Appreciation post: I used to hand-cut all my dovetails, but after a big kitchen job in Tacoma last fall, I switched to a jig for the repeat work.

The time I saved on 32 drawers let me focus on the custom carved panels the client really wanted, so what's your take on balancing hand skills with time-saving tools for big projects?

3 comments

3 Comments

webb.stella2mo ago

My uncle's old shop in Spokane had a motto: the tool should fit the job, not the other way around. For those 32 drawers, a jig makes total sense, it's just smart. But I've seen too many new woodworkers skip learning to cut them by hand first, and then their work gets kind of stiff, you know? That hand-cut feel, even if it's just on a single special box, adds a soul that a jig can't really copy.

riley59523d ago

Seems like the "soul" argument is just a fancy way to justify keeping those expensive hand planes you bought and never use (we all have them, don't lie). I get it, hand-cut dovetails look nice on a single box for your mom, but for 32 drawers in a kitchen? That's not art, that's a cry for help. The real soul comes from knowing when to pick up the router jig and when to pick up the chisel, not from pretending power tools steal your vibe.

wrenh792mo ago

My first boss in Seattle called that "tool guilt" and it's a waste of energy. A perfect joint is a perfect joint, whether a hand plane or a CNC makes it. That "soul" people talk about is just a nice word for small mistakes a client would never pay for. Spending 80 hours on drawer joints for a kitchen is bad business and takes focus away from the actual art, like your carved panels. The hand skill is knowing when not to use your hands.