Originally Posted by
jason thigpen
instead of grading the fit/finish of the dovetails, how about grading them on following all of the proper steps and procedures properly. i know a lot of us, myself included, didn't have the best looking dovetails on our first few attempts. that comes with practice. you should create a list of all of the proper steps when hand cutting and grade them on their technique and ability to follow the steps properly. for example, when marking the cutlines with a marking gauge make sure they set the depth properly and that the gauge is set up correctly. when sawing, make sure they are gripping the tool correctly and cutting at the correct angle. if they follow the steps properly every time, the fit and finish will come with practice. some will be better on their first set than others, but all will look good in time if they consistently follow the procedures. i think that is a more important focus for someone first learning the technique.