Good video, and good advise " have fun, improvement comes with practice"... if it's not fun you'll get discouraged and give up without gaining the practice and, hence the improvement!
OMG!!! saw reflection trick!! As a beginner, I've been having tilted and slanted dovetail cut making the gaps worse.. I am going to do saw reflection trick!!! Love your Channel!!
I used the process and its fun to do and produces results which i am happy with for the skill level i have. Thanks James and this channel is great to watch and learn.
im usually good about not cutting tails on a pin board . but whenever i make some saw chocks i seem to always saw through the wrong end :) . woodworking though. why make life easy
For me - what makes a dovetail look handcut is just whether or not the distance between the tails is so small that you know it could not have been done by a router bit - thats always the tell-tale sign of something hand cut for me. Also usually when i cut mine - actually always - i have the outermost edges of the joints as half pins. I was trying to figure out what was looking so different and then i noticed that the outer edges of yours - are tails!! lol it has never even occurred to me to do that - going to give that a shot and see how i like it!
I make the half tails when the Dovetails are through and you can see them on the front of the drawer. I just like the look of that. when I make them half blind or put a drawer front on then I leave them with a half pin. I have never been a fan of the small pins when people try to prove they were hand cut doing it that way but that is me. everyone is different.
makes sense with the half tail vs half pin - like i said i like that idea and i want to try that for sure when the next appropriate project comes up. And in terms of the look of smaller pins - i dont think for me that its so much the look of a narrow or small pin that i like - its just that i like the look of large tails if that makes sense. Tails that take up the majority of the joint i mean. You should give some hound's tooth dovetails a try and then post a video of how you ended up doing it! I gave it a try last weekend and its......tricky to say the least. Would like to see if you come up with something that might make it a bit more simple or at least one that doesn't take an ETERNITY :)
Thank you for this! Much less intimidating than most videos. Does anyone know what tool he used to create the knife edge before he went in with the chisel? I went through his linked tool list, and it looks like the parting tool, but the one on the list is only 3mm, so I'm not sure if it's the one in this video.
I believe you're talking about my marking knife. That is a knife that was made for me by Dan the Maker man. He has a video showing making it from years ago. Unfortunately he doesn't generally make them for most people. I do have a more recent video making one from a kit from Tay tools. If you want to see that I've got a couple videos showing that as well.
Your tool collection always fascinates me. It's such a cool mixture of antique and new stuff. But that dovetail saw is a work of art. Two questions: 1.) Who made it? 2.) What kind of wood did they use on that handle? It's stunning! Your work is always impressive, btw. But mostly I enjoy the knowledge I always acquire when I watch your videos. Great work!
thanks the saw was a special make by BearKat, it is out of knotty Mertal wood. one of my most prized tools in the shop. ruclips.net/video/KIJgzq3ORnE/видео.html
+Gae Tano whatever you got. The normal easiest to learn carving in is basswood but whatever you want. My first carving project was in purple heart. About as hard as you can get.
What do you think of marking the pins from the tail-piece before you've removed the waste? I recently saw this on another wood worker's video. He used a marking tool made from a bit of saw blade to reach into the cuts. (I hope I explained that well enough.) I haven't tried it yet though.
that would work if I had a marking knife thin enough but my dovetail saw is extremely thin. also, I would be afraid of moving the board too much. but that being said I would not know till I tried it. Might be worth a video.
You make it look easier than it is lol. I can't get a good fit to save my life. Think I need to invest in a good dovetail saw, the old backsaw im using doesn't seem to be working too well
Hey James, Just ran into one of your viewers at Wells Fargo. He saw my wood by wright shirt, pointed and said "I love that guy, I just finished watching his dovetail video". His name was Chris. You're famous.. lol Or is that infamous? P.S., I saw the dove feathers on the floor of your work shop. We all know that at least one dove was harmed...
Sounds like a plan. I should be able to make it. I've gotten back to something close to my old activities. Just need to watch what I eat and drink. my hairs back so I don,t mind going out in public now.. Look forward to seeing you. I have to get something special for you Mr wood by wrong...
Thanks John. I am looking forward to seeing you. I was going to swing by Ludwig's but I am only going to be there sunday morning. I will have to hit it next time I am out that way. so much to do and so little time. really looking forward to seeing you again. I think of you every time I Use your tools.
