the base, and to cut the mortise and tenons.

[Alex Shanku]

I'm looking to dovetail the front apron into the end caps for the workbench. It will be a pretty big dovetail, so I'm guessing that a bigger saw would work?

I have used the band saw and chisels to do this.

[Justin Green]

Ahhh, I'd love a bandsaw - one day...

[Robert Rozaieski]

Thanks Robert - I can feel that it's easy to get into the tools already...

I'm looking to dovetail the front apron into the end caps for the workbench. It will be a pretty big dovetail, so I'm guessing that a bigger saw would work? I currently have 0 hand saws for wood.

The core of the top of the bench is glued up and planed and sitting on two sawhorses. It's heavy. I have clamps... without attaching a vise at this stage, I had contemplated clamping boards to the top in order to square the material for the base, and to cut the mortise and tenons.

Yeah, the "dovetail" saws are pretty small as they are dasigned for dovetails in drawers and furniture cases. They probably won't have enough depth to cut the large dovetails for a workbench. For these I'd suggest something more along the lines of a rip filed tenon saw. You'll need one anyway to cut the tenons for the base if you are cutting them by hand. Something in the 14" range with about 12 PPI would be good for that. You'll also want a similar sized one filed crosscut for tenon shoulders and precise crosscuts. Save the small "dovetail" saws for drawers and small boxes later on. It won't be very useful for building your bench.

[Justin Green]

Thanks Robert.

[Clay Thigpen]

I'll second Robert's last 2 posts. I'm trying to get the few things I'll need to start getting my shop working and it's VERY easy to start day dreaming about that first project after the bench or the Cracker box.

One thing off topic I will say you mentioned that your sharpening skills are lacking? look into the DMT Diamond Stones I don't have a set yet but I hear they are great for when you get tired of buying sand paper.

[george wilson]

Justin just wants a nice little saw to cuddle,guys. It's natural.

[Justin Green]

I'll second Robert's last 2 posts. I'm trying to get the few things I'll need to start getting my shop working and it's VERY easy to start day dreaming about that first project after the bench or the Cracker box.

One thing off topic I will say you mentioned that your sharpening skills are lacking? look into the DMT Diamond Stones I don't have a set yet but I hear they are great for when you get tired of buying sand paper.

Yes, already tired of buying sandpaper.

And George, my wife might leave if I start cuddling with any of my tools! She's been really patient bumming around looking for piles of rust!

[Clay Thigpen]

And George, my wife might leave if I start cuddling with any of my tools! She's been really patient bumming around looking for piles of rust!

Ah I see, what ya have to do is once you get that bench built and that dovetail saw practice dovetails and maker her something . Just don't let the rest of your relatives know you have that ability or you want have time for your own projects .