How do I tell if my dovetail joints are a learning curve or tool issue?

[Aaron.L]

I’ve been slowly getting into woodworking over the last year, and I finally tried my hand at making a small keepsake box with hand-cut dovetails. It’s… not great. The joints are a bit gappy and one side is definitely crooked. I guess I’m just wondering if that’s a normal part of the learning curve, or if maybe my chisels are part of the problem. It’s a bit discouraging when you follow all the steps and it still comes out looking handmade in the wrong way.

[KennethJ]

Hey that first small box is basically a rite of passage in woodworking. hand cut dovetails always look a little imperfect at first and that rough edge just says you are learning the language. The value is not only in the finish it is in what you learned while making it.

[EricW]

Gaps happen. If dovetails do not mate it is often depth or layout not just the chisels. A crooked side can come from mis marking or a clamp that slid while you pare. It is not a verdict on your skill, just a point to adjust next time in the shop.

[Edward_T]

I hear you but I am not sure it is all on the chisels. Maybe you misread the plan or your grain shifted as you worked. hand cut dovetails are finicky a little tilt in the saw or a nudge in the wrong direction can leave the joint looking off.

[Larry_L]

Maybe perfection is not the target. Rustic dovetails on a keepsake box can be charming and a few gaps do not ruin the idea of woodworking. If anything it is a reminder you used real hand tools and your own hands.

[Gregory_H]

Maybe the framing is the trap chasing perfectly square dovetails can obscure what the project is doing for you. Perhaps the question should be what the process teaches about material choices lighting and how the box feels in the hand not whether every joint is flawless.

[PaisleyZL]

From a craft writing angle the imperfect dovetail tells a scene a maker wrestling with grain light and patience describe the moment you decide to live with the gap rather than chase a perfect mate and the reader feels the tension.

[DavidRH]

Try a scrap cut next to your box and compare fits a tiny shift in stance or blade height can swing a dovetail fit a noticeable amount.