Great video - nice straightforward explanations. Curious, though - is there a story behind that intro music selection? Every time I hear it, my heart shrinks three sizes.
James: Does TPI really matter when buying a dovetail saw? I saw one with 14 teeth per inch and the same company offers one with 20 teeth per inch. I assume I can resharpen either one of these saws. Yours looks like you reconditioned a nice old dovetail saw. Is there a preference? One for soft woods?
My saw was made by Bearkat. he makes a few saws here an there and it is one of my prized tools. TPI is a personal taste. smaller teeth giev a cleaner cut but are slower and harder to sharpen. I personally like about 16TPI but whatever you chose. and for soft wood Vs hard wood. some would get really picky but untell you have used one for a few years the average person can not tell a difference.
Accidently cut out the damn pins. HAHAHA. Yep. Oh hell yep. BTW, James, I find it to be good training to start with getting the box joint down solid before tackling the dovetail! Learn how to saw accurately and 90 degrees, and then just skew the angles!
mine is 20" between the screws. actually, I think it is 20 1/4" because I am showing the pins on the front of the drawer I like the look of the half tail more. it is really a 6 of one-half-dozen of the other kind of thing. whatever you like.
Have a look at David Barron's channel, he has a very nice dovetail marking panel holder thingy, you'll understand when you see it! His magnetic guides are cheating, but are also fairly easy to make.
no good. I find miter is actually far more difficult than dovetails that's interesting if you send me a couple pictures I might be able to give you some tips but unless I know what's wrong I can't really help you out.
Adam Hjermenrud you and me both...which is pretty much all of my joints. the better I get the bigger smaller gaps look to me. I can see a hair and think it's a crater
Jeremiah Robinson wood glue mixed with fine saw dust. Pack the paste into the void, top off with a little wood glue, and wipe away excess with a damp cloth. Try it out on a scrap price of test wood first. The results don't always come out the way you'll want.
I have never been a fan of the wood glue method. it always just looks like you tried to fix it and I would rather leave the gap. but everyone likes it differently.
Really really enjoyed this video, and thanks for making me pumped to try dove tails, I have watched so many videos and always been discouraged because they try to show off and make them perfect.
I just cut my first dovetails making a small box to hold my chisels in. They've got gaps and the grooves cut in for the bottom are visible. But it holds together tightly and sits next to my lopsided mortise and tenon box with pride lol.
Nice job James, I like how you remove the stigma that your dovetails must meet German purity law standards and be perfect in every way ;) it is a functional joint first, pretty comes with practice. Great video. I can't wait to see this project completed, you too I bet.
Nice to see a dovetail video where perfection is not expected. Takes the pressure off of learning. (Although, your tails still ended up looking pretty darn good). Thanks.
Hi James, nice tutorial. I was recently working on dovetails on oak (not sure if it is white or red, as I received it from a neighbor who was going to dispose this old oak table). I am really struggling to view the knife marks on dovetails as they get lost within the grains and spots and i believe because of this my dovetail joints are worse than I initially practiced on pine. I was using pencil on pine by the way. Any suggestions to help me with this? I am in eary 40s and wear glasses, so may not have the best of eyesights.
if you have a hard time seeing it you can eather push harder with the knife on the last stroke. or you can darken them with a pencil. or just mark them with pencil. I know a lot of great woodworkers that do layout with a pencil.
Great video as usual, but I have a couple of questions. 1. Do you normally plug the hole at the end of your dovetail created by the dado for the drawer bottom? 2. Any benefit of having 3/4 inch drawer sides compared to 1/2 inch, other than sturdiness? I'm in the beginning stages of creating some 1/2 inch drawers for my workbench.
+Kevin Wright thanks. I some times plug the holes but in this case I won't. The reason for the 3/4 thick drawer is because it would take a ton more work to take off another 1/4" on all the sides. Just work that does not need to be done.
Love this video! Great advice and your dovetails look great. So many channels make you feel like the tails need to be perfect. Starting out they won't be. Great job!
