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Shoutout to Ron who told me to switch to half-blind dovetails for my drawer fronts
For two years I fought with box joints on cherry and got so much tearout I nearly quit. Ron at the Portland woodworking meetup said try half-blind dovetails and now my drawer fronts come out clean every time. Anyone else have a simple suggestion from someone that saved you headaches?
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cole99428d ago
Half-blind dovetails on cherry" is exactly right. That wood is so prone to tearout with anything else, switching to half-blinds basically eliminates the problem because the cuts are hidden and you're working with the grain differently.
The key is a sharp marking gauge and taking light passes with a fret saw, then chiseling from both sides so the waste breaks clean.
Once you get the hang of it, you'll never want to go back to box joints for drawer fronts.
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henderson.oscar28d ago
Yeah, it's like that old saying - sometimes going sideways gets you there faster.
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blair59728d ago
Why is it that the simplest fix always comes after you've already spent two years cussing at a piece of cherry? Ron probably saved you a good chunk of sanity and a few chisel handles too. Guess sometimes the old-school methods are the real time savers.
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