Vent: I used to hand-cut every dovetail, now I just use a jig and feel a bit guilty about it

For the first ten years in my shop, I insisted on cutting all my drawer dovetails by hand with a saw and chisels. I'd mark each one, take my time, and it felt like real craft. But about two years ago, I got a big order for a kitchen with 24 drawers, and the client needed it done in under a month. I broke down and bought a Porter-Cable dovetail jig. Now, I can set up and rout a drawer's worth in maybe 20 minutes, and they come out perfect every single time. Part of me misses the quiet focus of hand work, but the other part loves getting paid for the whole job without losing my shirt on labor. I still do hand-cut dovetails for my own furniture, but for client work, the jig won. Am I selling out, or is this just smart business now?

3 comments

3 Comments

umar595d ago

You're not selling out, you're just being practical. The jig lets you meet a client's deadline and still make a good living. Keeping the hand work for your own projects is the perfect balance.

jordan9035d ago

My friend who makes pottery ran into exactly what jana_scott is talking about. She started using molds for her big mug orders to save time, but then her whole brand became about those mugs. The clients didn't even ask for the hand-built stuff anymore because they only knew the fast version. The practical choice quietly became her only product line. You have to be so strict about what you show in your portfolio, or the jig work defines your whole business.

jana_scott5d ago

Honestly @umar59, that balance sounds good on paper. But where do you draw the line? If a client sees the jig work and loves it, then asks for more at the same price, you're stuck doing faster work for less money. It feels like the hand work side gets squeezed out bit by bit. Tbh, I've seen friends get stuck in that cycle where the "practical" side just takes over completely. How do you actually keep them separate without the client work eating up all your time?