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Had a week where every dovetail joint came out loose or gappy, then had the cleanest run I've ever done right after
Had a week where every dovetail joint came out loose or gappy, then had the cleanest run I've ever done right after. Last Tuesday I was working on a cherry nightstand and my pins just kept having these tiny gaps no matter how careful I was with my chisel work. I lost about 3 hours of progress on two drawers before I gave up for the day. Then Thursday morning I cut a set of through dovetails for a walnut jewelry box and they fit so tight I barely needed any glue. Idk what changed between those two days, maybe it was just my headspace or maybe the wood felt different. How do you guys deal with those days when nothing fits right without just walking away from the bench?
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jennys721mo ago
...but honestly I think you're overthinking it. Woodworking is just like anything else, some days you're on and some days you're off. It's not some mysterious force, it's probably just you not being consistent with your setup. I've been cutting dovetails for fifteen years and if I get a bad run I know exactly why - either my layout lines were sloppy or my chisel was dull.
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Blame @grantschmidt's chisel, that's what I do - just walk over and give it a dirty look until it behaves. Might not fix the gaps but it makes me feel better.
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