Another useful video. I've learnt a lot from watching your stuff. The main problem I have with dovetails is making sure the bottom of the 'trench' for lack of a better word, is perfectly square and that all of the trenches line up exactly on both the back and front of the board. I hope the above makes sense. Any ideas on how I can tackle this. I take it that both pieces need to be perfectly square all the way 'round, and likewise, the ends of the boards are square relative to the sides. Cheers, Gwyn. Were any tails harmed?
thanks, Gwyn. the common problem people have is making the depth mark by going around the board. if you know everything is perfectly square and uniform thickness then this will work, but we are living in reality. so that is why I use the thickness of the board to make the mark the depth stop. But as with most things, the only real way to fix it is more practice. the more you do it the better it will become.
Really enjoyed the video James! Glad to know that something less than a "perfect" dovetail joint is still acceptable if it is functional. One question if you care to answer, how or what did you use to cut the threads on your homemade moxon style vise? I plan to build my own also.
Shock and Horror, My Tutor Paul Sellers would have a fit if I said "close enough is good enough" LOL.. :D :D . I kind of liked a trick from Robs Woodshop where he added a playing card to the thickness of the tail/pin and then planed it down, for a neat finish. How many more did you say you had to go??? I'm sure they will be perfect by the time you finish :0
I really like the idea of scooping up to the wall instead of paring all of the waste out, so there is support when you flip the board over to chop. Also, that bearkat saw is so sexy.
Lol with the hand saw it is easer then finger joints. But at some point you just got to jump in and bight the bulit. Don't expect perfection but functioning is well within your grasp.
Hi, I make drawer using dovetail joints. My problem is to have 4 pieces of wood exactly witho the same length. How do youn proceed for your own drawers or boxes
I'm just starting on your series after watching a couple of your videos. Thank you for explaining what you're doing as you go, and why! It really helps this inexperienced woodworker.
I find it interesting that you don't cut the shoulders from the sides of the tail board like most other woodworkers do, but rather have "half tails". I've done this myself on a few projects and I think it is a good break from the "traditional" method.
+Smashpunk7 I do that when I have the tails showing on the front so the groove for the drawer bottom does not show on the front. I do it both ways depending on the mood.
Cosmic coicidence! T'was cleaning my humble shop this afternoon and came across my very first try at dovetails(that I kept,) from 20 years ago. Was just an experiment and it worked(like you said James.) Blew the dust off them and put them back in box, box on shelf, and voila, with a little luck will be able to show them to a grandchild one day...cheers...rr
A trick that I use to make routered dovetail keys and handcut dovetails seamless and fill in any gaps is to fill the gaps with gorilla CCA gel glue and quickly sand the surface. This mixes the sawdust into the gel and creates a seemingly seamless transition which the eye can't really perceive although you must continue sanding until all traces of the glue are gone from the surface.
Hello James, I am a beginner trying to learn wood working and really impressed by your wonderful skills. Just wonder how and how long did you practice your sawing skills before you can saw a straight line like you did in your dovetails? I have been trying to do this with a Japanese dozuki saw all day long but I still can not get a straight line down to the base line.
I never really practiced I just stayed away from the line and cleaned it up for about a year of daily use. then one day I noticed that I was staying closer to the line. after about 2 years I usually just cut right on the line. that being said, if you are always turning to the same side it may be the fault of the saw.
Thanks for your tip and quick reply! Yes, the saw always turning to the same side for some reason. I can saw straight and perpendicular to the face from the beginning, but end up not perpendicular to the face on the bottom. I will buy and try another saw (maybe a traditional western saw) as you suggest! If no improvement, I might have to stay away from the line as you did before :)
The teeth are sticking out too much on that side and 2-4 passes with a sharpening stone normally fix it. Do a few passes then test the saw and do it again tell it cuts strait.
Hello James, the teeth on the Japanese saw are harden and unsharpenable, so I am not really sure if that would work. But I will definitely try it out. I brought a cheap western hand saw from homedepot and tried it out. I actually prefer the Japanese saw even there are some issues. Keeping aways from the line and cleaning up with a chisel later is probably the best solution for me for the time being. Thanks again for helping!
nice,thanks for keeping it simple,too many try to be robots on here. preach perfection,want perfection use router and jig. im sure our fore fathers didn't loose it when a dovetail had a gap. great job
Good show James I almost learned something. I'm going to try me one of those Bird Butt joints one of these here days. lol No kidding this is a great video. God Bless my friend.
