Easy Dovetails for Beginners

[@TheJohnnyMiner]

Dude, I can't thank you enough for what you're doing here. I used to complain a lot about lack of good tools and space, ending up with no completed project whatsoever. But today, I finished making my vise like one in your video and it works perfectly. Very excited about the box project, definetly gonna follow along. Keep it up, Rex!

[@RexKrueger]

Awesome! Just finished shooting part 2!

[@guilhermecorrea9483]

@@RexKrueger I make his words mine, thank you Rex.

[@ramingr]

I really love your attitude, Rex! In my limited time up to now practicing woodworking as a beginner, there's one really important lesson I've learnt: Quit whining and just try the damn thing. Of course it's gonna be flawed the first times. Just be proud of every little step of getting better and don't fear your mistakes; learn from them. That's my three cents of wisdom on the matter and I feel pretty strongly about it. Whoever feels their work should be perfect from the beginning, they're doomed to get frustrated and quit trying.Cheers from Greece!

[@RexKrueger]

Try the damn thing, indeed!

[@TheDrewker]

So true, especially in the KZbin tutorial era. KZbin is an incredible resource for learning, but there's still no substitute for experience. Sometimes people watch all these videos made by professionals with professional tools and feel like they can't do anything without spending thousands of dollars on equipment. But that's no way to become a woodworker. Same goes for any other skill. You need *basic*, foundational knowledge in order to get the most out of more advanced equipment, and the only way to get that is to learn with *basic* tools. Nobody starts with a fully decked out shop, just like nobody starts with the ability to make perfect dovetails. A good analogy is race car drivers. Nobody learns to drive in an Formula 1 or GTE car (except maybe a few rich dilettante/playboys, but even they usually spend some time in a kart or Miata). You have to learn in something slow in order to actually perceive what's happening with weight transfer, grip, etc and calibrate your butt sensors. You can think of it like driving a faster car in slow motion, which is how I think about hand tools vs. power tools. If you skip ahead without learning (and more importantly practicing) the basics you might be able to complete a lap without crashing, but you won't be able to drive the car anywhere near it's potential, which defeats the purpose of driving a faster car in the first place. In order to get good at anything you have to start with the basics, keep gradually pushing your comfort zone, and (to your point) *MAKE MISTAKES.* There's no substitute for experience, true, but the hidden message there is that you have to make mistakes. You can never know the right way until you've done it the wrong way a few times.

[@MeepChangeling]

No. This joint looks ugly on top of taking a lot of work. I'm just going to screw the thing together. It works, looks fine, and glue and screw is stronger than any wood on earth anyways.

@@MeepChangeling so you think dove tail is ugly... but glue and screw look fine? A little advice: go check your eyes.

[@mattrickard3716]

@ It might pay to pick yourself up an electronic troll detector on Ebay. About $39.95 from memory, but money well spent in my opinion.

[@fngrusty42]

There is no greater feeling than your first dovetails fitting, even loose it feels great cause you know they are going to get better. Great video. I'm 65 started carpentry at 14, seen lots of video most scare people off where they won't try it. Great video

[@TheTuneAce]

You and Steve Ramsey are like the perfect duo of woodworking content creators for beginners on a budget, tool recommendations, and woodworking techniques. I constantly rewatch your videos when I need a refresher (or just some white noise for falling asleep xD)

[@kevinshannon83]

Great stuff as always. Couple of notes, a shallower angle for the dovetail reduces the amount of short grain at the tip of the tail and can actually make the joint stronger. (1:6 for softwoods,1:8 for hardwoods usually) When sawing the tail, it can be easier to start off with the piece angled in the vice so the line you are cutting is vertical, instead of trying to get the saw at the correct angle. You can use your Tri-square to line it up.

[@kevinshannon83]

1:6 = 10 degrees, 1:8 = 7 degrees. Doesn't seem like much, but the angle doesn't need to be severe to get a strong joint.

[@RexKrueger]

Good tips!

[@alfredsmith9727]

Rex, Just a tip I found to made cutting the tails easier. Mount your tail board in the vise at a angle then you cut straight down instead of having your saw at a angle. Straight cuts are easier than angle cuts. I found this way a lot better and my joints have improved.

[@qualix7]

Rex, your channel is easily the best thing on KZbin. Hands down. Thanks to your content, getting started w/ woodworking has been, more fun, exciting, easier, less expensive and most of all, more satisfying than it would have been without! Thank you!

