Hand Tool Woodworking - Cutting The Housing / Dado Joint Without A Saw

[@TwinPhoenix666]

No matter when it is that I stumble across your videos, I always learn something new

[@colmhain]

I appreciate how some of your videos aren't just "how-tos", but seem to dive into woodworking theory. Good stuff. Now, I'm a lefty, and found I was often forced to use my right hand due to circumstances. (bench or horse orientation, power tool design, being on a ladder or walk-board,etc.) After 27 years I've become quite ambidextrous with tools, though I still have a strong hand and a finesse hand. It's a very helpful skill. I don't have to un-clamp, and spin, re-clamp stock If my plane starts tearing, I don't have to cross my arms when chiseling or sawing in confined or awkward spaces. the list goes on and on. I try to encourage this skill in others as well. You may be the only other person I've heard mention this skill. Thanks for the affirmation!

[@adamthewoodworker2571]

your videos always impress me; it's very cool to see someone who can accomplish things in woodworking without a ton of very expensive tools

[@peterbassett2179]

Please do keep doing your videos Richard. You're both informative and entertaining.

[@jasonrobinson9524]

Greetings from Canada, I'm just getting started in minimalist woodworking. This was a wonderfully informative video. Thanks!

[@kingnast82]

It's good to see you back! I also like the chisel method for housings. It's a lot easier for me to sharpen a chisel than a saw, so if I don't have to use the saw as much, there's less sharpening. I made a version of your wall cabinet as a Christmas gift for my mom last year, and she loved it!

[@TheEnglishWoodworker]

Thanks Matthew, as far as unessential tools go, the router plane is definitely the one that's in my hand the most. Non essential but it can come in for every job and make it easy.

[@briarfox637]

+The English Woodworker I love my veritas router plane.

[@jeanaubaneldj]

Utiliser laser ligne

[@ibpopp]

Yes indeed. Router planes are very handy, and very precise. Thanks for a great show.

[@zz2999]

Great video. I appreciate you giving us the American translation.

[@CajunCoder]

The reason I watch your channel is precisely because of your minimalist methodology! As someone new to woodworking, and fond of hand tools, I don't have all of the perfect, specialized tools for the job, much less an array of power tools which most people use in their instructions. I want to know how to make the best use of the basic tool set I already own - not how to use expensive, unnecessarily specialized tools that I'd have to go out and buy!

[@ranjdall]

Your videos are great. Don't stop making them.

[@francisbarnett]

Great to see your producing videos again.

[@MrTraindriver1970]

I remember watching my grandfather cut rabbets exactly the same way with only a chisel, he was a fantastic cabinet maker and only used the minimal hand tools. I try to copy him in every aspect of my woodworking and fall way short. Would love to have a chat with him now that I am older and can understand more as he probably forgot more than I will ever learn. I don't use power tools but I would cut the groove with a dado plane and call it a day! Again the same idea as the chisel doesn't matter how wide the board is so long as I can reach.

[@viisaus2976]

I have a very minimal tool kit, and usually cut my grooves and dadoes using a marking knife and chisel. But my approach is different; I make sure the marking knife is very sharp indeed and score very deep lines, chisel out the waste and score again, repeating the process until I'm at target depth. I don't have a router plane so the finish is rather rough, but that doesn't usually matter. Works well for softer woods but I've also made a few recessed box bottoms in oak using the same method. Works ok. I also find great pleasure in the idea of a minimalist tool kit, thanks!

[@trep53]

I enjoy your presentation style and content. I’m an amateur woodworker but my decisions don’t equal my skills. Meaning I can work a chisel, plane or saw. I know how to layout and mark a joint or cut but many times I don’t make the best choice to cut the wood. Sometimes when I don’t chose the best method and struggle my reaction is to muscle through the cut. I need to make better decisions cutting wood. Thanks for your very instructive videos.

[@galaviel]

Brilliant. Wonderful tricks never seen those before. Love the phyilosophy of simplicity, few basic tools and skill over $$ and more tools. keep'em coming :)

[@EKettler90]

I'm very glad I saw this. I'm fairly new to woodworking, an can't really spend exorbitant sums on fancy tools that most people seem essential. Kind of a load off that I don't need 5 grand worth of tools to make something nice.

[@tompearce6312]

Great and really helpful. I'm very much a beginner, but I try to use both hands because I feel like that way I'm exercising both sides of my body!

