Staff Initiation: Our Newest Team Members Cut Their First Dovetail

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Meet the new faces

We’ve got some new faces around Dovetail Cabin Tools, and we wanted you to meet them the right way. You can’t be around here very long without cutting a dovetail. So we handed them a saw, strapped them into the safety gear, and called it what it really is: staff initiation.

The twist? Neither of them had ever used a chainsaw before. Not once.

Our new team members are Madi and Stephanie. Madi is our social media expert. She handles the video editing, content planning and posting. Stephanie is our office support, helping with emails, orders, social media, and whatever else we throw at her that day! Since we are are small company, they both also pitch in around the shop and help out in plenty of other fun ways around Dovetail Cabin Tools!

How a dovetail comes together

For the demo we grabbed a 6×8 log that had been lying around the yard, our 6×8 dovetail jig, a gas-powered saw, and a battery-powered saw. (All of them are on our website, and the jig comes in any size you need.) Here’s the process our crew walked the new folks through:

1. Set the jig. The spring holds the jig open so it slides onto the log easily instead of collapsing on itself. The nuts adjust the spring tension.
2. Clamp it evenly. Spin the wing nuts down, tightening opposite ones at the same time. A quick tip: check how much all-thread is sticking out on each side. If it matches, your clamp is even.
3. Square off the end. The first cut just takes enough off to square up the log.
4. Make the vertical cut, then the horizontal cut. Start with the saw off the log. If the chain is already touching when you start, it’ll bind.
5. Push in line with the bar. The horizontal cut can feel tricky. If you push from above, you torque the bar and it binds against the jig. Instead, push with your right hand while pulling slightly with your left, and let the saw do the work.
6. Adjust the guides if you need to. There’s a slot that lets you widen or tighten the spacing. Widen it if the jig is hard to pull off; tighten it if your log is undersized so you don’t fall off the jig.
7. Roll the log and repeat. Flip it over and do the same thing on the bottom.

And voilá, there’s your dovetail.

The verdict: anyone can do it

The reaction from our first-timer said it all: “That was actually so easy.”

We’ve all seen the comments online that if you can’t cut a straight line with a chainsaw, you should go home. Our new team member’s answer? “I would not be able to cut a straight line with a chainsaw. So I’m very thankful things like this exist.” It’s all about precision, and the jig does the hard part.

Madi had the same experience when she cut hers, it’s makes it so easy! When we put the cuts together, they fit perfectly!

So when people say anyone can cut a dovetail with the right jig, they’re not lying. Welcome to the team, Steph and Madi!

Ready to cut your own? Find our dovetail jigs, in any size, plus the saws we used on our website. Shop Here!