I've never tried dovetails and after watching this video I thing I 'll give it a shot. Thank you very much!
thanks, that is the best compliment I could get. they won't look perfect the first time, but they are much easier then they look.
Good video, and good advise " have fun, improvement comes with practice"... if it's not fun you'll get discouraged and give up without gaining the practice and, hence the improvement!
right on I could not have said it better myself!
OMG!!! saw reflection trick!!
As a beginner, I've been having tilted and slanted dovetail cut making the gaps worse..
I am going to do saw reflection trick!!!
Love your Channel!!
Thanks man that means a lot. Glad I can help out. If there's ever anything you want to know let me know maybe I'll do a video on it.
"Make it enjoyable..." Thank you. Great advice. And you've made a video that is enjoyable to watch as well.
thank you. I really want the shop to be fun.
I used the process and its fun to do and produces results which i am happy with for the skill level i have. Thanks James and this channel is great to watch and learn.
Thanks Craig. That means a lot!
excellent tips. before watching this , mistakes were made! now i made a story stick and looking forward a much better outcome thank to your vids!
cool. mistakes are just part of the game. and the only way to learn.
Great seeing a man of your talents not getting it perfect all the time.
thanks man. I like to show reality and not just the good points.
Thanks for making me feel better about my gapped dovetails.
they are real.
Awesome tips and a great message. Looking forward to seeing more dovetail layout details. Thank You for sharing.
Thanks Thom. going to have fun with these.
good perspective. I am taking the same approach to my blacksmithing (and my wood projects as much as my OCD will let me)
LOL you got to love that OCD drive. thankfully i do not suffer from that affliction. LOL
im usually good about not cutting tails on a pin board . but whenever i make some saw chocks i seem to always saw through the wrong end :) . woodworking though. why make life easy
For me - what makes a dovetail look handcut is just whether or not the distance between the tails is so small that you know it could not have been done by a router bit - thats always the tell-tale sign of something hand cut for me.
Also usually when i cut mine - actually always - i have the outermost edges of the joints as half pins. I was trying to figure out what was looking so different and then i noticed that the outer edges of yours - are tails!! lol it has never even occurred to me to do that - going to give that a shot and see how i like it!
I make the half tails when the Dovetails are through and you can see them on the front of the drawer. I just like the look of that. when I make them half blind or put a drawer front on then I leave them with a half pin.
I have never been a fan of the small pins when people try to prove they were hand cut doing it that way but that is me. everyone is different.
makes sense with the half tail vs half pin - like i said i like that idea and i want to try that for sure when the next appropriate project comes up.
And in terms of the look of smaller pins - i dont think for me that its so much the look of a narrow or small pin that i like - its just that i like the look of large tails if that makes sense. Tails that take up the majority of the joint i mean.
You should give some hound's tooth dovetails a try and then post a video of how you ended up doing it! I gave it a try last weekend and its......tricky to say the least. Would like to see if you come up with something that might make it a bit more simple or at least one that doesn't take an ETERNITY :)
Great video! Thanks for removing the mystique.
LOL My pleasure.
Actually a very good tutorial. I'll actually try this tomorrow... :-D
sweet man. thanks!
Great video. I really like your style 👍
thanks!
Thank you for this! Much less intimidating than most videos. Does anyone know what tool he used to create the knife edge before he went in with the chisel? I went through his linked tool list, and it looks like the parting tool, but the one on the list is only 3mm, so I'm not sure if it's the one in this video.
I believe you're talking about my marking knife. That is a knife that was made for me by Dan the Maker man. He has a video showing making it from years ago. Unfortunately he doesn't generally make them for most people. I do have a more recent video making one from a kit from Tay tools. If you want to see that I've got a couple videos showing that as well.
Your tool collection always fascinates me. It's such a cool mixture of antique and new stuff. But that dovetail saw is a work of art. Two questions: 1.) Who made it? 2.) What kind of wood did they use on that handle? It's stunning!
Your work is always impressive, btw. But mostly I enjoy the knowledge I always acquire when I watch your videos. Great work!
thanks the saw was a special make by BearKat, it is out of knotty Mertal wood. one of my most prized tools in the shop. ruclips.net/video/KIJgzq3ORnE/видео.html
Great dovetails
thanks Brian
you make that look so simple! very mysterious! LOL
It is. Just don't expect perfection the first time.