[@tonyy5482]

Thor mallet, knife cut edges & hand router plane -- a Paul Sellers fan/watcher! Nothing wrong with that. ;)

[@brightnuertey1451]

Outstanding tortorials i love that well done

[@lbhunter6341]

Terminology can be key! I have come to know the cross grain joints as the dado (two walls) and the fillister (one wall). The long grain joints are the rabbet or rebate (one wall) and groove (two walls). These give definition to all four distinctions. Great video!

[@eddyflynn213]

fantastic demo as always thanks Richard

[@johnw.peterson4311]

You are an excellent craftsman. Thank you.

[@Pparker160]

Great topic Richard. Great show, love watching-free of faff.

[@JohnHeisz]

I got the attitude from an English viewer regarding my use of the word "rabbet" to describe what he knows as "rebate". Funny thing is, the word origin is French, "rabbat" and the English version appears to be more of a bastardization of the original than the North American one.

[@TheEnglishWoodworker]

So much of the English / American terminology in woodworking is exactly the same and yet when it comes to grooves it seems we like to differ. I have to be careful, particularly in the videos because I don't generally get too caught up in terminology, normally I make up my own terms.

[@JohnHeisz]

***** The word origin for "rebate" is also from French, "rebatre" defined as beat back or deduct.

[@ianelley]

John Heisz I understand rebate, rabbit (or how ever its spelt) tomato, tamatoe that makes sense but where does dado come from ? In England I can think of two other meanings for it, a line that everything is measured off in construction and a rail which goes round a room to divide wall paper from an upper painted surface. I wouldn't be surprised if there were more but why in woodwork ?

[@JohnHeisz]

ian elley We call the trim that divides the lower and upper parts of a wall a "chair rail". While "dado" only has one correct meaning here, with regards to woodworking, "rebate" covers what we would call a "rabbet" , "groove" or "dado". In terms of what is actually correct, they all are when used in the place where they are used popularly, but that does not make the ones you are unfamiliar with incorrect.

[@ianelley]

I never said they were incorrect, just different, no harm in that, I just find it interestiing to know where and how these terms came into being.

[@jakobhovman]

"The Rant of the Housing Son"... Holy Moly "Englishman"...Great video... ! Something in the video... and the sound quality... made me think of the first time... I heard "The Animals" play: "The House of the Rising Sun" in the radio... 　 I agree Richard... It is allways good... to be in tune... with your tools... 　 Have favorites... but... let the job at hand... as well as materials... decide. We cannot depend... on having a "Lefie" Carpenter... as a friend...! Spring greetings from Denmark... Jakob.

[@timschunk]

Awesome. Thanks for education. Beauty in simplicity

[@matthewsackman]

It's funny you saying a router plane is not essential. I agree with you, but I find I use mine all the time, mainly on tenon cheeks; I find it's a very accurate way of ensuring the tenon is centred and taking the tenon down to the perfect size. Which I guess is just another way of saying my sawing is not accurate enough!

[@johnmadden6656]

Great points...very well reasoned and stated! I am just trying to get started in this craft as a hobby and I can also see for someone like me becoming proficient in one technique at first is more likely than using multiple tools. New subscriber here!

[@literallyshane4306]

Your videos are brilliant mate! Also nice to hear another northern voice 👌

[@lincolndickerson1293]

Just found your channel. Wish it had been sooner. A few handtools really arent that much slower for the hobiest. Make one, then make a different one. The more I look around the more I see the chisel is the woodworkers first and last tool. Master the chisel and everty thing else is a variation on a theme.

[@watermain48]

I enjoy watching you work. You saw like a well-oiled machine...

[@Jazzwayze]

One has only to watch you use your tools to know. Thanks Richard.

[@PasiSavolainen]

Thanks, this was interesting to watch. Another thing against saw-cut housing dado is that if you're fitting the panel there (take width directly from other board), the contact it makes with first cut isn't really positive.

[@JoJo-hc9ds]

Great video. Can't wait for more. Thank you for sharing.

[@Guitardude1616]

hello richard, i have a question regarding what you said about rip filing all your saws. does rip filing a saw and using it for cross cutting work just fine? i only have a dovetail saw for riping with some kind of modified fleam i know nothing about that alows it to cross cut as well, is this what youve done with your saws?or do you just file them as regular rip and use them for cross cutiing as well?

[@michaelmilton3604]

Outstanding video

[@andrewfrudd108]

Great video. I like your approach too, its the skills in the hands rather than the tools in the hands that make the difference type thing. Have you seen Paul Sellers video of the poor mans router plane? It is basically just a small chisel through a board

[@brucewelty7684]

I am catching up on your posts!

