[Woodworkers] Advice on hand cut dovetails

[via Woodworkers]

In a message dated 1/15/2017 10:57:53 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
woodworkers at lists.sawdusters.org writes:

I have recently gotten motivated to make a few items with  hand cut 
dovetails.  The how to articles I have read to date show thin  pins and wide tails. 
 I recognize that using a router bit to cut  dovetails defines the width of 
the pins, but is there a reason that hand cut  dovetails shouldn't have 
wider pins that would be sturdier and easier to  chisel out?
Herb,
 
If you look at the evolution of the dovetail, the early ones both the tails 
 and pins were really chunky. Then in the 1700's the English decided to  
make the tails wide and the pins narrow. It does take more skill to cut and 
fit  thin pins. I've seen many antiques from the 1700's and early 1800's with 
thin  pins and the drawers are still holding up fine. It also makes a huge 
difference  as to what type of wood you use. If you look at English antiques, 
they almost  always have white oak for the drawer sides, because that was 
readily  available. New England furniture makers used white pine and poplar, 
and southern  furniture makers used Southern yellow heart pine for drawer  
sides.
 
I hope this helps.
 
Gary Williams
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.sawdusters.org/pipermail/woodworkers-sawdusters.org/attachments/20170115/8f3517ca/attachment.htm>