Dovetail gauge lines: leave 'em or not?

[brian_j_roth]

Have a new project and cant decide wether to leave them or scrape them out. Thoughts?

[Tom Dacon]

I say scrape them if you scribe them, or instead use a sharp 6H pencil and a light stroke and just erase them. Nothin' says lovin' like a beautifully-fitted joint just sitting there proudly all by itself, without construction aids cluttering up the joint (so to speak).

It used to be, when draftsmen created drawings with pen and ink, they'd lightly draw in construction lines in pencil during the drawing, but after the ink was dry they'd erase the construction lines. Same thing applies, in my opinion.

On the other hand, if you're reproducing a period piece where the original craftsman left his marks, you'd better do what he did.

Tom Dacon

[Lowell Holmes]

"?

Sometimes we did and sometimes we didn't. :-)

Sometimes we drew on linen with ink and sometimes we drew on vellum with pencils.

[John Grossbohlin]

I like to leave them... makes it clear to the observer that the joint was hand cut and to my eye enhances the look. I also like the way oil based finishes highlight the scribe lines... to the point that I use a pin marking gauge rather than a knife gauge for much of my work. But then what do I know, I worked at Colonial Williamsburg in the past where I came to realize the world was built without electricity, handmade doesn't have to mean crude, where parts of everything were made relative to the other parts-often times to patterns, and where pride in workmanship ruled.

The scribe lines look good to me through my 18th century aesthetics eyes and I can see how 21st century eyes may see them as a flaw... 18th century eyes understand the concept of hand made whereas 21st century eyes typically have no concept of the processes used to make things (it just pops out of a machine doesn't it?) they just want it and want it flawless.

One caveat though is that the scribe lines look consistent after dressing the pins and tails. Sometimes when fitting "piston fit drawers" the scribe lines need to be evened up by running the marking gauge over the scribe lines after the joint is dressed.

John

[Phisherman]

Personal preference. I don't go out of my way to leave nor remove them. The lines are barely visible, but I might remove them as the stain would make the scribe lines pop.

[Lowell Holmes]

We have an eighteenth century fall front desk made of maple. The scribe lines are left on it. I think in this case, it enhances the appearance.

MDF may be flawless, but it certainly is without beauty. I sometimes think this group should be called rec.mdfworking. :-)

[whit3rd]

I like to see the lines. It means hand-crafted, and I'm a fan of that. When I see the layout lines on a piece of used furniture, it makes me pause and admire in a way that machine joints never do.

Even turnings on chairs, if I see layout lines at the stretcher locations, I know the furniture maker knew about the old bodgers that used to build chair parts. If I see lines that don't line up with any features, I know the builder was a poseur.

[LEGEND65]

I use my marking gage when I cut em on the band saw. I also mark one when I set up the dovetail jig, it wouldn't be real difficult to mark them all. So no, it doesn't necessarily mean anything other than that a marking gage was used in the process.

-Kevin

[John Grossbohlin]

Ah... one of those guys who makes fakes! LOL

John