Jeff L Headley
Well-known member
How and why?
Jeff L Headley said:Jack Plane, I am interested in your sharp pencil. I got a posting offline about a pencil. Could this be an English trait. We are mostly taught in the states to use a knife line. Pencil lines can be deceiving unless you have cut hundreds (or more likely Thousands) of dovetails. Some in America, feel if you are not living on the edge then you are taking up to much space. Please take this comment in the humorous manner it was meant. A sharp pencil can give an extremely fine line also to trim to. I don't use a pencil but I do highlight my knife line with a pencil line so I can see to saw to. I also use a, beveled on both sides, "Dull" knife. I will set a knife tick in the outer ( or inner depending on how you look at it) point of each dovetail to set my knife to square down. This tick also works to start my dovetail saw. I am a tails first cabinetmaker because of only one reason. ?
While doing drawers I will set a line up block in the slot for the drawer bottom to help me line up the drawer sides to lay out drawer fronts and backs. How far up from the drawer bottom of your drawer will you set the top of your drawer bottom dado (slot)? Queen Anne, Chippendale and Federal (What do you call Federal (1780- 1825)? This question might depend on the period the drawer is being made.
Different angles for different woods!! We use the same angle for both hard and soft woods ( Walnut, Cherry, Maple, Mahogany, with poplar White pine, and Yellow pine secondary). We are located in the Central Eastern Coastal region of the States.