When marking pins and tails for Dove Tails it seems that most use a knife or scribe to mark a heavy line to cut to. Why? After all is done the line is still on the project, looks like a mark that should not be there. Even James Krenov in his book "A Cabinetmaker's Notebook" has it on a box, page 95, but on nothing else in the entire book. No other joinery or technique I know of do we as woodworkers leave a layout line in the finished project
I have been told the following reasons for doing it: Gives a line to cut to. My retort: So does a pencil mark. A cut line breaks the fibers of the wood and makes a cleaner cut. Answer: You mean your scribe or knife is sharper than your chisel? Why mark where you do not cut to or chisel from. Using a knife cut makes for a easy to follow line and is just faster to mark fully across. Sarcastic reply Nails for a butt joint would be faster.
What is your take, am I wrong in assuming that one could mark better. What am I missing here?
Scribe lines (knife cut or marking gauge disc/point) are for marking but also used to precisely let the chisel edge in. I also use scribe marks for this reason to precisely delineate the edges of a hand chopped mortise. In the case of dovetails, it would be the exact position the chisel needs to begin its cut and eliminates any issues with "what side of the pencil line to cut". A pencil line is much fatter than a scribed line.
I do love that little “clunk” as the chisel edge drops into the scribe line. I guess you can be as precise with a pencil line but the scribe line makes accuracy almost automatic.
The early bird gets the worm but its the second mouse that gets the cheese.
If the scribe line makes it more accurate why is it put where the chisel never is suppose to go? Yes, nice register and accuracy where one is cutting but why elsewhere.
I would only scribe or mark in the waste areas. I guess I know the trick to making my Leigh Jig dovetails appear hand cut, scribe a line when I'm done. 😁
Thanks for the replies. I guess it comes down to what you want to do and what pleases you. As it should.
Kind of like plaid shirts for woodworkers. The more plaid you wear the better the quality of your woodworking. I always found saw dust sticks to plaid like glue. Even the shop vac has a hard time pulling it off. Interesting.
+1 on the scribed groove for the chisel tip to drop into. You actually chisel back to this point (and from both sides) so it is ideal for keeping the cuts dead straight across the board.
As I understand this need for scribed lines, it was to aid in days of old when craftsmen were probably working by candlelight and pencil lines - if they had pencils - were hard to see. I've found this to be a benefit for my aging eyes, and I have modern lighting. That's what I read somewhere, just don't remember where.
The only purpose of scribe lines is to register the chisel to provide a clean and straight line of chopping.
You can't do hand cut DT's without some way of registering the chisel.
Usually in drawer making the drawer is made tight and planed to fit, and the scribe lines will be removed in the process. Some people chose to remark the scribe to indicate hand cut.
You don't have to scribe across the whole board. You can either only scribe where you will be removing or you can not scribe at all, and clamp a ruler across to register the chisel against.
As Robert mentioned, the scribe lines delineate the base of the dovetails and are planed off afterwards. My drawers are typically a fraction wider so I can handplane the dovetails afterwards. Note in attached image, the scribe lines are still there and will be removed later when fitting the (6) drawers in their respective compartments. Just completed these.
Interesting. I was unaware drawers were built wide and planed down. But that does make sense as to why I don’t see marking lines on old hand built drawers!
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
Late to the party... It is easy enough to mark out everything with pencil first and then mark just the waste area with the marking knife. The reason to mark with a knife is so you can use a chisel to first cut back to create a knife line which creates a knife wall that helps prevent the chisel bevel from causing the cut to move back and creating a gap. I learned this from Paul Sellers' technique.
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
Lazyman; like your method or Paul Sellers technique. I totally understand the use of the line to establish a chisel entry point, my objection is the scribed line left after all dovetails are finished. Interesting view points on all of this.
