Reddit mentions of Shark Corp 10-2410 Fine-Cut 19-Point Finish Saw

I don't mean to be overly critical, but I don't think that's gonna work very well.

I think a handsaw is probably the tool you need. It gives you more control, and a good one will have a very narrow kerf, which will help accuracy. You don't have to spend a lot of money one. I bought this one for just over $20, and I think it's awesome.

The way I've found is the easiest is to cut the tails first, then mark those on the endgrain of the pin board, like this guy does: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibyTMTLjaq8

He's a little finicky and he makes things seem harder than they are. Mark your boards for depth, cut your tails (you can even eyeball them), match the tail board up to the endgrain of the pin board (making sure that it's square), mark the pins, then cut those out.

The only tools you really need are a pencil or marking knife, a handsaw, and a chisel and hammer.

One other trick. Even if you practice, you're still going to get some gaps. If the gaps are small enough, you can fill them in with a mixture of glue and sawdust. You'd be surprised at how well that works.

I'm not an expert. I've only cut a few dovetails. But one thing I've learned is that you can't take shortcuts and you need to take your time. Don't get frustrated; you can do it.

> I was kind of hoping I could fudge through a couple of projects with the saw as it is

I'm sorry, but you can't. Out of the box it wanders as a drunk trying to walk straight. Also it's overset and badly sharpened. So throw a slim taper file in. Also, you need something for rough dimensioning stock, so look for a bigger saw, induction tempered varieties are cheap and will last you a year or two. Another option would be skipping two cherries for now and going after http://amzn.com/B00004TBQ2 or similar. At least you won't be constrained by a badly tuned tool at the very beginning.

Workmate is okay, it's going to be useful besides woodworking, just figure how to stabilize it. It also will be very useful when you'll be making bigger things, like a workbench. Have a look at Nicholson\Moravian knock down type workbenches.

For the first couple of years I was using a box cutter as a marking knife, no big deal. I have a folding knife now, just because I can put it in my pocket instead of searching for it in shavings. Basically any knife with a thin pointed blade will do, I've seen old vegetable knives reground, they work just fine.

Another thing to consider is to replace a block plane with a #4 type bench plane. Way more use for it and it can block well when sharp.