DT's - Struggling a bit. Video Recommendation?

My personal favorite is...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA


>Jim Kingshott's DT video. All he shows is half blind DT's, because "if you can do half blins DT's you can do through DT". I have the Rob Cosman vodeos and personally I'm not inpressed. Jim is a great teacher with a wonderful sence of humor too. I can recommend all his videos.

BTW yours don't look too shabby for a work in progress...

Not a video, but...

Jim in VA


>the book that was the most helpful to me is a small paperback called The Complete Dovetail written by Ian Kirby. Used copies are available for less than $10. I have both Cosman videos and, while impressive to watch Rob work, I do not think they are the most helpful teaching guides. Regardless of your video decision, you might consider the Kirby book. It covers through dovetails, half blind, and blind dovetails.

Experience

Warren in Lancaster, PA


>I spent a few minutes looking at your work. Its a big help to see just how you are doing. I think you are doing well enough that a few hours making more joints would be more valuable than spending that time watching videos.

A couple of tips: It looks like the inside corners are a little rough. I use a narrow chisel to get in there; some use a skew chisel. You asked about making a flat level surface (parallel to the front}- this is done by eye. It may help to make the final cuts with the board vertical in a vise.

I wonder how many looked to see if the heart was on the inside of the drawer. It looks like there is a tiny bit of sapwood showing on your front- this is sometimes a reason to orient the board the other way.

Re: DT's - Struggling a bit. Video Recommendation?

Jack Guzman from Maine


>It looks like you've got the basics down pat. From here,it'

s just practice,practice,and more practice.When I was learning,I just started cutting dovetails in everything I could.

Rob Cosman's videos have been helpful to me for technique(he reviews the basic dovetail video in the advanced one so either will do.)I really got alot from watching Tage Frid's version though.Also,get Kirby's book. You'll go back to it often.---Jack

Re: DT's - Struggling a bit. Video Recommendation?

thomd


>If you are actually practicing what Klauzs recomends, which it doen't look like you are in the photo, it would be really wonderful for picking up a skill level. It's all in there, you just need to actually do it. Like what is the first thing you do when you start to chop? Do that right and you don't need a guide board. It's all there.

To translate it to half lap about the only differences are you lay out the dovetail on the tail board so as to provide the setback from the front of the drawer, and you have to excavate the pins. The best video I have seen for making that simple is the Tage Frid video his trick for half laps is the bomb. Some woods are too compact to actually use it. In that case, the trick is just understanding the hows and wherefores of when you cut and when you split, in chiselwork. Just think through your process so you are really working with the weaknesses and strengths of the wood. Make precise crossgrain strikes and then split out. It's simple. People often to to go beyond what they can cut or split, and then the stuff just gets messy.

Cosman advanced

Jim in Burlington On


>Both his video's are good the advanced is better IMO. Super sharp chisels and practice are part of the solution so is rock solid bench the springing effect seemed to throw me off for quite a while.

Re: DT's - Struggling a bit. Video Recommendation?

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)


>I've done a number of through DT's without too much trouble. I am trying to do half blind DT's for the first time and having a bit of trouble. I've read and re-read a number of FW articles and re-watched my Frank Klauz video (which doesn't show half blind DT's).

Hi Joe

Your work on the DTs looks fine to my eye. Yes, you could always learn from a teacher (i.e. DVD), but it seems like more practice - and a couple of tools - will help get it right.

Your sawing looks good. Cleaning out the corners is facilitated by a skew chisel, either single- or double sided. You can grind your own. Here is one I copied from Rob Cosman:

I tried (or am trying) pins first. It�s going so-so but how do you get a good flat/level surface where the tail stops at the lap or shoulder line?

I prefer going tails first. I find it easier to transfer marks that way. Regarding the flat surface, I built a jig to help in this regard. It was published several months ago in PW, so go there for a fuller description. The picture is fairly self-explanatory:

I think my problem(s) boils down to precision.

Your work looks precise enough to me. But I think that you mean that you are unsure what you are supposed to do. With regard to DVDs on dovetailing, in my opinion you should watch the one who takes the least shortcuts - shortcuts come later when you are more familiar. So look at the Rob Cosman ones first. I would watch Frank Klauz last for this reason.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: DT's - Struggling a bit. Video Recommendation? *LINK*

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX


>I agree with Thom, watch the Tage Frid video, cool trick with a scraper blade for chopping, much cheaper and available (or used to be) at Woodcraft. Also, easier to buy a bachi nomi than destroy a perfectly good chisel by grinding.

Pam


Bachi nomi at Japan Woodworker

No Video needed

Ron in Kokomo


>Your picture showa that you are already past the point where the video would really help. Cut 50 of these joints and you'll be fine. The problem for us rec wwers is that we do not do these physical tasks enough to retain the muscle memory needed for top notch work. Just keep at it.. I was a pins first guy for years and a was challenged to try tails first, and I agree with the above post... It is easier to go tails first. NOT necesarily better.... just easier.

Ron

Re: DT's - Struggling a bit. Video Recommendation?

mikew


>"Also, easier to buy a bachi nomi than destroy a perfectly good chisel by grinding."

Chisels are/can be cheap. As the steel doesn't need to be so great for DT clean-out, just about any chisel will do.

The link to the Bachi Nomi shows a nice fishtail chisel. I had a couple spare fishtail carving tools and used one of them. Unfortunately, those Bachi Nomi have a smallest size of 1/2". I prefer a 3/8" or a 1/4"--but then, at that good price, I could always grind one down...

Take care, Mike

Re: DT's - Struggling a bit. Video Recommendation?

Paul M. in San Diego


>I agree. When I got some good quality chisels, my Marples Blue-chips were relegated to rough carpentry work (if any at all!). I ground down the 1/4" into a skew, and found another dirt cheap to grind into the opposite skew. These will only be used for final paring in the corners of 1/2 blind socket cleanout, so who cares whether the steel is of top-quality.

Re: DT's - Struggling a bit. Video Recommendation?

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX


>Sure they can, a few years ago I got a couple of huge sets of chisels and stuff for an average of $3 per chisel, so from a cost standpoint I agree. However, these were all pretty much good old laminated chisels that didn't deserve to be ground away. Judgement call.

I also agree about the bachi nomi, which is why I had a 3/8" one custom made, but I suspect that the 1/2" would work, too. And we are in agreement about the fishtail if you've got some flat ones, which I don't think I do.

Pam

About rolling your own, so to speak

Joe in a Cleveland suburb


>For you guys that have ground your chisels, can you give me some details/tips/advice?

I have a grinder (not one of those slow ones - a Home Depot cheapo) and some old cheapo chisels I could do that to, but how do you do it? I imagine I would over heat the steel pretty quickly. Do you just grind small amounts at a time and keep dipping it in water?

I like the one Pam shows though.

Thanks a ton,

Joe

Re: No Video needed

Edward in Vancouver


>Gotta second the motion on Ian Kirby's "The complete Dovetail", probably one of the best books I've read on the subject.

Cosman DT Videos *LINK*

Garrett in Victoria BC


>You can read ny reviews of the 2 Cosman DVD's at the link.

Cheers, Garrett


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