Handcut Dovetails
Category:
Skill development
Class Length:
4 Hours
Learn the fundamentals of cutting dovetail joints entirely by hand in this hands-on skill-building class. Students will learn how to lay out, saw, and chop clean, accurate dovetails using traditional hand tools. Through guided instruction and repeated practice, you’ll develop techniques for transferring layouts, controlling a dovetail saw, removing waste with chisels, and refining the fit of your joints. We’ll focus on understanding the process and building confidence rather than completing a finished project. Whether you’re new to hand-cut joinery or looking to improve your technique, this class will give you practical skills that can be applied to furniture, boxes, cabinets, and other woodworking projects.
Upcoming class dates:
Class topics and tools:
- Dovetail joint anatomy and layout
- Measuring, marking, and transferring layouts
- Using dovetail saws and marking gauges
- Chiseling and removing waste
- Test fitting and refining joints
- Hand-tool techniques and sharpening basics
Open to:
Adults ages 18 years and above and youth ages 16-17 with guardian permission.
Skill level beginner, intermediate, or advanced:
Beginner
Prerequisites (if required):
None
Safety notes:
- Plan to arrive a few minutes before class starts. For safety and instructional reasons, we are not able to allow participants to join the class more than 10 minutes after the class has begun.
- Safety glasses are provided for all participants, though you are welcome to bring your own if you prefer.
- Hearing protection is strongly encouraged for classes that involve the use of saws and other equipment. Hearing protection is provided for all participants, though you are welcome to bring your own if you prefer.
- For all classes that involve the use of tools and other equipment:
- Please do not wear dangling jewelry or baggy clothing.
- Closed-toed shoes are required. Sandals are not permitted.
- Long hair must be tied back.
Not yet available!
Cost:
$125
participation. Learn more about our scholarship options below.
Financial support
All of the programming at MAC is supported by donations, which enables us to offer classes at a lower cost to all participants. We also understand that our class fees may still be a barrier to participation for individuals with limited expendable income.
To ensure that our courses are accessible to as many community members as possible, we currently offer three levels of financial support: 25%, 50%, and 75%. If one of these discounts would make your participation possible, please select the option that best aligns with your personal needs and circumstances.
Individual participants may enroll in up to three discounted classes per calendar year.
To receive a financial support discount of 25%, enter “community25” in the Promo Code field of the registration checkout page. To receive a financial support discount of 50%, enter “community50” in the Promo Code field. To receive a financial support discount of 75%, enter “community75” in the Promo Code field.
More classes
Here's a sneak peek of a few of our upcoming classes.
