It looks like if it is a good snug fit it"s accurate enough and doesn't need super micro measurements.
Also that extreme accuracy just adds time and trouble.
Advise? Simply put I guess is just "Gee whiz I wish I'da!!!!!" but not too many wishes got posted.
Tails first seems to be the consensus for traditional tails HOWEVER whatever way works best is the right way for you.
Feathers, to me, was always the spline fitted crosswise on the corner of a box. I have heard splines in a mitered corner joint called feathers as well as shavings inserted into a very loose dovetail fit.
Brash in wood is brittleness generally causing failure of a piece of wood across the grain with little pressure. If you want to wade through a lot of data about wood, go to
http://www.esf.edu/wus/documents/WoodHa ... gtr113.pdf. Another common definition is the crown and branches cut from felled trees.
And now,
What's a slick?