Why I stopped hand-cutting dovetails after my 40th drawer

I used to think a router jig was cheating, and I spent two years cutting every dovetail by hand in my shop out in Reno. Then I counted up my scrap pile last week and realized I had thrown away 40 failed drawer corners, which was about $300 in walnut at today's prices. For the folks who still cut them by hand, what made you stick with it, or was there a moment you switched over?

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wren23022h ago

Heard a guy on a woodworking podcast say he switched to a router jig after his kids started asking why he was always stressed in the shop. That hit me. I get the pride thing, and I still cut them by hand on a fancy piece where I want the look of a hand cut pin. But for a shop cabinet or a set of drawers nobody will ever stare at? Jig all day. Saving $300 in walnut matters more to me than winning an argument with myself.

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