Frank Klausz making Dovetails on VHS from the library was my first introduction to woodworking as a young man. I was hooked from the moment I watched him cut those beautiful dovetails! I'm so glad to see him again. Time to go make a box ;) Thank you Mr. Klausz for being so amazing and sharing your talents and passion with others.
How can anyone not like this guy? Frank Klausz is that guy that everyone wishes was their dad or grandpa. Smart, no BS, funny, handy, and personable. Would love to meet the guy over a beer to talk shop.
The “Master” of the dovetails, a title well earned and deserved! The tools are just an extension of his hands, arms and eyes, he makes the process so fluid and straightforward. Love the shop, the entrance is spectacular! Thank you Frank for sharing your time and talents so others might learn.
This is the best method for me. I had previously spent an hour getting one corner jointed with another tails first method. There was a lot of marking and whilst it worked, I was intimidated by how long it was taking me. After watching this I went out and did a whole box in under an hour, and had a lot fun utilising this laid back approach.
I taught his son in HS. Got to meet him. At that time I did not realize who he was other than that he had written articles for FWW magazine. I wish I could go back in time.
BRAVO SIR. You are the real master of dovetails. I have been a Pin man from the first time I saw this video and like now I still watch it from time to time. Thank you for your shearing your talent with us. I especially like the hand layout that your method produces. No time wasted measuring, laying out or trying to make everything exact that looks as if a machine did the work. I love your method and that is why I use it exclusively all the time in my work.
I feel like I cut pretty good dovetails. However, I've watched this video a bunch of times and he still finds a way to teach me something. This man is a treasure.
After watching this I'm a pins first guy. I share this video with everyone learning dovetails. I still use a coping saw but one day I'll be half as confident and give it a go. Such a happy attitude as well.
So if I’m understanding this correctly, cutting pins first is, basically, making your own unique marking jig every single time. The only thing that is absolute is the depth of the cuts, which is marked with the marking gauge to the thickness of the mating piece. This makes each joint truly a one of a kind piece! Am I making sense, or am I totally off base?
Watching this video took me back to my college days, some 30 years ago, in school I was taught to make dovetails by marking out each tail and pin with an aluminum template, suffice to say they were aweful. In college I was taught by a tutor who was very close to retirement and to used to be a cabinet maker, his party piece was making a drawer in under 4 minutes using the exact same method here, I have used this method ever since...
I've watched Frank do this many times. Starting way back in the days of VHS. I'm still a pretty good beginner. Always fun to watch. I'm now intrigued with the "hold down". I just might be adding one to my bench. Thanks for posting this.
spacesaverbob I'm glad you liked the video! I love how Frank calls it a "hold down". It's probably his Hungarian translation. It'll be listed as "hold fast", and you can see my recommendations on the second page of my tool buying guide here: woodandshop.com/which-hand-tools-do-you-need-for-traditional-woodworking/
I have watched Frank Klaus for his videos, even since I have to learn one that can be helpful, so I really like it watching more about woodwork, I wish one day can be very easier, when I wanna make, but they are not very easy to make.👍
You do things well! And I like your work shop. Stay safe in dark times. Train as many people as you can, it is sad to say hand tool woodworking is becoming lost. Cheers from Tasmania
Excellent technique, and probably the easiest as far as tools on hand are concerned, but I really like his 3 minute dovetails with the classic frame saw the best! 3-Minute Dovetails
Great job love watching your videos and watching Frank. He is a genius. He makes it seem so simple. So I'll have to try his method. Thanks for your work in keeping this dying trade alive.
Wow, left me speechless! What a master, he makes it look sooo easy, I've never tried it but I know is not easy! And he has charisma! what else can u ask?
Thank You For Posting Frank, I just made my first successful dovetail joint, 4 big tails and one smaller one in the middle, 1:4 ratio, made some cuts using the framing saw I made, using a joinery/rip blade 9 tpi. I love cutting the pins first, Lovely.
that was hypnotic. I love his fire and so cool to see this is not a finnicky process to him! Even the tissue demo at the end was funny and glad they never cut that!!!!
I remember what the water tank looked like when you bought it ! what a difference...your twist lock marking gauge looks familiar too . Keep on keeping on ! Bob Pummill
I've watched at least a dozen videos on youtube about how to make dovetails and it all seemed so long & complicated. This on the other hand makes dovetails look so quick & simple and you only need a clamp, some chisels, a mallet and a pencil. Say goodbye to your coping saw!
deezynar I suppose that makes a lot of sense since I'm Australian and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that a lot of the woodworking techniques here come from the British way of doing things.
