.....

Also some chip-out on the
last dovetail.
.....
Am I cheating or is this a common practice?

Yes you are cheating, Your apparently using a router.... saws dont have
chipout! :-)

Seriously though...It's *all* about the "cheating". One of the key
differnences between a hack and a craftman is the ability to account for,
fix or hide "errors".

I say if it looks good and performs well, it's a valid process a.k.a. not
cheating.