[@BAGUBAou812]

I love the fact that this is such a simple dove tail. Every other video I have watched has multiple dove tails per side. For a basic how-to video this is prefect.

[@justkirk]

As all the other comments point out - your attitude toward woodworking is awesome. Just what people need. All too often maker videos move into CNC and expensive equipment (sponsors) that the average hobbyist just can't afford. I'm introducing your channel to anyone that is interested in starting with the basics. Keep up the great work!

[@RexKrueger]

That's honestly why I avoid sponsors. I love toys and free tools, but before you know it, your shop is filled with stuff your viewers will never afford. I think CNC is really interesting and I'd love to have one, but it's not necessary for basic woodwork.

[@schm4704]

This kind of attitude towards the iconic dovetail joint will be much more valuable to most woodworkers than seeing Frank Klausz doing them at warp speed, or Rob Cosman doing a perfect set blindfolded with one hand on his back or something.

[@RexKrueger]

I appreciate that very much! Still, Frank's no-measure/no mark method might actually make the joint easier. I need to try it.

[@nikburton9264]

Great video, Rex

[@jrkorman]

@@RexKrueger One thing I've noted, from Paul Sellers, is the use of a knife to make my marking instead of a pencil. That one simple tool increased my accuracy quite a bit. Keep up the good work. I'm enjoying this series!

[@bradjohnson4787]

1/3's would be stronger.

[@bradjohnson4787]

Good job!

[@johnford7847]

IMO, your explanation of how to do dovetails is the clearest, most encouraging of the 6-8 youtube guides I've watched. And I like your attitude - your 8x12 workshop is even smaller than my 8x16 basement space (although I have a lolly column you lack). Nicely done and thank you, sir.

[@MarkSWilliams27]

"Cut yourself a break!" Well said, Rex. I always, always enjoy your videos.

[@solomon4765]

Man you are no less than a blessing to mankind. Also I am an experienced wood worker I am fed up with all diy demonstrations flashing us with an expensive sets of tools that empty your pocket, leaves you frustrated and donating nothing to your skills. thanks and kipp up with the good doing.

[@BlackCloudCV60]

Like you say in the beginning of this video series. I work out of my one car garage. But that's not the reason for this comment. I made my very first dove joint thanks to you. Thank you for all of the teaching points.

[@tw6955]

Incredibly good instruction. Clear cut and to the point. Important to have fun and experiment with the process. After 40 + years of building, everyday is a continual learning experience. Thanks.

[@bsdnfraje]

Best dovetail tutorial I've ever seen. A little better than Mr Hopper in 10th grade woodshop, and a LOT better than anything on KZbin. You demystified them, and explained them clearly.

[@RexKrueger]

Thanks very much!

[@doncooperjr4817]

Rex, thank you for sticking to the poor man's approach with this series. It is wonderful to have the mix of knowledge/experience and limited resources. I haven't seen this elsewhere on KZbin. Please keep it up.

[@RexKrueger]

I plan to! Thanks for the encouragement!

[@markharris5771]

I’m one of those people who expects the same level of quality from myself as you’d expect from one of Chippendale's journeymen. The trouble is cabinet makers who have been doing the same joints for forty years make it look so damned easy! I should be doing perfect houndstooth dovetails by now, I am in my second year of woodworking you know! That’s despite the fact I’ve only just started conquering sharpening my chisels! Thank you Rex for bringing some realism and common sense to my somewhat addled brain, it really is appreciated. Another great video Rex!

[@RexKrueger]

I'm exactly the same way. I keep comparing myself to people with SO much more experience. It's not fair. You gotta cut yourself a break.

[@DullPoints]

Excellent comment my dude.

[@ikust007]

I truly appreciate the fact that you are honest . Like Wood by Wright and the M&T guys. Bravo

[@RexKrueger]

Those are my dudes, too!

[@hdwoodshop]

ikust007 what’s m&t guys?

[@ikust007]

Hugo Danilo Mortise&Tenon Magazine. Extremely high quality magazine dedicated to hand tool Woodworking.

[@ulfsonarvidsson]

Superb stuff Rex. I work on a small balcony, about 65 square feet, and only use hand tools (machines would get me evicted, and besides; I don't really wish to use them). There's a great deal one can do with a limited space and a limited set of tools. You are an inspiration so keep up the great work!

