Finally got the dovetail right today

After three weeks of shaving off bits and cursing under my breath, I nailed the joint on the drawer for the old oak chest. The master didn’t say much, just nodded once while wiping his hands—same as always—but I saw the corner of his mouth twitch. Small things matter more than you think. Like how the grain lines up when the fit’s perfect, or how a single piece of scrap wood can teach you more than a whole manual.