dovetail video

Re: dovetail video

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Hi Rocky

There is nothing quite so satisfying (in woodworking ... please!) as handcut dovetails, so goodonya!

I have experience with three video teachers, and found that all of them provide very helpful info - but you may need to watch the videos many, many times to appreciate the subleties that they forget (or are not aware of the need) to explain.

In order of preference:

1. Rob Cosman - more technical than the others, but he does provide strategies more explicitly.

2. Frank Klausz - more relaxed, but also so much is non-technical and just reflects his many years of experience.

3. Tage Frid - just nice to watch a master at work.

There is one other (British) but my mind has gone blank - too close to the holidays!

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: dovetail video

Jim in Burlington Ontario

>I have the Rob Cosman video and Frank Klauz also. Rob teaches you how to lay them out and make very high quality joints and frank teaches informal flow. If I had to get one it would be Rob Cosman's.

Re: dovetail video

Jack Guzman from Maine

>I have all three of those videos Derek mentioned and I totally agree. Also I would recommend the booklet The Complete Dovetail by Ian Kirby. His lessons helped me get started.Dovetails are simple to make.I think the main thing is to learn to saw to a line.Kirby helped me with that.

I'm a former mechanic and a carpenter. My woodworking is still pretty crude. If I can learn to cut dovetails,anyone can.---Jack

Re: dovetail video

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>The British one is Jim Kingshott, my favorite; but our 2nd and 3rd choices are the same. Frank is only second because Kingshott has that certain something that I find attractive, a precise, easy-going work ethic.

Pam

Absolutely agree, Pam.

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>

Re: dovetail video

Dan Clermont in Burnaby

>I have only seen the Cosman video and was very happy with it.

I haven't seen the other videos listed so I can;t comment on them.

Dan Clermont

Re: ditto the Kirby book - superb!

paul womack

>

Re: dovetail video

rocky eulo

>Thanks for the advice. I'll probably start out with the Cosman video and go from there.

Rocky

recommendation

bill tindall

>First, realize that there is a world of difference for most of us between cutting dovetails occasionally and regularly/professionally. The occasional cutter needs a technique that is easy to master, remember, and more fool proof. Productivity is greatly less important, and experience is lacking. For these reasons, the Klause approach is a nice show but not for beginners. I would say his approach actually can be discouraging to beginners.

On the other hand, our club teaches classes based on the less intimidating Cosman video and students have great success on their first tries.

This question raises an issue. I think that there are woodworking operations where the approach a professional uses can be different from that better suited to a beginner. So beginners should be wary of advice they get from professionals as it may not always be the best place to start.

Re: recommendation

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>I don't see anything intimidating about Frank's dovetail cutting. On the contrary, he makes it easy, which, in my opinion, is a reflection of reality. I think the real problem is that most people make more of the task than is necessary.

What could be easier than cutting tails, marking the pins based on the tails that are already cut, and cutting the pins?

Pam

Are we talking about the same Frank?

Dan Donaldson

>Or did he change his mind. I took a seminar from him some time ago, and at that time, he was adamantly pins first ;-)

My bad

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Whoo, what tricks memory plays. I hadn't watched it for more than a year; so tonight I watched again. Sure enough, he does pins first. I think the advantage to this suits his marking methods, much easier to line up the edges of the boards when the whole board is present.

My previous message was a reflection of how I do it, my interpretation of his process.

Pam

Re: My bad

paul womack

>my interpretation of his process

As a matter of linguisitcs, I'd have said changing pins first for tails first is a little beyond "interpretation". What distinctive aspects of his approach do you retain and recommend?

BugBear

Re: intimidation

paul womack

>the less intimidating Cosman video

The only intimidating thing about Rob is the aggregate cost of the tools he says you "need".

BugBear (happily cutting DT's with a home brew cutting gauge, a self sharpened and tuned DT saw, and a Ward and Payne chisel)

Re: My bad

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>I disagree, I just don't think it's a big deal which is done first. I freehand the tails like he does the pins, then mark the pins from the cut tails, cut on the waste side of the lines, glue (I'm trying hide glue instead of his white), and assemble. I also chisel the waste much like he does. However, it's probably easier to mark the tails from the cut pins than the reverse; so it's likely Frank's method is a bit more efficient.

I understand that when doing half blind dovetails it's easier to do one or the other first, can't remember which, as I don't routinely do half blind dovetails as yet. Again, I follow Frank and front the drawers with another piece of wood, so half-blinds aren't needed. This may change if I ever start doing period pieces.

Pam

Re: recommendation

Charles

>Explain your tails first methodology on tall case sides please.

Re: recommendation

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>I haven't done any tall case sides that need dovetails, only utilitarian entertainment centers in closets, kitchen cabinets of plywood, and the like. The bigger pieces I care about have been desks, tables and rocking chairs, no dovetails required (well, some sliding dovetails were used, but I'm assuming they don't count for this discussion). The smaller pieces in which dovetails have been used are drawers and boxes.

So, Charles, what's the importance of pins first on tall case sides? Is that what you do?

Pam

Re: recommendation

Charles

>You owe it to yourself to build a large carcase piece with lap dovetails. Then you can answer your own question.

Re: recommendation

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>And is this because you clearly haven't built a large carcase piece and can't answer? See, I don't need to invent tasks simply to answer your questions. We're not in class here.

Pam