The "pin" (or the base of the tail) width has nothing to do with strength. The visible triangle is the end grain of the perpendicular board you're attaching to. Very strong joint. I like to hand cut dovetails to just the thickness of my back saw blade. It just boils down to what you like to see. I have a dovetail jig that employs a router. Much faster but not as esthetic as hand cut and the "pin" is much wider

The thinner style dovetails are typically associated with higher quality/skill. It certainly projects the style of a handcut dovetail - as there is no dovetail bit that allows that narrow a base.

Yes and then it's obvious to all that it's hand cut. Razor sharp chisel please! :^)

Good to know. Thanks.

In natural light... off to the shop to be flattened..

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1720736301.jpg

Beautiful

Wow! That's beautiful!

I didn't need them, but I wanted them.

https://images.greenbuildingadvisor....3-thumb1x1.jpg

I didn't realize how small they were, but I wasn't surprised. Most old books are quite a bit smaller than books these days.

Back at the shop 52" double drum sander... paying for this service saves me time...and does a better job than I ever could with my teeny belt sander

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I’ve only found volume 1 so far.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1721260914.jpg

You're getting there. One step at a time.

I'll bet the belt for that is a bit more expensive than the belt for my 4x24...

Try www.abebooks.com for used books. I've bought several from that site over the years. Looks like they've got V2 and V3 available right now for around $8 each (+ shipping)

Edit - just found one re-seller on the site has all 4 volumes - for $250!

Wow! Kind of eerie seeing those. My dad was a carpenter who was born in 1914, and passed away in 1983. He had those books, and I kept them as a reminder of his passion for carpentry. I still have all 4 volumes on a bookshelf in my office!

Thank you for the really special reminder of dad!

Thanks for the tip! I’d forgotten about that site.

Can't remember if it was one of those books or not but I referenced a really old carpentry book once. I built a wooden arch for a doorway. Oh my goodness, the math involved! The old school guys had to be mathematicians. Trigonometry, geometry, ratios... I'm not smart enough or schooled enough and was lost immediately. I built it my way, with a measuring tape, string and template material. I have no doubt as to the accuracy of the by the book method but my arch turned out perfect without wracking my brain.

That's just silly. I just paid $40, and they are in great condition.

That's great. My grandfather worked with wood for fun/as a hobby. I've got his old Stanley chisels, and an old router of his.

Cool article about a woodwork fraud:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/18/arts/earl-washington-woodblocks-art-fraud.html