"Dukester" wrote in
:

snip
Arrgh! Please help!

Exhale. Again. Better now?

This is supposed to be relaxing and fun. If it's not, put it down, and go
watch Red Green on PBS. Or Roy Underhill.

Then mill up some practice stock, of some poplar or similar, and practice
some of those joints by hand. Having watched some really good woodworkers
cut dovetails with a saw, chisel and small mallet, what I realized was the
calm, relaxed demeanor that seemed to be required. Tension was the enemy.

It used to take a full apprenticeship to become a cabinetmaker with hand
tools. We expect an awful lot of ourselves these days, if we want to be
Lonnie Bird or Christian Becksvoort in a couple of weeks.

Deadlines are for working life. Enjoy the hobby. If it's late, it's late.

Patriarch