I nearly graduated from a Keller Jig to Leigh Top of the Line. Instead
I went to handcut dovetails by way of the 18th century and videos by
Frank Klausz and Rob Cosman and Tage Frid, and I went first class
spending almost as much on handtools as I would have for the jig. Not
necessary, of course, but who could resist them.

For me, woodworking is no more about making furniture than trout fishing
is about eating fish. It is about rejoicing over the craftsman screaming
to get out of the klutz. After a month, I make a very respectable
through dovetail. The halfblind is much trickier, but it's not that much
far behind, and handcut dovetails is fast, quiet, less messy, and the
satisfaction of putting down a chisel is in a league of its own compared
to the router, and I own four routers. The best part is that the variety
of dovetails you can make by hand seems endless.

Again, speaking only for myself, making a dovetail by hand is the
equivalent of making music by playing a piano as against turning on a cd
player.

If I were a professional cabinet maker, I would be a Luddite, but as a
sole practitioner of woodworking, I have discovered the holy grail in my
basement.

Even my hands are beginning the look like Roy Underhill's, the true
emblem of the wordworker :-)

I spent a week in Rob's Cosman's basic handtool class and enjoyed every
minute of it. Something like 60 hours in there that week. Plotting a
return trip this year.

Alan

Congratulations, you have passed woodworking 101 and are nearing completion
of advanced woodworking!
--dave (who also has a few routers and jigs, but throughly enjoys cutting
DT's by hand)


"LDR" wrote in message
k.net...
I nearly graduated from a Keller Jig to Leigh Top of the Line. Instead
I went to handcut dovetails by way of the 18th century and videos by
Frank Klausz and Rob Cosman and Tage Frid, and I went first class
spending almost as much on handtools as I would have for the jig. Not
necessary, of course, but who could resist them.

For me, woodworking is no more about making furniture than trout fishing
is about eating fish. It is about rejoicing over the craftsman screaming
to get out of the klutz. After a month, I make a very respectable
through dovetail. The halfblind is much trickier, but it's not that much
far behind, and handcut dovetails is fast, quiet, less messy, and the
satisfaction of putting down a chisel is in a league of its own compared
to the router, and I own four routers. The best part is that the variety
of dovetails you can make by hand seems endless.

Again, speaking only for myself, making a dovetail by hand is the
equivalent of making music by playing a piano as against turning on a cd
player.

If I were a professional cabinet maker, I would be a Luddite, but as a
sole practitioner of woodworking, I have discovered the holy grail in my
basement.

Even my hands are beginning the look like Roy Underhill's, the true
emblem of the wordworker :-)