My first dovetail

The dovetail: a classic corner joint, superior to almost all others for joining two boards at a square corner.  It's one of most recognizable signs of craftsmanship (especially for laypeople), one of the first things taught at most furniture schools, and the joint that spawned a million-dollar industry of products designed to avoid hand-cutting it, or avoid using it altogether. 

After nearly two years of teaching myself woodworking, I have read a great deal about dovetails.  So today, in the midst of what I think of as my first "fine furniture" commission, I decided to see if all my reading could help me make a decent dovetail. 

I decided to make a

How to sharpen chisels and planes with sand paper

As I get better at furniture making, I am beginning to use chisels and hand planes more often.  Why?  It's not only because I'm trying to learn expert techniques (like hand-chopping mortises or flattening a panel with hand planes).  I'm also reaching for these woodworking mainstays more often because they're sharp.

One thing I've noticed about chisels and planes: almost everybody has one (or more), but few people use them.  The reason is that, unlike many other tools, chisels and planes simply do not work if they're not sharp.  Take a new hand plane out of the box and try to take a shaving, and you'll likely end up frustrated, wondering what the damn things are good for, anyway.

But if your chisels and planes are sharp, they become go-to tools that get used nearly every day.  Sharp chisels and planes have taken my furniture to another level of quality, and fitting snug joints has become a lot easier.