Our son is home for the holiday from law school. He's a cool cat (I'm dating myself) so I was pleasantly surprised when he agreed to my proposal that we cut five minute dovetails together each morning. For those of you who don't remember, Gary Rogolski, from Oregon, wrote an article in Fine Woodworking some years ago suggesting cutting a dovetail as a warm-up or training exercise on a daily basis. Here's a video. You make a single joint with a single tail quickly and without fussing, primarily by eye.
It's a great idea and has been a lot of fun for both of us. There is no pressure because the joint is going in the burn bin regardless of the outcome. We take our morning coffee out to the shop and, twenty minutes later, both of us are done (We take turns with the tools). Working this way, rather than the painstakingly slow approach I take with dovetails on an actual project, is very instructive. As a plus, it's a very nice shared experience that means a lot to me.
Try it for a week, if you can with a son, daughter, father or mother.
Happy holidays.
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