[@jimmysbordone8071]

I've tried and failed a few times on dovetails, but your advice is exactly what I needed to figure it out! Best video on dovetails!

[@jay_behr]

As a total noob, taking up woodworking & cabinetry as a hobby after spinal injuries have robbed me of my office job, can I just say a heartfelt "thank you" - your videos are amazing, in that they're clear, concise, relatable (in that your work isn't "perfect" first time every time, as so many others' seem to be) and your presentation style is intelligent, engaging and charismatic. A total find, so "likes" and subscribed instantly. Thank you!

[@JamesKelly89]

I think you're my favorite wood working channel followed by Stumpy Nubs and Woodworking for Mere Mortals, Woodwork Web and Matt Estlea. I love how it feels like I'm there in the shop with you and you're teaching me.

[@nathanvandendungen4450]

Great video once again. I am using pine to practice as well and have found that my chisel needs to be super sharp to avoid crushing fibers. Also, small chops and using tight grain pine help a lot.

[@RexKrueger]

Pine is just really hard to chop. I'm switching woods next time!

[@Rottwiler44]

10:04 "the dovetail is one of the most difficult joints in woodworking." *Japanese woodworking* "hold my sake"

[@drigondii]

The western is silent

[@Marc83Aus]

Japanese dovetails are insane.

[@keefer88]

Yes. The American way is to let a machine do it for you.

[@quinn860]

I had to stop watching this video and watch some japanese woodworking, japanese joints are god level carpentry

[@xXJIJIPONGXx]

I'm presuming he means without unnecessary added complexity

[@robwagner2789]

I've been a woodworking hobbyist for ages, but I cut my very first dovetail joint in scraps of pre-primed 1x3 trim board just a couple years ago. I keep that joint in my "shop" like a trophy because I'm so proud of it - it's crooked, but it's tight!

[@elizabetholiviaclark]

This way, just one dovetail, could be perfect for a project I'm starting. I've never done a dovetail, but I've got the saw, the wood, and the gumption. Thanks, Rex!

[@mr.b.w.3146]

Thanx for the tips! I tried hand cutting finger joints........gotta try that one again. Haven't quite got my router finger joint jig quite right yet either. I'm lucky to have half a garage for my shop and keep my various machine tools on boards with caster wheels and drag them out when needed. It's a bit of a pain but hey - I'm lucky to have what I got.

[@gerryseymour]

Rex, thanks for your approach on this. I've been a casual woodworker for many years, but really am still a beginner at many things (like dovetails). Since I'm a casual woodworker, the (all-too-common) suggestion of buying a jig for things like dovetails is really a non-starter. You've given me some great ideas, and I love to see someone sharing their learning process - including the occasional mistake. That keeps us from feeling quite so inferior. Keep at it!

[@RexKrueger]

No one should feel inferior! We're all learning.

[@savoielvis1]

Rex..you are amazing.....you really put youreself in our shoes....with not much space......not fancy tools.....you do understand the most of us......thx for an amazing videos you create for us!

[@torque9889]

I love this series so much, keep it up Rex. People will be watching this decades from now I guarantee.

[@RexKrueger]

That's a really nice thing to say!

[@How_Many_Monkeys]

Been searching all day for a half-decent breakdown of how to dovetail.. this vid blows them all out of the water

[@egbluesuede1220]

After 3 years on my personal journey to become a woodworker....I'm going to finally do it. The joint that inspired me to build my shop, and has intimidated and scared me from ever making one. I just got some vintage chisels (thanks for the e-bay tips) and now I am ready to butcher the hell out of a DT joint! I don't care. Yes it will suck but no one will know but me and I will only have room for improvement!

[@johnnycorn7225]

I love the way the larger dovetail looks when using inch-and-a-half thick natural wood grain that you can cut and line up together

[@amyholderness8142]

I love how encouraging you are. Thank you.

[@grievouserror]

Rex does have a way of making it all seem achievable, doesn't he?

[@aloseman]

He's got some Bob Ross vibes. Every time I watch one of his videos I find myself in a better, more motivated mood.

[@chrisnsharie]

Once had the pleasure of watching Ian Kirby make dovetails joints at a woodworkers convention. He didn't use rulers, guides, or guides. Years of practice and expertise. I made some in a class and they came out ok and I still use them as guides.