I e always do e tails first, until i did pins yesterday and i buggered 2 full rows of tails from marking backwards a d making the tails too small! So i came here to get it right...and i did! Thank you Frank!
In another video you used a bow saw to remove the material using a horizontal cut where the blade started vertically. Are those blades still available or did you make the twisted blade yourself?
Always nice to see Frank at work. I like the look of his marking guage. Any idea what kind it is? I notice that while most people tend to use a coping saw to get rid of a lot of the dovetail waste, the old timers go straight to the chisel, which is what I do.
Keith, I'm not sure about the marking gauge, but I also thought it was quite cool. Yea, I was totally impressed by how efficient his dovetailing was. He skipped some steps that apparently aren't necessary...the sign of someone who actually had to make money with their trade!
I can say WOW a million times and it wouldn't do this video justice. How on earth do you cut the angles on the pins without using a sliding bevel gauge or dovetail marker??? Yes, dovetails do not need to be down to 1/32 of an inch with extreme precision, and I know you are a master craftsman Mr. Klausz, but that just makes my head spin!!
thanks very much for this instructive video............you sure make it look easy,,,,,,,,,,,,with some practice i think i can get it............can't wait to try,,,,,,,,,,thanks again
Would you recommend this method of cutting without marking also for beginners? I am just starting out with dovetailing with handtools and am wondering. It seems so much more efficient compared to all the videos that suggest dozends of tools to premark the dovetails and help cutting in the right angle.
when I did my apprenticeship, in the early 60's we made our pins and tails the same size, which was mentioned in the this video. Its good to see hand tools again after all these noisy machines when you need eye protection, ear protection, dust protection ,and you cannot hear the birds singing as you work.
Wood and Shop I started my time with hand tools and by the 1980's it was all power tools and I didn't much like them then. I now feel angry that I have lost 40 years of making things properly with hand tools, at least now that I have retired I have the time to re engage with the skills I have almost lost. Thanks
I was rebuilding small bench with holes in it for a drill the other day when I pulled out my used bit and brace I just bought. (amateur wood worker) I brought my 12 year old out to see it. I asked my son what he heard as I started cutting through the wood slowly. He said "I don't know Dad. I don't hear anything." I looked at him with a smile and said, "Exactly."
I've never done dovetails and Frank does it with such grace. The concept seems easy enough, but I have a question. Does he know what angles to cut just based on his experience? Are dovetails supposed to have certain angles?
***** Great question Ian. Some people are OCD about proper dovetail angles. But the truth is, that 200 year old furniture pieces have varying dovetail angles. And those pieces are still together. So just look at some other dovetails, and get close. You can checkout some of my other dovetail videos here for clarification: woodandshop.com/getting-started-traditional-handtool-woodworking-step-8/
This is a great and very helpful video, and Frank is an amazing and inspirational woodworker. I was amazed at the speed his dovetail saw went down to the line (TWO Stokes for one of them!?!?), and I was left with the questions: is that because if the saw, the thickness of the wood, or the species of the wood? I tried this with a 17tpi Japanese dozuki saw and it took about 80 strokes each into 3/4" maple!
It's both the thickness and the type of wood. It looks to be 1/2" cherry or a mahogany, both are medium soft. Rock Maple (any sugar maple) is one of the hardest North American woods. It dents other woods. If it's a soft maple, it's still harder than cherry. Having a thick 3/4" board certainly is not helping. Try getting some 1/2" poplar for practice, it will definitely be much quicker!
I really enjoyed these videos with Frank. Also the video work was very well done. Are you going to be adding more videos with Frank? I hope so. Im from Long Island but Franks accent doesn't sound New Jersey LoL.
"Try it once, just for Frank." I love this guy!
That might be the most perfect way to cut dovetails I have EVER SEEN!! It's poetry in motion, and NO WASTED MOTION! NO MEASURING! IT'S WONDERFUL!!
Frank Klausz making Dovetails on VHS from the library was my first introduction to woodworking as a young man. I was hooked from the moment I watched him cut those beautiful dovetails! I'm so glad to see him again. Time to go make a box ;) Thank you Mr. Klausz for being so amazing and sharing your talents and passion with others.
