On Aug 25, 12:40*pm, MJ wrote:
I am right handed. However, since birth,
I suffer from amblyopia - lazy eye - in my right eye.

This means I can not sight down a saw when cutting dovetails
or other hand saw procedures. The alternative is to switch
hands, which I have tried with minimal results. My left
hand is not as strong - nerve damage - as my right.

I chose to use power tools to do any kind of cutting
that I would love to use hand tools - dovetails come
to mind.

Curious if anyone has dealt with this and what they
have done.

If you want to see what this is like, close your dominant
hand eye and then try to saw a straight line. It's damn
hard.

It sounds like the main problem is getting eye-hand
coordination...with the "wrong" eye. The body wants to do something
different. Shiny saw blade and chisel reflections have been helping
woodworkers visually align cuts for ages. How about using a
supplemental mirror or buffing up those tools? This explanation from
a wooden boat forum:

"Another thing with the pull saws - they are usually finished almost
mirror bright. With practice, one can look at the reflection in the
saw and use it to advantage for accurate cutting. For 90 deg. cuts
when the saw is plumb and square the arris of the wood will appear
straight and true in the reflection. For 45 deg. cuts the reflection
will appear as 90 degs. Your point of view should be at an angle with
the arris, not directly over it. Experiment with it. It's an
interesting technique, and with a good eye can be used for freehand
cutting without any layout"

A supplemental mirror would allow you to "relocate" the "wrong" eye to
the right side.

R