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Remember when we all used to hand-cut dovetails at the trade show in Atlanta? | Cabinetmakers - Free To Speak

Remember when we all used to hand-cut dovetails at the trade show in Atlanta?

I was there in 2012, watching this old guy with a jig set up a small router to cut a perfect joint in about 30 seconds. That was the moment I stopped insisting on doing them by hand for every drawer. Do you still cut yours by hand, or did you switch to a jig too?

4 comments

4 Comments

aaron7402mo ago

The guilt thing is interesting but I think we miss the real trade off here. Hand cutting dovetails has a hidden cost that nobody talks about: the sawdust and clean up time. When I use my jig, I spend way less time sweeping and can actually start assembling the same day. Maybe that efficiency is what our grandpas would have wanted, not just suffering for the sake of pride. Is the hour you spend sweeping worth more than the joint itself?

blake7925mo ago

Yeah, that "feeling of guilt" thing is real. I had the same hang up for a while. I mean, my first teacher drilled that hand cut pride into me. But I finally asked myself if I was making furniture or just proving a point. Now I rough them by hand for special pieces, but for a run of kitchen drawers? The jig gets it done right and lets me focus on the fit and finish.