A Couple Dovetail Questions

[Bob Johnson2]

Hi All
Wondering if someone can give me a couple pointers for cutting dovetails. I've been using my Marples bench chisels this week while attempting to learn to to dovetails, while they work well enough they get dull in no time. Are these just cheap steel or the wrong type of chisel altogether. I have them at 25 degrees (is there a keyboard character for a degree symbol?) not counting the micro bevel. I do strop them often which helps a bit. Cutting 1/2 BB plywood so I imagine that has something to do with it. Would firmer chisels do the trick (been looking at the Hirsh set from LV) or is there a "standard" for dovetails?
In reference to the images below, Is there a formula or a trick of some sort to know if you should increase the number of tails and pins as you increase in drawer size? the drawers below are 3", 4", 5", and 6". Other then changing from 2 to 3 sets of tail/pins when I went from 3" to 4" I stayed with 3 sets and just increased the size of the tails.

Thanks

[Rob Russell]

I'd post this question in the Neanderthal Forum. The folks there do nothing but work with hand tools and chopping out/cleaning up dovetails is de rigeur for them.

[Steve Wargo]

Chiseling plywood is a bad idea. Glue really kills the edge on an iron.

[Michael Gabbay]

What Steve said..... The Marples that I use do dull quicker and don't hold as nice of an edge as my LN chisel. They should do fine on hardwood you just need to resharpen more often.

Mike

[John Miliunas]

Bob, yup, the glue is killing them. BTW, I have the Hirsch set you refer to and I like them a LOT better than the Marples! Also, for the degree symbol, hold down your "alt" key and, while doing that, use your number pad and hit 2,4,8 . Degree = ° .

[Mark Singer]

As they said practice on hardwood of some kind....the softer woods are forgiving in that they compress

[Bob Johnson2]

Thanks for the info folks, I finish off this project with the bench chisels then give up on the plywood.

John, thanks for the "°".

Bob

[Martin Shupe]

My original set of LN chisels had a 25 degree bevel. The new ones have a 30 degree bevel. I think the 30 degree bevel will stand up better for chopping dovetails.

I think any chisel would dull quickly if used to cut plywood.

My small drawers have 3 tails in the front, and two in the back. Have not done any over about 3.5 inches tall yet.

[Doug Shepard]

...Also, for the degree symbol, hold down your "alt" key and, while doing that, use your number pad and hit 2,4,8 . Degree = ° .

Turn on NumLock too or it wont work.