How to hand cut dovetail joints

Set your tails on the ends of the pin boards and transfer their layout using a marking knife. Next, use a square to mark the pins down to the depth lines on both sides of the pin boards.

Cut the pins as you did the tails, staying just inside the layout lines and stopping just short of the depth line.

Chop out the first side of the tail waste exactly as you did the pin waste, using the chisel wiggle method to get an accurate start.

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Flip the tail boards and finish chopping the tail waste out. It’s a little trickier than the pin waste because you’re chiselling an angled cut.

Pare the pins to their layout lines. Again, be careful. Pay attention to both sides of the board to keep everything square.

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Press the joint together to check the fit. Chances are, you’ll need to do some adjusting. Mark the areas that need material removed and carefully pare off a bit at a time, checking the fit often so you don’t overdo it. A good fit only requires a light tapping with a mallet.

Once you’re satisfied with the fit, apply glue to all the mating surfaces and press the joint together. With the glue applied, you may have to be a little more forceful with your mallet.

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Once the glue dries, sand and apply the finish.

Rest assured, there likely will be some gaps that bug you. I almost always have a couple, especially if I’m a little out of practice. Don’t worry. You can fill them and make them disappear.

Cut small wedges from an extra board. Make several vertical cuts, then saw the wedges free by cutting in from the side. Make wedges with grain going vertically as well as across the grain so you can easily match the grain at the gaps.