[@mike12313]

I have to thank you Rex. Always wanted to get into woodworking but struggled with the preconception that I'd basically need a full workshop, and that thought has driven me away from even trying. Only have a small workspace to use but your guides really have helped me shake the notion that I'd need $1000's worth of equipment. Like before I found your channel, I used to think the only way to get a straight edge cut was either through a power saw or by having years of practice with a hand saw, never even heard of an shooting board before! Looking forward to getting more into the skill, thanks again!

[@TheRaven0811]

My first dovetails were in the summer of 2018. I made the saw bench on Stumpy Nubs channel. Yours are much better than the ones I did. All of mine have huge gaps but I tried. Good job.

[@RexKrueger]

Thank you!

[@sathancat]

I'm pretty good at carving miniatures and figurines I've designed but when it comes to things like joinery and precision I have a lot to learn. Rex, your videos are so valuable and treasured! Thank you for taking this approach

[@superstring01]

This is my new carpentry channel. I love those other guys but you do two things they don't: (1) You teach yourself while you teach us which means we SEE you learn so we know how WE can learn. (2) You are humble in your approach to tools and space. Most of these shows are amazing and wonderful and entertaining but how the hell can I install a $2500 jointer in my garage? So I have all this equipment and I want to work but sometimes I don't have enough of it and that drives me crazy.

[@fisharmor]

I always cut pins first , and for a reason I haven't found anybody talk about. The first board that you cut can be cut basically anywhere. In other words it doesn't matter how accurate you are to the line you marked. But the second board has to be cut in a precise spot. The reason I cut pins first is because when you mark your lines on the Tails board you are marking on face grain. And I find that the best way to mark the Tails then is with an exacto blade. The standard triangular exacto blade is small enough to get the entire line marked but there is enough width at the base of the blade to reference the pins surface and keep it perpendicular. Then all I have to do is Sneak the ryoba right up to that line, which is dead on. But if you are marking your pins second you are marking on end grain, and particularly with Woods like Pine, a marking knife won't really work. You kind of have to use a pencil and then you are much more dialing in the fit on every joint.

[@xl000]

does it make sense to make dovetails in 2019 though

[@jwydubak9673]

There is yet another issue with tails first method in a minimal shop setup: it requires vise. With pins cut first you can put the pin board standing on top soon-to-be tail board. It's much easier to perform on a basic Roman workbench.

[@fisharmor]

@@jwydubak9673 Too true, and I prefer standing them up, personally... Though I can say from experience standing up your board does get a little dicey if you're trying to mark tails from the pins on a 14" x 72" carcass side for a pantry. :D I had to get a little inventive there.

[@fisharmor]

@@xl000 You may as well ask "does it make sense to have chef knives now that everyone can buy a food processor". People making food in factories have to use processors, but people who enjoy cooking stick to chef knives.

[@gopro2804]

Rex, I made a frame today with 8 dovetails. Never done it before. It’s all thanks to your series that I’ve been inspired. Wish I could share pictures with you! Thanks buddy.

[@bighands69]

Now use dovetails in everything you do. And you will become an expert with the joint. Also throw in tenon joints as well. Make hundreds of small boxes and have them all over the house. My kitchen is entirely dovetails joints cabinets made from mahogany and oak. Everything from the doors, drawers, carcass, work tops has dovetails. I cut dovetails everyday by hand and I also use tenon joints. With just tenon and dovetails you can make anything.

[@rona1144]

Scribing and cutting the fibers I had learned along the way but the relief cuts back towards the scribed lines was really helpful to hear. Thanks

[@byronservies4043]

None of my dovetails so far have been clean, but then, neither are the dovetails on my antique apartment mailbox unit. I've also found that even rough dovetails can be square and will hold like the dickens. When I finish my English Woodworker bench (soon now), I will learn the Frank Klaus no mark, no measure technique. It appeals to me a lot.

[@RexKrueger]

I hope it works out for you. I really want to try it.

[@JerGoes]

Always mark the waste side (can't tell you how many times I've accidentally cut the wrong bit), but a big thumbs up for a no nonsense easy to follow video I'm sure will benefit many beginners.

[@RexKrueger]

A very good point!