Hi there from Portugal,
Nice as always, and great saw :D
Obrigado(Thanks)
thanks man! bearKat does great work.
Great video! Thanks for sharing!
thanks Adam
"Don't worry about perfection, worry about having fun..." great tip! ;)
what kind/type of wood can I use to do practice?
+Gae Tano whatever you got. The normal easiest to learn carving in is basswood but whatever you want. My first carving project was in purple heart. About as hard as you can get.
.
Pine from the home center is what I use. Sharpen your chisels for best results.
What do you think of marking the pins from the tail-piece before you've removed the waste? I recently saw this on another wood worker's video. He used a marking tool made from a bit of saw blade to reach into the cuts. (I hope I explained that well enough.)
I haven't tried it yet though.
that would work if I had a marking knife thin enough but my dovetail saw is extremely thin. also, I would be afraid of moving the board too much. but that being said I would not know till I tried it. Might be worth a video.
Thanks for the info James!
thanks fred.
You make it look easier than it is lol. I can't get a good fit to save my life. Think I need to invest in a good dovetail saw, the old backsaw im using doesn't seem to be working too well
Good small teeth make a big difference. Honestly give a hacksaw a try. Not the one with wave teeth. They are suprisingly good dovetails.
I'll try that. I think I'm getting too much skip or vibration causing my kerfs to wander no matter how hard I try to keep everything straight
Thanks for a great bid. Amateur question: have ever used Paul Seller's knife wall technique?
thanks. yes I use it from time to time. I do not see as much need for it as Paul does but that is why there are so many styles out there.
I use it all the time and get crisp edges that way.
Hey James, Just ran into one of your viewers at Wells Fargo. He saw my wood by wright shirt, pointed and said "I love that guy, I just finished watching his dovetail video". His name was Chris. You're famous.. lol Or is that infamous? P.S., I saw the dove feathers on the floor of your work shop. We all know that at least one dove was harmed...
LOL thanks John. I think Infamous is more like it. I am trying to set up a Meetup in Lancaster. next month.
Sounds like a plan. I should be able to make it. I've gotten back to something close to my old activities. Just need to watch what I eat and drink. my hairs back so I don,t mind going out in public now.. Look forward to seeing you. I have to get something special for you Mr wood by wrong...
Thanks John. I am looking forward to seeing you. I was going to swing by Ludwig's but I am only going to be there sunday morning. I will have to hit it next time I am out that way. so much to do and so little time. really looking forward to seeing you again. I think of you every time I Use your tools.
Do you have a video of your moxen vise
I have made a few of them. This is the most recent. ruclips.net/video/LJAdfhJg_qg/видео.htmlsi=zQ7YeXem9eMBQgRJ
Here is another ruclips.net/video/Rl04h_lFKhc/видео.htmlsi=K4DhmaojnTSfoROo
Nice, I agree with you ... it's nice if they are perfect but not an excuse to have a complete mental collapse if they are not. Well done.
very true!
Great video - nice straightforward explanations. Curious, though - is there a story behind that intro music selection? Every time I hear it, my heart shrinks three sizes.
thanks! LOL it was made by a viewer. one of these days I might have something else made for it.
James: Does TPI really matter when buying a dovetail saw? I saw one with 14 teeth per inch and the same company offers one with 20 teeth per inch. I assume I can resharpen either one of these saws. Yours looks like you reconditioned a nice old dovetail saw. Is there a preference? One for soft woods?
My saw was made by Bearkat. he makes a few saws here an there and it is one of my prized tools. TPI is a personal taste. smaller teeth giev a cleaner cut but are slower and harder to sharpen. I personally like about 16TPI but whatever you chose. and for soft wood Vs hard wood. some would get really picky but untell you have used one for a few years the average person can not tell a difference.
Accidently cut out the damn pins. HAHAHA. Yep. Oh hell yep.
BTW, James, I find it to be good training to start with getting the box joint down solid before tackling the dovetail! Learn how to saw accurately and 90 degrees, and then just skew the angles!
Out of curiosity, what's the width of your moxon between the screws?
Also: most people (including me) generally do a half-pin on the ends of the board. You did a half-tail. Any particular reason?
mine is 20" between the screws. actually, I think it is 20 1/4" because I am showing the pins on the front of the drawer I like the look of the half tail more. it is really a 6 of one-half-dozen of the other kind of thing. whatever you like.