Him not measuring had me sweating, jeez this guy is a beast! Beautiful work.
How can anyone not like this guy? Frank Klausz is that guy that everyone wishes was their dad or grandpa. Smart, no BS, funny, handy, and personable. Would love to meet the guy over a beer to talk shop.
you are shining star Frank Klausz
This whole video is just very warm and homey in aesthetic. It's like hungarian Mr Rogers is teaching me how to make dovetails
This is the least fussy method I've ever seen. Love it!
Wow look at those plum bobs. As a retired lineman I appreciate those.
The “Master” of the dovetails, a title well earned and deserved! The tools are just an extension of his hands, arms and eyes, he makes the process so fluid and straightforward. Love the shop, the entrance is spectacular! Thank you Frank for sharing your time and talents so others might learn.
This is the best method for me. I had previously spent an hour getting one corner jointed with another tails first method. There was a lot of marking and whilst it worked, I was intimidated by how long it was taking me. After watching this I went out and did a whole box in under an hour, and had a lot fun utilising this laid back approach.
I taught his son in HS. Got to meet him. At that time I did not realize who he was other than that he had written articles for FWW magazine. I wish I could go back in time.
Klausz the master dovetailer! 💖👏
Frank is a true master of woodworking. His name is everywhere in books!
Ohhhh. My goodness what a treasure that shop / castle
Frank's technique worked perfectly for me. Thank you so much! Couldn't cut a dovetail by hand to save my life before.
So happy to hear it Eric!
The master teaching so effortlessly
The man is a woodworking legend!
Great technique I learnt from Mr Klaus many years ago. He's a terrific instructor.
Tried to find this the other day and could have sworn that it was taken down. Very glad that it's back/still up, whatever the case may be. Thanks!
would love to spend a month working with Frank, I would love walking out to the shop in the morning with a cup of coffee. Beautiful
BRAVO SIR. You are the real master of dovetails. I have been a Pin man from the first time I saw this video and like now I still watch it from time to time. Thank you for your shearing your talent with us. I especially like the hand layout that your method produces. No time wasted measuring, laying out or trying to make everything exact that looks as if a machine did the work. I love your method and that is why I use it exclusively all the time in my work.
Watching Mr. Klausz makes me proud to be Hungarian. I wish I could do that dovetailing some time in the future:).
You should definitely be proud to be Hungarian Tamás! It is a lovely country filled with very generous people. You should definitely try dovetailing.
I just have the same thought.
I feel like I cut pretty good dovetails. However, I've watched this video a bunch of times and he still finds a way to teach me something. This man is a treasure.
He just makes it look so easy. That's what makes him a master.
Thank you Frank, you are a pleasure to watch.
Yup, Frank is great
I love watching a master of anything do their work. Brilliant. Can’t wait to start practicing myself.
Wow! He's such a nice craftsman! Wood has no secret for him!
What a craftsman absolutely brilliant
Frank has really turned the process into an art all of itself.
wow he did that in like less than 10 minutes. Never seen someone make dovetails look that easy
Your workshop is a dream come true!
LOL I could watch this gentleman for hours
This guy is incredible. This is the kind of traditional woodworker I would like to apprentice under.
After watching this I'm a pins first guy. I share this video with everyone learning dovetails. I still use a coping saw but one day I'll be half as confident and give it a go. Such a happy attitude as well.
You can’t watch this video only once.
Beautiful work,
Thank you Frank.
Love your shop and your skills.
Wonderful method, wonderful teaching. I’ll give it a try. Will be my first hand tool project!
So if I’m understanding this correctly, cutting pins first is, basically, making your own unique marking jig every single time. The only thing that is absolute is the depth of the cuts, which is marked with the marking gauge to the thickness of the mating piece. This makes each joint truly a one of a kind piece! Am I making sense, or am I totally off base?
no doubt, Frank has been doing this for a while. it's great watching a master work, regardless of craft.
Watching this video took me back to my college days, some 30 years ago, in school I was taught to make dovetails by marking out each tail and pin with an aluminum template, suffice to say they were aweful. In college I was taught by a tutor who was very close to retirement and to used to be a cabinet maker, his party piece was making a drawer in under 4 minutes using the exact same method here, I have used this method ever since...
I've watched Frank do this many times. Starting way back in the days of VHS. I'm still a pretty good beginner.
Always fun to watch. I'm now intrigued with the "hold down". I just might be adding one to my bench.