[@Swarm509]

Great video! I've seen this after starting my process with dovetails (using a Paul Sellers/Matt Estlea combination of layout and tricks that work best for me) and it is a very humbling joint. I've gotten a lot of joints that would work just fine, but they were not pretty! This video is great for learning how the joint works. Don't think that the fact that his has only a single tail makes it "easy" or such, the difficulty steps up quite a bit with multiple tails and as a newbie you want to reduce the complexity as much as possible. Do a bunch of single joints, half dozen or more, and learn all the mistakes and issues so when you do multiple tails you can apply those (and learn one ones) as you do the joint! If you want to look like you've been doing dovetails for decades you will probably need to be doing dovetails for decades, so get started on that practice! My advice after 5 dovetails, with the final one actually being night and tight, is to be very careful with your layout and ensure your tools are sharp and stay sharp. I went back and re-sharpened/flattened all my chisels and go back to strop them between almost every operation. Also taking off less is more when cleaning up, it may take longer but you have far less chance of ripping out wood. If things feel off resharpen or strap, you will be happy you did. When cutting do your best to be careful to hit those lines just as needed, and I do a bunch of saw practice before I do my joint. Finally don't forget that till recently dovetails were a practical joint, not a show joint. They look amazing when done perfectly but they don't need to be flawless if they are going to be hidden behind a closed drawer. I've seen many antique, extremely well finished, pieces of furniture that have gap filled and rough dovetails. There are a lot of good tricks to get a gap filled dovetail cleaned up (from glue/saw dust, to filling with wood wedges, to smashing down the grain of the pins) to make them look much better.

[@markgoode4109]

A super series of videos. Never attempted this joint before, but I think I can do it after watching this. Only cutting what one can see was a great tip. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and skills. Best wishes.

[@RexKrueger]

Thanks for watching!

[@BassMonsterTiff]

I appreciate how short your videos are. I just be needing a quick overview and these lovely woodworking gentlemen get me distracted by the beauty of the process. Next thing you know I'm stuck on youtube for hours instead of trying the stuff myself

[@adammono1839]

Amazed at your humility rex! I can't imagine many other successful KZbin wood workers starting a project as an amateur. Really appreciate the sentiment

[@derekmctavish]

Great video! I really appreciate the way you simplified the joint and legitimately made it seem less intimidating. The humble "just got for it" approach you take to a lot of this is one of the main reasons I keep coming back. :) Also look forward to seeing what you do with your mini-shop.

[@bhjmulder]

I like your positive and realistic approach👍🏻

[@GUNBATOSINHISNAME]

hey rex senpai i just came from home depot i was buying a mohogany board and they didn’t know what it was so they just GAVE IT TO ME FOR FREE. they’ve done it with walnut too. It’s funny i’ve been watching my apartments garbage more since watching your videos and i can’t tell you how many times people are throwing away good laminated pine or thick good quality hardwoods keep up the good work man!

[@scottsimpey2965]

Great video Rex. I tried my hand at making dovetails. I had taken just some scrap pine that I had laying around just to make one joint. I managed to get it to work but man wasn’t it just about the ugliest joint that you ever did see. I posted pictures of it on this woodworking group on fb. Several people commented saying to try again but with some hard wood like maple or even just poplar as it would supposedly be easier than using soft wood. I have yet to give it another try but plan to when I have the free time to.

[@bighands69]

When you do it once it means you know how to do it. DO it 10 times and you will start to feel more confident, do it 100 times and you will feel like a pro and do it 1000 times and you will be an expert. You only need a few joints in woodwork to make what every you want. With just the tenon joint and dovetail you can make about anything you want. I can do box up a small box in 20 minutes with dovetails and they will fit perfectly and look great. Larger boxer with numerous dovetails such as a chest can be done in about 1 hour to 1.5 hours and that will be finish grade fine furniture standards. I can do up a table with tenons and dovetails in about 6 hours.

[@jeffryjohnson2890]

you are an exceptional educator !!!! I just learned to make a really fast dovetail that for the life of me i have never seen and with some 1/4 '' dowels should look great and be plenty strong !! THANK YOU SIR

[@mariobendimezrivero3838]

Grate job teaching the way to work the easiest way and explaining the techniques without missing the very determining details, I feel more confident to try dove tails joints. Thanks you Rex!!