Have a look at David Barron's channel, he has a very nice dovetail marking panel holder thingy, you'll understand when you see it! His magnetic guides are cheating, but are also fairly easy to make.
yup. I have one of those. they make slick work fast. not my kind of thing but they are great for learning.
Nothing a little bit of glue and saw dust won't fix 😁
when doves cry - LOL
LOL
I give up. Did my best and they are still gapped and sloppy. Going to have to re make all the stock and start over😡
Guess I should stick to miters
no good. I find miter is actually far more difficult than dovetails that's interesting if you send me a couple pictures I might be able to give you some tips but unless I know what's wrong I can't really help you out.
I'll try emailing a couple
can't figure out how to send the pics.
This is what it sounds like, when doves cry.
LOL yup!
If you like "realistic" dovetails, I'm your man. haha
Kirby Tate that's what I'm going to call every effed up joint from this point forward. "Realistic"
Adam Hjermenrud you and me both...which is pretty much all of my joints. the better I get the bigger smaller gaps look to me. I can see a hair and think it's a crater
I think we should waste several hours discussing whether to do tails first or pins first.....lol.
lol my kind of discussion!
it is simple he says aha
IT IS!!! LOL thanks!
Wood By Wright hahahaha
Part two "what is like when doves cry".
LOL sounds like a good sequel!
Wood By Wright use it for the how to fix mistakes while making dovetails. No one shows how to fill little gaps or fix other mistakes.
Jeremiah Robinson wood glue mixed with fine saw dust. Pack the paste into the void, top off with a little wood glue, and wipe away excess with a damp cloth.
Try it out on a scrap price of test wood first. The results don't always come out the way you'll want.
I have never been a fan of the wood glue method. it always just looks like you tried to fix it and I would rather leave the gap. but everyone likes it differently.
Shannon Rogers has a fantastic video on that. but I might do one in the future. we will see.
Really really enjoyed this video, and thanks for making me pumped to try dove tails, I have watched so many videos and always been discouraged because they try to show off and make them perfect.
Thank you. that means a Lot. For me it is all about the fun and less about the end result.
Loved the video, I cut my first dove tails tonight. And there are gaps but like you said it's still a good joint.
+Lin McCoy sweet. They are never gap free on the first go. But they will disappear over the next 100 sets or so.
I just cut my first dovetails making a small box to hold my chisels in. They've got gaps and the grooves cut in for the bottom are visible. But it holds together tightly and sits next to my lopsided mortise and tenon box with pride lol.
Very helpful. And I like that you actually used your Moxon vise!
You made me feel so good about making mistakes in my dovetails! 😂 you are the best.
Nice job James, I like how you remove the stigma that your dovetails must meet German purity law standards and be perfect in every way ;) it is a functional joint first, pretty comes with practice.
Great video. I can't wait to see this project completed, you too I bet.
+BearKat Wood thanks man. And yes I want to see this dresser done!
oh gosh no doves hurt good mann. thank you James .
Nice to see a dovetail video where perfection is not expected. Takes the pressure off of learning. (Although, your tails still ended up looking pretty darn good). Thanks.
Thanks. making memories is more important than making furniture.
Hi James, nice tutorial. I was recently working on dovetails on oak (not sure if it is white or red, as I received it from a neighbor who was going to dispose this old oak table). I am really struggling to view the knife marks on dovetails as they get lost within the grains and spots and i believe because of this my dovetail joints are worse than I initially practiced on pine. I was using pencil on pine by the way.
Any suggestions to help me with this? I am in eary 40s and wear glasses, so may not have the best of eyesights.
if you have a hard time seeing it you can eather push harder with the knife on the last stroke. or you can darken them with a pencil. or just mark them with pencil. I know a lot of great woodworkers that do layout with a pencil.
Really like your approach. Hand made does NOT mean perfect. That can be left to machines.
Thanks for keeping the faith.
thanks. so true!
wow thank you so much for this video, it's very helpful ! Take care :)
Probably one of the best videos I have seen any one do on this subject James, and really good message as well.
thanks! I do like making it simple!
Great video. Good advice.
I dont understand the saw reflection for reference, the pins are at an angle, so the reflection will be too?
