Paul Womack writes:

> Yes - but I follow Kirby in this regard. The ends of both work pieces
> are short to length and square. Final finish is by planing the faces,
> not the tails.
>
> This is the only accurate way to make a dovetailed item of a known
> finished exterior size.

Is falling short all round by half the thickness of a gauge pin within
the acceptable parameters of accuracy? If not, allow an extra
1/16th" which seems to be the standard thickness for marking-gauge pins.

Cut the boards plumb and square (naturally) to final length, with or
without the extra 1/16".

Set the gauge to the thickness of one board by holding the pin against
one side of it and pushing the fence along the stock until it firmly
touches the other side, trapping the thickness of the board between the
fence and pin. Lightly gauge both sides of the end of the board to be
joined to the one from which the gauge was set and so on around the
entire box.

Measure (not really all that necessary if one first cuts tails and marks
pin top cuts from the kerfs), mark tail cuts with bevel and, in due
course, pin cuts with square to gauge lines, using chisel in the
approved manner to mark face and reverse face lines. Saw, saw, chop,
chop - whacko! Dovetails and pins ready to embrace each other. Mallety-
mallet together, praying, "What this man has joined together let no man
put asunder ."

Here we find, unless we used a not-as-sharp-as-she-could-be chisel (more
important than some persons think), a happy union of four boards (with
or without tops and bottoms) with the ends of dovetails and pins
protruding all round by 1/32" or something very near.

Plane away from each end towards the middle of each board to plane down
projecting ends of dovetails and pins and we find ourselves "inaccurate"
by a plane shaving all round. This "evil" may be overcome by dressing
the outside of the boards to their final finish first and planing along
the tops of the protrusions from either end, but a crosswise plane-swipe
towards the end of one of the boards is likely to make its unwelcome
appearance together with a few sweat and finger marks and a bit of dirt
or whatever from the bench. Final finish is best left to last.

Regards from Brisbane,

John Manners
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