[@irateindividual8086]

Just about to start woodworking as a hobby and this looks like the perfectly taught course for a student like me. Thanks for uploading it all for our benefit!

[@profharveyherrera]

Thank you Rex! I've been trying to do joints since I started woodworking as a hobby but you videos had taught me a lot and helped me improve my technique. Greetings from Mexico!

[@RexKrueger]

Glad to help!

[@averagejoe4837]

One thing I found when I cut my first dovetail joint and try to always keep in mind. As long as it's not too sloppy, even a poorly executed dovetail us a rock solid joint.

[@RexKrueger]

Yeah! Mine aren't great, but still hold with no glue. Amazing.

[@bighands69]

If you use them on carcass joints on the inside with no display it doesn't really matter how they look.

[@simonwoo5450]

“Cut only what you see” makes this so worth it:)

[@benji_thetree]

Thanks a lot Rex, you’re my new favorite woodworker. You’re really encouraging and make new techniques really approachable. You’re doing good work out here

[@sammoore9120]

Cut yourself a break! The best advice I’ve ever heard!

[@stevezytveld6585]

G'evening Mister Krueger. I have the algorithms to thank for stumbling onto you. Thank you for helping to fill in all the gaps in my woodworking education (I was a kid in the 70's - our adults... were... stoned... sooo many gaps in ye old mis-edu-ma-cation...). Because I have a few projects I need to finally bring into reality. In our 7th-story-treehouse-apartment, with a balcony. Thanks for helping us non-basement/non-garage people get things done. - Cathy (&, accidentally, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown

[@ashleygray1632]

Oh my god this one video helped me more than every other video on KZbin that requires 10 power tools. Amazing.

[@johnboyofalaska4182]

Woodwork for humans. I love it! Ive been doing that for years . Thanks for making all this stuff just plain old less scary.

[@Grumpycat0405]

Thank you so much! I've been trying for a very long time to make tales without success. you have really changed it for me

[@RexKrueger]

I'm really glad!

[@thehandynomadthehandynomad843]

Man I love your content! I love the energy you bring in all of your videos. This video here by far is the greatest one when it comes to dovetails specifically for beginners. Thank you so much you have helped me a lot. Thank you my friend! I finally understand this technique.

[@mattg6262]

Rex, I'm a teacher by training. You, sir, are a terrific teacher. Keep it up.

[@jacksonwillis8683]

Next week: Welcome to my new second channel, Rex is an Expert at Everything.

[@RexKrueger]

Yeah, that would be a HUGE hit.

[@RealLuckless]

The way my grandfather taught me to cut clean dovetails wasn't to start with inexpensive wood and small to mid sized joinery, but rather to scale down and keep making TINY little boxes out of a small amount of good hardwood. I'm talking itty bitty little decorative boxes that were around 2"x4"x1", with a nice lid of course. After I could manage to make perfect boxes out of tiny materials did he allow me to start trying to make larger things out of softer and cheaper material. Be very wary of letting yourself get caught by the false economy of learning with cheap pine or other soft woods!

[@hiligatioify]

Well you haven’t explained why you think it is false economy to learn on softer woods....... If I used softer woods I can build more projects that I can actually use...... If I built with hardwoods and made teeny tiny boxes I would have a bunch of tiny useless boxes

[@RealLuckless]

@@hiligatioify Mainly comes down to "Fail Faster, Learn Sooner". The small boxes take less time to build and layout, but still require the same precision and accuracy while being done in a material less likely to give 'false results' - In softwood you can 'get away with' some bad habits that don't work well in a harder wood with more stable grain. At the same time soft woods are easier to damage during processing or assembly, potentially making an error in your methodology harder to see: Is your dovetail loose because your sawing method is poor, or is it loose because you did something to crush fibres and loosen the joint? Small projects mean you start and finish a single project faster and can learn more of your fundamentals sooner before scaling up to larger projects. All that said, if your goal is to make finished softwood projects anyway, then it doesn't matter nearly as much - But starting with smaller projects is still a sensible path. Learn what works and doesn't with small projects in your desired material, and scale up from there.

[@vinade2100]

@@hiligatioify he has a point, I had to make the experience that soft woods are less predictable and tend to split or rip where you didn't mean it too, especially along the grain. Makes sense thought this is also part of it and eventually everyone has to learn how to get around that.

