Dovetails look impressive but aren’t magic. They’re just precise sawing and chiseling. Anyone can learn them. Takes practice though.
The Types
Through dovetails show on both faces. Traditional look. Strong as hell.
Half-blind hides the joint on one side. Drawer fronts usually. Tails invisible from the front.
Secret dovetails are completely hidden. More work. Fancy boxes.
Layout
Tails first is traditional. Mark your tails, cut them, transfer to the pin board. Works great once you get it.
Pins first works too. Some people prefer it. Neither way is wrong.
Spacing is aesthetic. Consistent looks clean. Varying sizes has a handmade charm.
Angles between 1:6 (steep) and 1:8 (shallow) work. Softwood usually gets steeper angles than hardwood.
Cutting
Saw to the line. On the waste side. Sharp dovetail saw helps enormously.
Chop the waste between tails. Chisel from both faces to avoid blowout.
Transfer marks carefully – knife lines or sharp pencil. Accuracy here determines fit.
Pare to final fit. Sneak up on it. Taking off is easy. Putting back isn’t.
Getting Good
Practice in softwood first. Cheaper. More forgiving.
Do one set a day. 15 minutes. Improvement happens faster than you’d think.
Your first ones will be ugly. Everyone’s are. Keep going.
