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Picked hand-cut dovetails over a router jig for my last kitchen job and it took forever
I had to decide between using a Leigh jig or cutting dovetails by hand for a set of 12 drawers in a custom kitchen remodel near Portland. I went with hand-cut because the client wanted that old school look and I figured I could charge more for the labor. Took me three full days longer than I expected and my thumb still hurts from the chisel slips. Was it worth the extra time or am I just being stubborn about tradition?
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elliot4520h ago
Thicker stock would definitely help but I think there is a limit to how much before the proportions look weird. @the_xena is right that material choice makes a difference though. I used 3/4 walnut but had to do half blind dovetails for the drawer fronts, which added another layer of pain. Next time I might try 7/8 stock just to give myself a little more margin for error on the tails without making the joints look clunky.
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