[@mikekellaway8056]

Apprentices traditionally produced miniatures for the same reasons of economy of materials, and the high precision required at small scale.

[@alexcoronado6263]

Was genuinely feeling discouraged to build a bed frame with dove tails but you just gave me the basics and I’m feeling for confident to build this , thank you :)

[@bighands69]

When the joints are not on show it does not matter how they look just that they are strong. You can also use tenon joints as well along with dovetails.

[@harrypowers9412]

Your conciliatory manner of teaching woodworking is appreciated and encouraging... thank you! 👍🏻

[@RexKrueger]

So nice of you

[@andrewford80]

Every time you make a mistake is an opportunity to improve. Without those mistakes, you'll probably never improve very much at all. We are taught to fear failure when really we should embrace it.

[@ronmiller7916]

Started trying dovetaiks this week. Did my 4th today, after each i do an honest assessment. My chisel work has to improve. I found that i have to constantly make sure cuts are square. Your right, the saw kerf on the pin cuts makes a huge difference and you get ugly gaps if you cut on the line so i offset by the width of the kerf. So when i saw this vid and the line about only sawing what you can see, i realized the missing piece. Since im still new to woodworking, im working on my cuts and the back side cut is always off. That little tip should make #5 a lot better. I've still got plenty of the 8foot pine 1x4 left!!!

[@residentmusician]

Rex, I love all your videos! And when you limit yourself to a shop my exact size I go a little teary eyed. Woodwork for humans is the most accessible woodworking I have done since highschool

[@gmanchannel7]

Good tip on the saw what you can see part additionally Japanese saw have the first teeth in a design so that you can never over cut what you can't see. Basically you have to angle up to the point where the only the front few tooth is cutting to prevent overcut

[@johnnycorn7225]

I make speaker boxes and I'm wanting to change over to a new design that is screwless and uses dovetails on the faceplate, as many of my customers are running 5 + 10,000 watts and I'm now needing maximum strength. Large dovetails on all the corners and a long row of alternating circle & square dowels tapped through for additional adhesion, and different woods for alternating colors.

[@cyclewithsteve6202]

Instead of marking your dovetails with a pencil, use a marking knife. You can then use the chisel to create a small wall to help guide your saw. It takes a bit more time but increases precision and ease of sawing.

[@ronsummers4090]

Rex I swore off spending any more money for now, but I just ordered one of the Japanese saws. You know what you’ve done!!

[@robwagner2789]

"I gave this channel a much better name..." Man, you deserve ALL the subscriptions.

[@RexKrueger]

Thank you very much!

[@22keann]

Thank you! I'm planning to use dovetail to the project that i'm doing and it's very hard. I'm going to try what you've done. Thanks man!

[@markquinlan4876]

Very well done Rex. You made it simple to understand and brought a great attitude to the project. Looking forward to watching more. Thanks again and God Bless.

[@dalejuhl8591]

Such great information and brilliant how to. I want to start doing things and I don’t have a shop loaded with power tools. Thank you for the great content.

[@byroboy]

Instead of a pencil, have you tried a marking knife? They are great and it can be any sharp thin blade. I used one last weekend when I was making a corner cabinet. It was great and the slight depression it makes gives your chisel a place to sit from the beginning.

[@nfix09]

have seen people make/use wooden holdfasts before, might be a nice addition to your woodworking for humans setup

[@RexKrueger]

I've tried, but i was unhappy with the results. Not up to my standards. I'll keep at it.

[@doncooperjr4817]

Whawhawaht???? *desire to know more intensifies*

[@nfix09]

​@@doncooperjr4817 in brief, a hardwood dowel glued into the end of a hardwood block(at a 90), shape the block to be thinner in the middle, leaving more support at the dowel, and making a pad for holding, glue leather on the pad for grip, not gonna be as good as steel but lprobably passable, credit to "Pask Makes" kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2Oxmpqdh6-bkKM

[@jbtechcon7434]

Rex, your new space is a fantastic idea to help viewers on a budget see that home woodworking is within their reach. May I offer a video suggestion to build on that? Do an updated vid on “Build a Woodshop on a $X Budget” vid for the folks starting from scratch, to direct them through your video archive. Start with the empty space, show the tools they’ll need to buy and refer them to your vids explaining those tools, then show the tools they’ll need to *build* and refer them to those vids Not suggesting you repeat any material from old vids, just direct them through the archive and help them get a sense of where to start and how to proceed. I hope that suggestion was helpful, and thanks again for these great videos.