[@trygveblstad6917]

Thanks, like this stunt and smiling about your old man since l am here in the workshop with my broken right hand plastered up to me elbow... Yes, sawing with left is ok, but chisseling is a bit harder. Planing....another week my be

[@jonnyramsden1161]

I feel like chisels are such a useful tool but their proper use is something that isn't necessarily super obvious. I've just made a gate with a housing in where two braces cross at 45 degrees, I cut with a saw and chisel and got a decent joint but I've definitely picked up a few tips here and never even thought about how you'd do it accurately without a saw

[@CandidZulu]

I like hogging out with a gouge actually. Less risk of splinters. Not tried it yet (cold workshop) but perhaps, if we found a way to put a stop of some sort on a chisel, smaller dados could be made with just a chisel and a hammer!? I'm planning to make a box for my screws, and need lots of dividers!

[@skippylippy547]

This video is Brilliant! Thank you for sharing this with us. ^5

[@DaveBardin]

Agreed! Minimal is the way to go. Well said.

[@slantsix6344]

Great stuff! Thanks for posting this!

[@lionrnnow6030]

when you start to remove the waste with the chisel is it with bevel down or up??? great video

[@453421abcdefg12345]

I find my router plane is in constant use for tidying up after any bottoming out, I suppose the neatness is not essential as it will be covered up, but it is nice to know it is neat, I also use it when bedding hinges.

[@TheEnglishWoodworker]

When I bought my router plane I thought it'd be one of those tools that gets left in the tool box all of the time, but as I've said above it's become my essential unessential. Definitely worth having.

[@Tacchi3]

How would you cut a groove (along the grain)? I found out that when chiseling to the knife line when going along the grain tends to crush/split/teat the fibers.

[@maxw-h]

Hi Richard. I've just found your content, as I'm looking into a career change into woodworking. As I'm in my 30s with a mortgage, I'm looking into apprenticeships so I can continue to earn while I train. My question to you is about your apprenticeship: was it carpentry, joinery, carpentry and joinery, or furniture making? Or if none of those, what was it? Looking forward to hearing from you. Max.

[@sethwarner2540]

Did I hear you say you specialize in custom benches? I am interested in a bench that can be picked up with one hand, walk into the woods, set it on a rock and find wood nearby to carve into spoons, forks, spatulas.

[@paulcookies]

Router plane? Amazing, thank you.

[@pjculbertson55]

Great video. I don't have a router plane and at the moment, I'm struggling with cutting a lengthwise groove in box sides for a sliding lid. The groove needs to be 3/8 thick, 3/8 deep and the length of the sides and back. Is it feasible to do that without a router plane to make the depth uniform? Any advice?

[@Tom_Plumb_PHS]

pjculbertson55 search for Paul sellers poor man's router. it's essentially a chisel hammered through a piece of wood can be used a router plane very effectively.

[@klauski144]

Could make a smaller template block - mark and cut a ledge in it to square and even reference depth - to pare chisel against. Or clamp to another piece with a wide enough guide face (level and square to clamp faces). Guide face doesn't have to be wood, can be any known level and even surface that can be aligned to the cut.

[@jimmurphy4083]

I rip file all my saws also, never had any issues.

[@darrylportelli]

great video :)

[@chopperaxon6171]

Nice one.

[@davidosullivan3432]

so how to you like to remove dovetail waste then .i would use a chisel for housing joints but a coping saw for tails and pins

[@natoyle]

Subscribed!!

[@Bennetts74]

I agree with you totally chisel is easier

[@obodude71]

can a chisel do the work of a plow plane?

[@AMTunLimited]

I know this video is like 8 years old and it's got some incredible information, but did my man say ALL of this saw are rip-filed?!?

[@bfflorida2311]

great stuff.. tip.. better (louder audio)

[@veeeler]

Can't remember who told me maybe my tutor "always use the tool that's the easiest to sharpen" sound advice.

[@reginaldsanchez5719]

Many woodworking plan's instructions aren't created by woodworkers. Because of this they can not tell if a step doesn't sound right. You are likely to end up being in disappointment following wrong instruction.

[@reginaldsanchez5719]

+Reginald Sanchez You are supposed to spend your time and effort on building, not on irritating by never-finish-able project. Go here for useful information that guarantee your success: great7.net/diy-wood-working-xa556e

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for this. (But what a depressing-looking workshop!)

[@janeromnicki6598]

In my first work I always used Woodglut plans.

[@joshstroud6823]

whatch wrangelerstar

[@choCOOLatte]

hammer vs concrete nail

[@brightnuertey1451]

Outstanding tortorials i love that well done