She Never Cut a Dovetail Before – This Is What Happened

If you’d like to see the full demonstration while also helping support the Purple Heart Project, pick up the course in the Guild:

Hand-Cut Dovetails Through the Eyes of a Beginner

In this instructional session, woodworking expert Rob Cosman guides complete beginner Nicole through cutting her very first set of hand-cut dovetails.

Step-by-Step Process:

Choose a Layout

The lesson begins with planning a two-tailed dovetail joint, which features two tails and three pins.

The number of tails and pins is based on joint size and desired strength���more tails increase glue surface area but can weaken the surrounding wood if overdone.

Understand Joint Strength

The strength of the dovetail comes from long grain-to-long grain contact.

Each pin and tail meeting contributes to the joint���s integrity, but too many can compromise the structure.

Prepare Your Stock

Rob emphasizes the importance of starting with perfectly square and flat boards.

A misaligned board will lead to a poorly fitting joint���especially critical when making drawers or boxes where all corners must align.

Use a Shooting Board

Instead of squaring by hand in a vise, Rob introduces the shooting board for accurate 90�� ends.

This jig holds the board and plane in alignment, making it easier to square edges cleanly and consistently.

Check that the plane blade is parallel to the sole before shooting���this ensures consistent material removal across the face.

Tool Fundamentals

Nicole is taught to sight down the tool and make adjustments based on visual cues���an essential skill in hand-tool woodworking.

Practice and Patience

Rob stresses the importance of technique over speed, encouraging Nicole to focus on accuracy and clean results rather than rushing through cuts.

Once the technique is sound, woodworkers can shift focus to the aesthetic balance of the joint.

Bonus Tips for Beginners:

Don���t start cutting until your boards are square and true.

Layout decisions should balance strength and appearance.

Use jigs like a shooting board to simplify precision tasks.

Evaluate your plane before use���setup matters as much as skill.

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