[@RexKrueger]

That's a GREAT idea.

[@HenkjanDeKaasboer]

Wow. This is such a welcome change from the 'expert teaches too complicated technique to noobie to do this thing' after which said noobie will have to invest hours upon hours to get remotely close. Very nice

[@ErikBongers]

Pine is often used as a beginners' choice of wood, but it's a horrible material to do some accurate work on with hand tools and may end up discouraging a beginner. So my advice is, get your hands on some small pieces of hardwood to try out these techniques.

[@bsdnfraje]

Poplar isn't much more expensive than select pine at the big box stores.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

It's important somewhere to point out that pine is actually pretty great FOR SOFTWOOD techniques... the kind that most beginners should really reliably be dipping feet into in the first place... Rex's chopping out is more of a Hardwood technique, not so well suited for pine... SO... I'd recommend taking the saw back to the piece to make "relief cuts" in the waste material to just about an 8th inch (2-3mm?) above the gauge line for the shoulder, and start your chopping out process considerably closer to the edge/end, then cut the remaining waste in about half, and half again... repeat until you're down to the last sixteenth or so (between a half and a millimeter) and then you can gnash out the last of it... reasonably smooth. He did point out that his chopping was "too aggressive for pine", so he saw it, too... Keep in mind, woodwork is a patient man's game... There's a lot of dubious repetition involved if you're going to excel at it. Remember to breathe, relax, and then keep on keeping on. AND for the record, yes... Poplar is a very reasonably priced and perfectly workable hardwood... for those interested in diving into hardwoods... BUT if you're most interested in keeping tools at relatively low maintenance and just practicing to get technique and muscle memory... Pine isn't a terrible medium to gain skill with, and it makes you particularly conscientious about handling for work. It dings at the drop of a hat. ;o)

[@TheRaven0811]

It might just be the big box store wood... I've seen videos of Japanese woodworkers doing sashimono with pine. Beautiful work. According to Google, sashimono is also a small war banner, in case anyone wants to look into it both come up.

[@bsdnfraje]

@@TheRaven0811 It isn't the big box store, it's the way it is grown and harvested. And it's pretty widespread. The saplings are crowded in together, and chosen for their very fast growth.

[@SebR-FR]

@@gnarthdarkanen7464 I totally agree.

[@327ewok]

i think this looks cooler than the normal smaller dovetails, ad would look cool with 2 different woods interlocking together

[@garethsharp4039]

You've inspired me to have another go at dovetails. Cheers from the UK Rex!

[@RexKrueger]

I think you'll do great!

[@tatepishepard]

You are awesome. Thank you for all your effort making me a beginner woodworker. I'm on the line. All the best for you and your family. Greetings from Hungary

[@RexKrueger]

Nice. You're up on the flag wall!

[@joeseabert8391]

In 89 when I was a senior in high school wood class the shop had an aluminum jig which used a router to make dove tails. Even with that I still screwed them up.

[@Trevkongable]

excellent job! I show this to my students and they really appreciate your approach to the dovetail joint.

[@billme372]

Rex, I've watched a few of your videos and liked them, but this one caught my attention because of the lack of terror (power) tools. I have a good friend that loves woodworking, but should never be near a circular saw, etc. This could be an approach we can share.

[@mmgross144]

Very clear and concise! Rex figured it out! Keep on figuring!

[@RexKrueger]

You too, buddy!

[@garymeechan9457]

Very cool, it makes me want to have a go. Every other video on Dove Tails has scared the life out of me. Thank you Rex

[@RexKrueger]

It's not so bad, really.

[@Donegaldan]

Skilled educator. Love his videos.

[@stephenater9687]

Thanks for all you do!! Best how-to videos on KZbin for woodwork.

[@RexKrueger]

You're very kind!

[@craigmouldey2339]

This is perhaps the best, simplified guide to making dovetail joins that I've seen. Now, could you do another video with more than one dovetail. Say 2-4 of them? What I'm trying to grasp is the layout itself.

[@jamesv4463]

The fact he uses hand tool makes it so much more approachable.

[@elischultes6587]

A bevel gauge was a mandatory tool in my apprenticeship. But I hav never used at work I think. That and a block plane.