Thanks for posting this.
spacesaverbob I'm glad you liked the video! I love how Frank calls it a "hold down". It's probably his Hungarian translation. It'll be listed as "hold fast", and you can see my recommendations on the second page of my tool buying guide here: woodandshop.com/which-hand-tools-do-you-need-for-traditional-woodworking/
I have watched Frank Klaus for his videos, even since I have to learn one that can be helpful, so I really like it watching more about woodwork, I wish one day can be very easier, when I wanna make, but they are not very easy to make.👍
What an inspiring teacher.
Thanks for sharing !!!
You do things well! And I like your work shop. Stay safe in dark times. Train as many people as you can, it is sad to say hand tool woodworking is becoming lost. Cheers from Tasmania
Excellent technique, and probably the easiest as far as tools on hand are concerned, but I really like his 3 minute dovetails with the classic frame saw the best!
3-Minute Dovetails
Great job love watching your videos and watching Frank. He is a genius. He makes it seem so simple. So I'll have to try his method. Thanks for your work in keeping this dying trade alive.
Tyrell Thomas You're welcome!
Thank you for that, Frank is an amazing man.
Wow, left me speechless! What a master, he makes it look sooo easy, I've never tried it but I know is not easy! And he has charisma! what else can u ask?
Thank You For Posting Frank, I just made my first successful dovetail joint, 4 big tails and one smaller one in the middle, 1:4 ratio, made some cuts using the framing saw I made, using a joinery/rip blade 9 tpi. I love cutting the pins first, Lovely.
that was hypnotic. I love his fire and so cool to see this is not a finnicky process to him! Even the tissue demo at the end was funny and glad they never cut that!!!!
Great skills Frank you make it look so easy, Thanks
I love the smell of sawdust in the morning ! Nice plumb bob collection. Thank you for video.
I love this guy. Give him his own channel!
Dallas Girdler Ha, ha. Frank isn't exactly a high technology guy.
Great video Frank. Thank you ❤
You`re master of masters! Thanks for the video!!
Next time I see Frank I'll tell him :)
Best woodworker in the world
Frank is a true master!
He makes it look so easy i can’t not try it.
Frank you are AMAZING !!! Thanks for sharing.
This guy is my hero!
Stunning workshop. Very nice.
Balenza345 Glad you liked my video!
A true master at work
Awesome video!
I remember what the water tank looked like when you bought it ! what a difference...your twist lock marking gauge looks familiar too . Keep on keeping on ! Bob Pummill
What an amazing video!
Thank you so much Nick!
This guy is just unreal, I love how he blows his nose at the end. Which is proof that they don’t know how to edit and the man has never made a mistake
Lot of skill in those hands.
You're an expert! Great video and tips. I want to learn this skill.
Great Video!
I've watched at least a dozen videos on youtube about how to make dovetails and it all seemed so long & complicated. This on the other hand makes dovetails look so quick & simple and you only need a clamp, some chisels, a mallet and a pencil. Say goodbye to your coping saw!
thelongslowgoodbye I'm glad you liked it! However, don't abandon the coping saw...not every wood works like this cherry that Frank used.
Is cherry a soft wood? The wood I'm planning to use is either pine or tasmanian oak.
+thelongslowgoodbye Pine is easily chiseled without using a coping saw. I've not used a coping saw for a while.
deezynar I suppose that makes a lot of sense since I'm Australian and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that a lot of the woodworking techniques here come from the British way of doing things.
YES! Stay away from gimmicks and hokey nonsense, notice how proficient he was regardless of editing?
I e always do e tails first, until i did pins yesterday and i buggered 2 full rows of tails from marking backwards a d making the tails too small! So i came here to get it right...and i did! Thank you Frank!
There is a lot of skill in those hands
plumb bob heaven behind him. WOW!
In another video you used a bow saw to remove the material using a horizontal cut where the blade started vertically. Are those blades still available or did you make the twisted blade yourself?
I have an old VHS tapes from Wood magazine where he teaches this. I make my dovetails this way.
Always nice to see Frank at work.
I like the look of his marking guage. Any idea what kind it is?
I notice that while most people tend to use a coping saw to get rid of a lot of the dovetail waste, the old timers go straight to the chisel, which is what I do.
Keith, I'm not sure about the marking gauge, but I also thought it was quite cool.
