How I make: Dovetail Drawers

Showing the process of the machining joinery and the assembly for Dovetail drawers with an automatic dovetailer.

[@EZEvans1]

Great Job. We don't get very many production shop videos that show these dedicated machines. I love it and thanks for putting these out!

[@bs838]

Really interesting. I enjoy these kinds of videos. Appreciate you giving us a look inside your operation.

[@KBrogger]

I enjoy sharing!

[@jsarkozy]

hey Karl, I'm enjoying your videos, thanks for sharing

[@KBrogger]

Thanks John!

[@antonandersson6736]

Very interesting, thank you!

[@scottlewis4146]

You did a fine job.

[@KBrogger]

Thank you sir.

[@tfast78]

I enjoy watching your videos. Thanks for taking the time to record and post them. I would like to see a video of glue-ups on your panel clamp. What types of doors are people mostly ordering right now; 5 pc shaker/flat panel, MDF on the CNC, raised panel?

[@KBrogger]

I do mostly 5 piece doors. Usually a flat panel. Haven't done hardly any raised panel lately. I do make 1 piece mdf doors on the router for another shop, but I don't use them on my product.

[@lostinadream1866]

Dang, that is a badass shop wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@lostinadream1866]

the commentary is awesome ha ha ha

[@micaheckenfels533]

Great video! Currently we buy our dovetail drawers but I am open to the idea of building them in house. I do hate when I make a mistake or for whatever reason I am needing to have a drawer remade and I have to wait for my supplier. If I may ask, based on your time of about 45 minutes per drawer, are you building them to save money, control production, or another reason? On my most current drawer order, I paid an average of $118 per drawer. That was an order with 60 drawers, with clear finish, with Blum 1901 clips installed, including delivery.

[@fpoastro]

I can never understand why people have to be so angry with their pencils... been tooting that horn for years. Not to mention the mark that has to be a 6 back and forth scribble mark.. Time, dents,... great work.

[@KBrogger]

I don't understand it. It just needs to be enough to see it and survive until it gets sanded off. Anything more just creates work or issues

[@tlewis5969]

Great video, I really like that outboard fence on the shaper. It doesn't seem like you stray away from purchasing equipment that will help you be more productive. I'm curious as to why you don't use a hydraulic drawer clamp? We're a smaller custom shop that recently brought our drawer making in house and we'll probably glue them up in a similar manner for the time being, but a dedicated drawer clamp is pretty high in my list of next purchases.

[@KBrogger]

Just hasn't been a priority I guess? There's always something else to dump buckets of dollars into. lol. I'd really like to upgrade to an actual notcher that also drills the hole in the back.

[@KBrogger]

I've also kicked around modifying a stroke sander for sanding the sides. Would be way easier physically than using a hand held belt sander

[@andrewprather]

Curious if you know your average labor per drawer box on a kitchen? I am very tempted to go back to making our own dovetails with some machinery upgrades. Love every thing your doing!

[@KBrogger]

Average is about 45 minutes. Maybe a bit less.

[@andrewprather]

@@KBrogger Do you think it worth getting the Automatic JDT-75 or do you think the manual machine is just as good? Watching videos the Manual machine is just as fast and you can back cut first.

[@KBrogger]

@@andrewprather I'd do the automatic one. It's not that it cuts faster, it's now your hands are free to get the next parts ready, or put others away while it's cutting. Taking the operator out of the equation is typically a solid plan

[@kbwfgg6400]

That is an interesting use for a palm nailer. Did you put some kind of a rubber tip on it somehow so that you do not mar the wood?

[@KBrogger]

It's actually an air hammer. You can get different hardness pads for the face of it. Basically the same tool and a palm nailer though. I can't think of the company that makes it, but they are typically used for putting T-Edging on to countertops and the like.

[@kbwfgg6400]

Your floors look like they might be polished concrete, is that what they are? I have been thinking of doing that for my new shop build but am concerned that the polished concrete might be slippery with saw dust on them? Just discovered your channel and am enjoying your vid's. Thank you.

[@KBrogger]

Not really polished, just power trowelled hard when the floors were poured. They clean up nicely. I didn't have time or funds, but I wish I would've had them ground and polished. You get a really flat floor that cleans easily. A slippery floor is pretty easy to resolve. Contact adhesive works wonders for that. So far there isn't any spots that have gotten abnormally slippery or have given me concern. Sooner or later there will be some spots that will require attention though.

[@jeffblevins521]

Just ordered one of these for our shop and about to order some drawer side material. What widths work best with this machine? I typically cut mine at 1" + 1/4". Ex. 3 1/4, 4 1/4, 5 1/4....

[@KBrogger]

My finished drawer sizes are 2-1/8, 3-1/8, 4-1/8, 5-1/8, etcetera.

[@jeremys5904]

I always wanted to supply my customers with drawers but dont have room for an awesome machine like that and the portar cable omni jig is too tedious, so i just order them in.

[@KBrogger]

I built enough dovetail drawers with an omnijig to wear out the template. I don't know how many that is, but it is too many. I wish I had gotten a dovetailer way before I did

[@ericmac564]

Have you considered doing them on the CNC? Im at around 3 minutes per drawer, with minimal babysitting if I run a 4x8 sheet.

[@KBrogger]

I have. Only with plywood drawers though. It's a bit of a different animal. I've floated the idea to a couple of my contractors and they weren't excited about it, though it would be smart for me to have a less costly option than these drawers, which are my only option for clients.

[@ericmac564]

KBrogger thanks Karl. I enjoy your channel. I bought a cabinet shop in April, learning as I go. My brother has been a finish carpenter for 30 years, so he runs the shop, I primarily run the CNC and the business side. Seeing how you run a quality production shop is an eye opener.

[@KBrogger]

@@ericmac564 Thank you. I enjoy sharing how I do things. (I do wish I had the time and editing skills to produce things a little less raw) I've gleaned a lot of information from the internet, and feel like I owe the world what I have learned myself doing this job. There's always a way to make things better, faster, and more profitable. I don't have all the answers, and what works for me doesn't work for everybody else. We all have different products, different expectations, and different abilities to make capital investments.

[@KBrogger]

@@ericmac564 I started a woodworking forum more angled towards the professional not long ago. Check out www.TheWoodworkForum.com

[@joseenriquealfaro1830]

Hola ..saludos que colector de polvo usas en tu tienda

[@KBrogger]

20hp Murphy Rodgers outside for most of the shop, the cnc is on it's own separate cyclone

[@mightyduc998]

why not dado the parts prior to dovetail machining?

[@KBrogger]

Inevitably there's some tear out on the groove on the fronts and backs doing it first. There's none doing it after. It would be nice for doing full length rips, but then you loose the option of choosing which face of the material gets used for what.

[@gregorylondos534]

After you used your Pinner as a Air Hammer you Lost me... With 2-3 Houndred Thousand dollars worth of machinery at your disposal and you don’t even have a Rubber Mallet...??? I’m not Sorry to,give you two Thumbs Down... Great video otherwise... Greg

[@KBrogger]

Sure. But why spend the money setting down a cheap pinner and picking up a mallet when I have an aluminum mallet already in my hand? I'm here to turn dollars, not see how many times I can pick up and set things down. There's about $700k in equipment there too. :)