Comments on: Quick Poll

By: Vic

Vic — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:12:12 +0000

I’m getting ready to try my first dovetails. I don’t think that they are a necessary part of great design or workmanship, but I do want to learn how for my own S & G’s. I think simple is usually the best way to go. But, that is mostly because I’m not a huge fan of the ornate.

By: Tom Mulcahy

Tom Mulcahy — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:52:20 +0000

Dovetails=craftsman……maybe,but I would consider a craftsman as a conscience effort of design choice,wood selection,proper cutting and milling,assembly, and fit and finish. Yes, I’m one of those with a router and jig….

By: Roger Sullivan

Roger Sullivan — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:26:14 +0000

I like to use dovetails as a desigh feture but, do not yet have the skill to do hand cut ones. So I rely on the router/jig to get the effect that I want. I feel that it is a mark of craftmanship to use dovetails but, not nessary for strength of joints with todays glues and other methods of jointery.

Roger

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:56:52 +0000

James -

An excellent point. Unfortunately, a lot of emphasis is placed on the ‘perfection’ of one part of the piece. If the DT’s look great, but the piece looks like crap, it’s not a success.

Also, I think it’s kinda sad that the equation of:

Dovetails = Craftsmanship

makes people think that without DT’s, the piece is not a good one.

Alas, like it or not, that’s something the customers want… so, that’s today’s poll…

By: James Cottonwood

James Cottonwood — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:29:17 +0000

Interesting that dovetails are the “mark of craftsmanship.” I think you’re better off looking at the piece as a whole and making *it* look good. Spend some time looking at masterpieces — the dovetails weren’t perfect, but the proportions of the overall work is. I see too much furniture with perfect dovetails that is, sorry to say, ugly from across the room. I wonder at what point the shift of focus moved. Post industrial revolution where the skill was placed in the machine?