Yea, I was totally impressed by how efficient his dovetailing was. He skipped some steps that apparently aren't necessary...the sign of someone who actually had to make money with their trade!
Outstanding video!
Thank you Frank, great tutorial.
Yes, it was fun to interview Frank. I hope you checked out the workshop tour!
That was beautiful.......
I can say WOW a million times and it wouldn't do this video justice.
How on earth do you cut the angles on the pins without using a sliding bevel gauge
or dovetail marker???
Yes, dovetails do not need to be down to 1/32 of an inch with extreme precision,
and I know you are a master craftsman Mr. Klausz, but that just makes my head spin!!
This is Joshua Farnsworth. Practice enables someone to eyeball dovetail angles. It's not really that critical. Give it a try!
thanks for making these!
He has nice tools!
thanks very much for this instructive video............you sure make it look easy,,,,,,,,,,,,with some practice i think i can get it............can't wait to try,,,,,,,,,,thanks again
Would you recommend this method of cutting without marking also for beginners?
I am just starting out with dovetailing with handtools and am wondering. It seems so much more efficient compared to all the videos that suggest dozends of tools to premark the dovetails and help cutting in the right angle.
i love this so much so relaxing
what happend to mr. klausz radial arm saw? and his router? and he is a good wood worker. and i wish he comes to all woodworking show in usa.
when I did my apprenticeship, in the early 60's we made our pins and tails the same size, which was mentioned in the this video. Its good to see hand tools again after all these noisy machines when you need eye protection, ear protection, dust protection ,and you cannot hear the birds singing as you work.
You sound like the perfect type of person to enjoy my website...no power tools! I hope you subscribe and keep commenting!
Wood and Shop I started my time with hand tools and by the 1980's it was all power tools and I didn't much like them then. I now feel angry that I have lost 40 years of making things properly with hand tools, at least now that I have retired I have the time to re engage with the skills I have almost lost. Thanks
icespeckledhens Well I'm glad that you're back at hand tools! Now you need to convert a bunch of power tool guys before they loose their fingers :)
I was rebuilding small bench with holes in it for a drill the other day when I pulled out my used bit and brace I just bought. (amateur wood worker) I brought my 12 year old out to see it. I asked my son what he heard as I started cutting through the wood slowly. He said "I don't know Dad. I don't hear anything." I looked at him with a smile and said, "Exactly."
I've never done dovetails and Frank does it with such grace. The concept seems easy enough, but I have a question. Does he know what angles to cut just based on his experience? Are dovetails supposed to have certain angles?
***** Great question Ian. Some people are OCD about proper dovetail angles. But the truth is, that 200 year old furniture pieces have varying dovetail angles. And those pieces are still together. So just look at some other dovetails, and get close. You can checkout some of my other dovetail videos here for clarification: woodandshop.com/getting-started-traditional-handtool-woodworking-step-8/
They Say 6:1 in softwood, 8:1 in hardwood. I suspect if you got reasonably close, the dovetail police would not come knocking at your door.
Thank you for sharing
Frank is real stuff.
You're exactly right!
makes it look so easy!
This is a great and very helpful video, and Frank is an amazing and inspirational woodworker. I was amazed at the speed his dovetail saw went down to the line (TWO Stokes for one of them!?!?), and I was left with the questions: is that because if the saw, the thickness of the wood, or the species of the wood? I tried this with a 17tpi Japanese dozuki saw and it took about 80 strokes each into 3/4" maple!
It's both the thickness and the type of wood. It looks to be 1/2" cherry or a mahogany, both are medium soft.
Rock Maple (any sugar maple) is one of the hardest North American woods. It dents other woods. If it's a soft maple, it's still harder than cherry. Having a thick 3/4" board certainly is not helping.
Try getting some 1/2" poplar for practice, it will definitely be much quicker!
Beautiful mate 👌🏻
a true master !
Very good!
Thanks for sharing!
I really enjoyed these videos with Frank. Also the video work was very well done. Are you going to be adding more videos with Frank? I hope so. Im from Long Island but Franks accent doesn't sound New Jersey LoL.
CrazyMonkey702 he Hungarian I think
so much awesome
Frank would you tell me about the cutting gauge you used. I have never seen one that locks by turning the fence on the beam.
How can you chisel away the pins like that if the sides don't lie parallel?
Ok Frank. I'm skeptical, but I'll try pins first once just for you.
it works great in austria its teached that way i learned it that way to