It'll be angled but the top will still be flat all the way across. So it would look as if the board just turned where it hit the saw.
Thanks James really like your videos no fuzz just just show and tell, inspiring! :)
thanks! I like to keep it simple.
Great video as usual, but I have a couple of questions. 1. Do you normally plug the hole at the end of your dovetail created by the dado for the drawer bottom? 2. Any benefit of having 3/4 inch drawer sides compared to 1/2 inch, other than sturdiness? I'm in the beginning stages of creating some 1/2 inch drawers for my workbench.
+Kevin Wright thanks. I some times plug the holes but in this case I won't. The reason for the 3/4 thick drawer is because it would take a ton more work to take off another 1/4" on all the sides. Just work that does not need to be done.
Love this video! Great advice and your dovetails look great. So many channels make you feel like the tails need to be perfect. Starting out they won't be. Great job!
so true Derek. you got to mess up a few times to learn hand skills.
Another useful video. I've learnt a lot from watching your stuff. The main problem I have with dovetails is making sure the bottom of the 'trench' for lack of a better word, is perfectly square and that all of the trenches line up exactly on both the back and front of the board. I hope the above makes sense. Any ideas on how I can tackle this. I take it that both pieces need to be perfectly square all the way 'round, and likewise, the ends of the boards are square relative to the sides. Cheers, Gwyn. Were any tails harmed?
thanks, Gwyn. the common problem people have is making the depth mark by going around the board. if you know everything is perfectly square and uniform thickness then this will work, but we are living in reality. so that is why I use the thickness of the board to make the mark the depth stop. But as with most things, the only real way to fix it is more practice. the more you do it the better it will become.
Useful advice - thanks.
Really enjoyed the video James! Glad to know that something less than a "perfect" dovetail joint is still acceptable if it is functional. One question if you care to answer, how or what did you use to cut the threads on your homemade moxon style vise? I plan to build my own also.
thanks! here you go. this is the Moxin vice video
Great video dude, can't help thinking you sound just like kermit the frog though 😂
Use the reflection in the saw?! Super fast and accurate dovetails just happened for me. Thank you :)
Shock and Horror, My Tutor Paul Sellers would have a fit if I said "close enough is good enough" LOL.. :D :D . I kind of liked a trick from Robs Woodshop where he added a playing card to the thickness of the tail/pin and then planed it down, for a neat finish. How many more did you say you had to go??? I'm sure they will be perfect by the time you finish :0
LOL thanks. I am sure he would.
great tip on using the reflection in the saw to make sure its straight! thanks
+123thischarmingman my pleasure thanks
I really like the idea of scooping up to the wall instead of paring all of the waste out, so there is support when you flip the board over to chop.
Also, that bearkat saw is so sexy.
thanks. I love his saw! one of the best feelings in the shop is using that gorgeous saw.
nice job James those dovetails turned out really good. those drawers are going to be sturdy from what I can see.
Thanks. they will also be heavy.
Love it
Thanks!
This scares the heck out of me. I've not got up the courage to attempt these yet. Lol. Great video though
Lol with the hand saw it is easer then finger joints. But at some point you just got to jump in and bight the bulit. Don't expect perfection but functioning is well within your grasp.
Wood By Wright thank you.
They're actually not too hard but require some concentration. A proper mortise and tenon is much harder.
@@tonyennis3008 I've cut so many since this post lol but thank u
Hi,
I make drawer using dovetail joints. My problem is to have 4 pieces of wood exactly witho the same length. How do youn proceed for your own drawers or boxes
I usually shoot them together on the shooting board to make sure they match up.
I'm just starting on your series after watching a couple of your videos. Thank you for explaining what you're doing as you go, and why! It really helps this inexperienced woodworker.
+bluesky6327 thanks. Glad I can help. Feel free to ask if you have any questions.
I find it interesting that you don't cut the shoulders from the sides of the tail board like most other woodworkers do, but rather have "half tails". I've done this myself on a few projects and I think it is a good break from the "traditional" method.
+Smashpunk7 I do that when I have the tails showing on the front so the groove for the drawer bottom does not show on the front. I do it both ways depending on the mood.
I really like that you don't use an angle gauge....totally fits with the idea of not being dead on perfect....very organic and real. Nice video!
thanks. I love the way they look. when you glance at it they all look normal, but when you lock closer you see how they are all slightly different.
