I cut my first through dovetails today, and have someproblems.

1) They are a bit tight on the inside and required a hammer to assemble.
(Yes, I know to move the template in a bit to loosen) However, on the
outside there is a gap that I can get my finger nail into without any
trouble. Is this normal? If not, all I can figure is that the dovetail bit
is slightly less than 14 degrees. Any other thoughts? (Yes, I tried it
again with the same results)

2) Cutting the pins requires removing a lot of wood with a small bit. Is
there a practical alternative, like routing the outline and cutting the rest
away with a saw?

Thanks.