Overheard a cabinet installer say hand-cut dovetails are the only real joinery method, but I swear by my jig for production work...

Does using a router jig for dovetails make you less of a carpenter, or is it just about getting the job done quick and clean on that 12-drawer dresser I finished in Beaverton last Tuesday?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_claire6d ago

Used to be firmly in the hand-cut camp myself, thought jigs were cheating. But then I took on a big kitchen job with 20 drawers, and my hands were cramping up after the third one. Realized that spending an afternoon on perfect hand-cut dovetails for a client who just wants their kitchen done is kind of a waste. A jig gets you a strong, tight joint every time, and nobody's gonna know the difference once it's glued and sanded. For production work, it's just the smart tool for the job. Doesn't make you less of anything, just makes you faster.

beth_baker696d ago

Realized that spending an afternoon on perfect hand-cut dovetails for a client who just wants their kitchen done is kind of a waste." That's the thing, people get so caught up in the "right" way they forget the job is about the end result, not the process.