Whew I am glad that no Dovetails were hurt. I hear they are a protected species.
LOL yup. got to protect them bird buts.
Very high quality instruction! Enough info while still keeping it simple instead of overwhelming; great job.
Thanks Brandon. my pleasure
The reflection saw tip is something I'm going to try. Thanks for the excellent video!
Thanks. Wish I could take credit for it. But boy does it work.
Cosmic coicidence! T'was cleaning my humble shop this afternoon and came across my very first try at dovetails(that I kept,) from 20 years ago. Was just an experiment and it worked(like you said James.) Blew the dust off them and put them back in box, box on shelf, and voila, with a little luck will be able to show them to a grandchild one day...cheers...rr
right on. I love that.
Good job! I like it!
thanks man!
Great job !I liked the wooden vise !
thanks. a Moxon Vise is fantastic for dovetails
Appreciate your teaching and encouragement
Thanks. My pleasure.
I wish I could give more thumps up than one!
LOL thanks!
A trick that I use to make routered dovetail keys and handcut dovetails seamless and fill in any gaps is to fill the gaps with gorilla CCA gel glue and quickly sand the surface. This mixes the sawdust into the gel and creates a seemingly seamless transition which the eye can't really perceive although you must continue sanding until all traces of the glue are gone from the surface.
I agree with the imperfections - let them shine
right on!
Thanks for the tutorial.
+Bill K. My pleasure.
Amazing. Thank you
glad you liked it!
Your dovetails look really nice!
Thank you!
Hello James, I am a beginner trying to learn wood working and really impressed by your wonderful skills. Just wonder how and how long did you practice your sawing skills before you can saw a straight line like you did in your dovetails? I have been trying to do this with a Japanese dozuki saw all day long but I still can not get a straight line down to the base line.
I never really practiced I just stayed away from the line and cleaned it up for about a year of daily use. then one day I noticed that I was staying closer to the line. after about 2 years I usually just cut right on the line. that being said, if you are always turning to the same side it may be the fault of the saw.
Thanks for your tip and quick reply! Yes, the saw always turning to the same side for some reason. I can saw straight and perpendicular to the face from the beginning, but end up not perpendicular to the face on the bottom. I will buy and try another saw (maybe a traditional western saw) as you suggest! If no improvement, I might have to stay away from the line as you did before :)
Sounds like the set is out of alinement on your saw. Take a sharpening Stone and slide it along the side of the plate on the side it is turning tward.
The teeth are sticking out too much on that side and 2-4 passes with a sharpening stone normally fix it. Do a few passes then test the saw and do it again tell it cuts strait.
Hello James, the teeth on the Japanese saw are harden and unsharpenable, so I am not really sure if that would work. But I will definitely try it out. I brought a cheap western hand saw from homedepot and tried it out. I actually prefer the Japanese saw even there are some issues. Keeping aways from the line and cleaning up with a chisel later is probably the best solution for me for the time being. Thanks again for helping!
inspiring ！！！ 非常接地气！！
Thanks.
Very nice approach to cutting dovetails! Thanks for the video James!
thanks donny!
Great !!!
thanks!
Respect!
+Phil Coster thanks Phil
What is the name of that dovetail saw?
James Nelson I believe it is a Bearkat saw, see here: www.bearkatwood.com/store.html
right on it was a special make by BearKat, it is out of knotty Mertal wood. one of my most prized tools in the shop.
nice,thanks for keeping it simple,too many try to be robots on here. preach perfection,want perfection use router and jig. im sure our fore fathers didn't loose it when a dovetail had a gap. great job
right on. you should look at the antiques and see some of the gaps and things left over.
Good show James I almost learned something. I'm going to try me
one of those Bird Butt joints one of these here days. lol No kidding this is a great video.
God Bless my friend.
LOL thanks Frank!
Looking good James!
thanks Brian!
I'm in LOVE with that marking knife, it's absolutely beautiful! Been looking for one just like it, did you make it yourself or buy it from somewhere?
Man I love It too. it was made by Dan the Maker Man ruclips.net/channel/UC0rzZarteDvLuiT-S6eEhuA love his work.
Awesome! Thank you! Keep up the amazing videos!