She Never Cut a Dovetail Before – This Is What Happened

If you’d like to see the full demonstration while also helping support the Purple Heart Project, pick up the course in the Guild:

Hand-Cut Dovetails Through the Eyes of a Beginner

In this instructional session, woodworking expert Rob Cosman guides complete beginner Nicole through cutting her very first set of hand-cut dovetails.

🔧 Step-by-Step Process:

• Choose a Layout

  • The lesson begins with planning a two-tailed dovetail joint, which features two tails and three pins.

  • The number of tails and pins is based on joint size and desired strength—more tails increase glue surface area but can weaken the surrounding wood if overdone.

• Understand Joint Strength

  • The strength of the dovetail comes from long grain-to-long grain contact.

  • Each pin and tail meeting contributes to the joint’s integrity, but too many can compromise the structure.

• Prepare Your Stock

  • Rob emphasizes the importance of starting with perfectly square and flat boards.

  • A misaligned board will lead to a poorly fitting joint—especially critical when making drawers or boxes where all corners must align.

• Use a Shooting Board

  • Instead of squaring by hand in a vise, Rob introduces the shooting board for accurate 90° ends.

  • This jig holds the board and plane in alignment, making it easier to square edges cleanly and consistently.

  • Check that the plane blade is parallel to the sole before shooting—this ensures consistent material removal across the face.

• Tool Fundamentals

  • Nicole is taught to sight down the tool and make adjustments based on visual cues—an essential skill in hand-tool woodworking.

• Practice and Patience

  • Rob stresses the importance of technique over speed, encouraging Nicole to focus on accuracy and clean results rather than rushing through cuts.

  • Once the technique is sound, woodworkers can shift focus to the aesthetic balance of the joint.

🪚 Bonus Tips for Beginners:

• Don’t start cutting until your boards are square and true.

• Layout decisions should balance strength and appearance.

• Use jigs like a shooting board to simplify precision tasks.

• Evaluate your plane before use—setup matters as much as skill.