dovetail chisels bevel down?

[john mclane]

I've been trying to teach myself how to make dovetails and have read everything I can put my hands on and have now started to practice. The first are not too bad. However being new at Neander-land: why do the books/articles recommend the bevel down on the chisel. I have tried both ways but don't see or feel much difference. My chisel are sharp and I get good wedges. I think the bevel down might have a little bit more control; is that right?

I want to get into the right habits early.

Have also tried tails first and pins first and like the tails first better due to the transfer to the pin boards and being able to do 2 boards at once , if necessary.

[Caleb Dietrich]

I think the bevel is down so you can have good clearance to stike the chisel with a mallet. Plus you wouldn't have to rotate the chisel as you switch from chopping down to the action of chipping out the waste.

Personally, I remove most of the waste with a coping saw and pare back to the scribe line with a sharp chisel. After making the defining cuts with the dovetail saw, I start a new kerf in the center of the waste with a coping saw. As I get close to the scribe line I tail off to one side until I reach the original Kerf of the dovetail saw. That piece pops out and I turn the coping saw and trim to the other side. Then pare with a chisel. (for through dovetails)

Might be worth a try.

Practice and patience makes perfect.

[Mark Singer]

The bevel is facing toward the edge as you tap down. Then with bevel up you tap from the edge. The upward bevel helps to break the grain. Anoter very good technigue is to pare down and at an angle from the socket you are making toward the vertical cut the chisel made.... Practice really will tell you what works.

[Andrew Williams]

After watching the Frank Klausz video "Dovetail a Drawer" I will probably never think dovetails are difficult again. I highly recommend any of his vids.

I started going to antique stores after embarking on making hand-cut dovetails, just to see what was being made 100 years ago, and mostly I saw some rather irregular and imprecise work. These drawers were made for speed of construction and strength, not for looks. After 100 years (or more) they seemed to hold together fine, flaws and all. I decided that I would complete any dovetailed drawer that I made, no matter if it seemed like I had cut them poorly, or overshot the marking gauge line with my chisel. Most of the time, the drawers ended up far better than I had originally thought.

[Mark Singer]

Here are a couple of tutorials that could help...

As said sawing and scribing are the most important aspects and either make r break the fit..

http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/m...miteredDov.asp

http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/m...ls/htDove1.asp

http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/m...apelleBed1.asp

[john mclane]

As usual Mark your help is greatly appreciated. I enjoy looking at your site and impressed with the detail. Back to practicing... a long way to go.

[Jon Toebbe]

Franz Klausz wrote an article for Popular Woodworking Magazine not too long ago that guided me through my first hand-cut through dovetails. They weren't perfect, but they were significantly better than I'd expected they would be. Unfortunately, I've since lost the article so I can't tell you which month he wrote the article. Well worth looking up, though -- perhaps someone can chime in with the publication date.

[John Goodridge]

I believe it is Popular Woodworking Oct 2005 Issue #150.

[Gary Keedwell]

I believe it is Popular Woodworking Oct 2005 Issue #150.

I just went down to my basement shop where my library resides and yes that is the right issue.
Gary K.