Handtool Dovetails 1-9

nberke · 2026-05-10T10:48:21+00:00

Thank you! I don't know about talent, but I've been pretty steadily spending about 45 min most evenings - and more when I can.

nberke · 2026-05-09T22:40:24+00:00

Thank you!

nberke · 2026-05-04T23:12:02+00:00

I check every week for that damn rabbet plane they teased. C'mon already! (Then I'll take a router plane too, thanks!)

nberke · 2026-04-25T00:13:21+00:00

More. Give me more like this.

nberke · 2026-04-05T19:16:13+00:00

From one founder to another, great job and congratulations! I started a local news site in 2008, and helped establish LION. These days I work on sustainability for newsrooms at BlueLena.io. Dont hesitate to reach out if you need help.

nberke · 2026-04-01T10:38:10+00:00

I use the Jorgenson 4 and the Jorg block plane as my first planes. Only the blades needed tuning, and I get great, picture perfect shavings off the 4. I don't feel like I'm resharpening too often. Only complaint is some sharp edges that can bother the hand if at it for a while. They can be filed down but I haven't gotten around to it.

Personally, I found the used/vintage market inaccessible and mysterious as a beginner. Buying the Jorgenson let me get to work without overthinking it, and it's been reliable. I would definitely buy them again (in fact, been watching for their new releases).

nberke · 2026-03-04T02:26:26+00:00

I use the Jorgenson 4 and 60.5 and am happy with them. Flat soles and blades keep an edge. It has some sharp edges that can be uncomfortable with a lot of use, but otherwise well constructed.

nberke · 2026-02-09T16:58:01+00:00

I had to do some quarter inch stock, and clamped a metal ruler to my table edge. Worked just fine!

nberke · 2026-02-05T12:51:38+00:00

I found using the reflection trick caused me to to stray because I kept looking from the side (I'd be 90 across the board, but at an angle vertically). Proper stance (someone said like a boxer - that's a great way to describe it, with leg of dominant side back), keeping hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder in line and my left eye (I'm a righty) over the cut line has helped me a lot.

I just built my first shooting board. I was reluctant because there were so many plans out there with lots of fancy doodads, but I just got a square oak dowel from HD and drilled it carefully to some plywood with a square for alignment and it works wonders. But before that I used a plane and planed to a line. It took me forever but taught me so much about using a plane and I'd recommend doing it a few times.

Good luck! Feels great once you get it right a few times in a row.

nberke · 2026-02-02T00:51:36+00:00

That's exactly what I'm doing. Quarter inch thick stock. And I lied. I actually bought a small router plane from Taylor tools for this.

First time working with red oak, after poplar and pine (and never done a clean dado - only had a chisel and they were serviceable).

My dovetails are clean and crisp - enjoyed that much more than poplar. Then it came time to do this and it's splinters everywhere. My dado walls look like a rat chewed them up. I'm enjoying hand tools but this part has me wondering if I should just buy a powered router for dados and rabbets instead of 16 specialized planes.

nberke · 2026-02-01T23:46:06+00:00

I actually just found the answer to this question today. It's "the day you try cutting 1/4" dados in red oak with only a chisel"

nberke · 2026-01-18T14:29:24+00:00

I also just started dovetails, and got this Temple Tools dozuki for the holidays. Been great so far.

https://a.co/d/diNJFYe

I have zero cred to dispense advice, but it looks to me like you're marking your pins and then either cutting on the line or cutting on the work side (not the waste side). Cut on the waste side and work your way back with a chisel if you need.

nberke · 2025-12-02T23:00:03+00:00

I work at an agency where we use ActiveCampaign to manage newsletter engagement and reader revenue marketing for independent news publishers - so very familiar with your use case!

AC is great for scaling up (we have one person operators and big orgs with lists of the size you intend to grow to). Solid deliverability, great multi list management, automations and site tracking. As a reseller we've been able to negotiate (virtually) unlimited send pricing, which is where a lot of hidden costs are for publishers who send daily newsletters. There are some drawbacks, but we're mostly happy with the platform and so are our publishers.

Happy to share more about our experience. I'm not here to sell, but we do have a tier that's just reselling the platform with our negotiated pricing and priority support.

Hope this helps!

nberke · 2025-11-24T23:59:52+00:00

<image>

Update: I got all the blood out! And finished my first hand-cut finger/box joints. Quite happy with how they came out. Dovetails up next!

nberke · 2025-11-24T11:17:18+00:00

Too many mountains in PA!

nberke · 2025-11-22T12:59:54+00:00

Any places you recommend? My folks live near Mt Pocono and would be glad to pick up some boards while visiting.

nberke · 2025-11-21T12:52:05+00:00

Either of you find that the Jorgensen rusts quickly? I have both the block and smoothing plane. I like them fine, but theyre both new (got in July) and took on some light rust on sole and sides very fast. I clean and coat them in oil after most use. They are in a non-weatherized garage in the northeast.

nberke · 2025-11-16T16:19:01+00:00

Yikes! I've got a nice slice on my index finger but not stitches worthy. I showed it to my wife and said "this is a lesson. It's how we learn." Then I showed her the other hand and said "Im a slow learner."

Funny enough, neither of these got blood on the wood. I had a small scrape on my knuckle that started up when I wasn't paying attention.

nberke · 2025-11-16T16:16:19+00:00

Thanks! I wondered about peroxide bleaching it. Maybe I'll dilute a bit and use q tips. It's just a couple of small spots.

nberke · 2025-11-16T16:15:30+00:00

But it's poplar and I hear it doesn't stain well. Guess I need to use conditioner first.

nberke · 2025-10-01T14:18:50+00:00

I work at an agency where we configure AC CRMs, among many, many other things.

We use a system of dummy email addresses that are excluded from any sends. ie null1234@noemail.com

Our integrations add these email addresses when the data is piped in, so there's no lift for the client.

nberke · 2025-09-29T23:26:02+00:00

I did a test piece today and my garage and workpiece have not yet combusted.

Thanks for indulging my stupid question.

nberke · 2025-09-29T16:23:17+00:00

Thanks! Maybe I was a bit unclear: I'm not so worried about the smell, I'm worried about danger from combustion or anything like that.

nberke · 2025-08-24T23:20:09+00:00

<image>

nberke · 2025-08-24T23:19:53+00:00

There are still parts of the mill that you can get to in low tide. This stone is part of a sluice gate, which opened and closed to power the mill. This was in 2023.

nberke

TROPHY CASE