Tool of the Month February 2016

Welcome to Februarys Tool of the Month blog post!

This month it's the dovetail saw!

The Veritas 14tpi dovetail saw.

The dovetail saw only has one job to do, and that's to cut the tails and pins of dovetail joints.

Accuracy and tool quality is very important for stress free handcut dovetails. There are many different makes of dovetail saw available so it's always best to try several to find one which has the comfort and balance that fits you.

This saw is made by Canadian company Veritas, its teeth are filed for a rip cut with 14 tpi (teeth per inch) spacing this allows for a fairly fast cut and leaves a fine finish ideal for joints that need minimal cleaning up with a chisel.

You should never try and rush a saw cut as you'll loose the accuracy and end up with a rough finish cut requiring more tidying up.
Start the cut and let the saw go at its own pace, this will vary depending on how the teeth have been set and how sharp the tool is. Wiping a little candle wax on the blade also helps.

A pile of walnut components after having the tails cut.

Last month i mentioned that I was making a pair of bespoke dovetailed walnut amplifier cases.

Here's a few photographs of the finished cases!

That's all for this month, look out for the next post in March!