How to make Dovetail Templates | Paul Sellers

[@Paul.Sellers]

Due to the current public health situation our team have been unable to film as normal, Paul has been busy making and filming several small projects himself! Each project is released on Woodworking Masterclasses a week before it is released on KZbin. To access these projects a week earlier, head to woodworkingmasterclasses.com/ - Team Paul

[@patrickcamusat2798]

Paul: " it"s going to be great" ! @ 06:38

[@mylesjasiah4479]

you prolly dont care at all but does anyone know of a method to get back into an Instagram account..? I somehow forgot the account password. I would love any tricks you can give me

[@mylesjasiah4479]

@Colin Niko i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and I'm trying it out now. I see it takes a while so I will get back to you later with my results.

[@mylesjasiah4479]

@Colin Niko It worked and I now got access to my account again. I am so happy! Thank you so much you saved my account!

[@musicbro8225]

I noticed the camera work was not as responsive as normal and Paul had to move the camera for close ups :) A rare chance to see what 'the team' does.

[@vdmstudio4357]

Paul, do you realise that you are saving woodworking making this videos for all generations? Thanks you brave old school woodworker

[@Ulfurond]

That’s a great point! He’s effectively digitising all the old woodworking journals and the like. Cheers Paul!

[@patrickcasey1150]

Couldn't agree more. These videos are a magnificent library of woodworking knowledge. I keep coming back to them again and again. Paul would be my first, second and third recommendation to anyone who wants to learn woodworking. He's ensuring the survival of these skills. My grandfather, a trained carpenter born over a century ago, would absolutely love this.

[@Splatterpunk_OldNewYork]

As a side note Mr Sellers, you are the first KZbin channel I watched that got me interested in woodcraft as more than construction level job related learning. I make oil paintings, and have discovered that the old masters did a lot of their best work on wood panels. Woodworking. I have now arrived at building my own moulding planes to make 14th and 15th century frames for those panels. Man what a journey. Thanks again. Dovetail templates you say, you shouldn't have.

[@jamesgsmith5379]

I can and sometimes do watch your videos over again. I been woodworking since 1975 and still learn plenty from a master like you. As I age,I now use mostly hand tools .I love the quiet soothing sounds of a plane or saw. Thank you for taking us along sir.!

[@DasVERMiT]

Since Paul forgot to mention it in the video, I _THINK_ the starting dimensions for the pieces are supposed to be *12 1/8" x 1 1/4" x 3/8".* - The 12 1/8 because you're making 3 pieces at 4" in length with a 1/16" gap in between them. - The 1 1/4" because that was the width that was used in Paul's previous dovetail template tutorial. - The 3/8" is a complete guess, but I think that just sounds decent. I'm not sure it really matters. Make it whatever you want.

[@vincentconte6028]

I must say that as a carpenter for almost 40 yr's across the pond , I only recently gained an interest in hand tooling woodwork, I started watching many of Paul's videos and I feel an immense connection to Paul as if he's almost a family member!! by far the best content creator for wood working there is..........I've spent hours watching and sometimes over and over just because I like the content. THANK YOU PAUL! for such a gift to the industry and for generations to come!

[@stevelowe5985]

Hi Paul you inspired me to take up hand tool woodworking again 5 years ago. Since then I have made many dovetail boxes and give them away to friends as presents. I always put in the boxes the dovetail templates I used to mark out the dovetails, it makes a nice additional gift. As a result I always use this technique to replace my stock of templates

[@jessjulian9458]

You Sir are a great man. Been learning from you for years. Thanks for everything my friend. May God bless you.

[@Cnightz]

Thank You for your generous support to us new craftsman Mr, Sellers

[@mattevans-koch9353]

Thank you Paul for a wonderful tutorial. These and the "Poor Man's" tools are all fun to make and use and as you mentioned will last a life time if taken care of. Take care, stay well and have a great week ahead.

[@dkbuilds]

I make and use these templates myself (based on a previous video by Paul) and I love them!! I have a 1:6 template, and a 1:7 template and they're super useful and easy to use. Thanks for continuing to make these videos despite the pandemic affecting your filming, Paul!

[@Zoso14892]

There is another video about these then, and I'm not losing my mind? It's a pleasure to watch him work so not a criticism I'm just starting to doubt my own sanity haha.

[@PaulStoopNL]

Dear Paul, Suddenly it made perfect sense to me that you construct these angles as 'one -in-six', 'one -in-seven', 'and one -in-eight' instead of using degrees! Using the angle on the protractor would be far less accurate since these angles are so close together: 80.5, 81.9 and 82.9 degrees. A difference of one degree is generally too small to measure on a protractor as you demonstrated clearly (at 4:10) where the 'one-in-seven' should be 81.9 degrees and the protractor gave you 81 degrees. Thank you for this lesson! Paul

[@hypnoraythompson5824]

this is the second time I have watched this all the way through. Now to the shed. Thank you Paul. Stay safe.

[@davidtimperley4241]

As always Paul you bring a simple straightforward technique to creating affordable woodworking to a mass market, with no noisy dusty machines. Great video as always.

[@t.alanblain6313]

Absolutely brilliant! Only last week I was looking to buy dovetail gauges at about £15 each. A super project AND saving me £45. Thank you Paul. I am sure that in years to come (maybe not too many now) one of my grandchildren will inherit these gauges.

[@duenge]

You have more friends that you will never meet, more than you can ever imagine....Thank you for what you give the world...

[@tonyennis3008]

I made his older style of dovetail template and it works great. I didn't quite have the skill to get the sqaure side perfect so I can't use that part, but the other side has saved me a ton of time.

[@jimlight6952]

I also made the old style for myself, my son and grandson. Think I will make a set this way as it has to be a little more accurate than the first ones I made. Maybe Christmas presents.

[@tinywoodshop5491]

Thanks Paul, I look forward to watching your videos every time.

[@josephpotterf9459]

Thanks Paul i just finished this project following your video. With scrap maple and walnut . I used indian ink marker on both sides to show number and signed n dated on top.. This was fun and they turned out great .

[@TermiteUSA]

Thanks again Paul. My first two templates were both off a few ticks when I checked them yesterday. You greatly improved our accuracy potential.

[@NobbyRon]

Fantastic project, watched it several times now, to be honest, I could watch your video’s all day, extremely well cherished tools in the hands of a true craftsman/artist.

[@frankstover3444]

Awesome!!! Will go nicely with my winding sticks! Thank you Mr. Sellers!!!!

[@pupasfever]

Not too much to say, just pefect like always, thank you Paul.

[@edwardelliott7131]

Let's put out a community prayer for Paul and his hand repair efforts.

[@thomasarussellsr]

Great almost real time video on making your style of dovetail marking tools. Thanks for sharing. Loved every minute and they turned out quite beautiful.

[@charlesarnold4963]

That was a really lovely project. I made a dovetail marker in metalwork classes at school. We were told that the angle was to be 80 deg, but it was a metalwork exercise. It was simply a strip of steel, cut by hand and shaped by filing and then bent to 90 deg. I think after 50 years it is in the loft somewhere! It occurred to me that it may be possible to leave the masking tape in place while gluing. The glue on the masking tape may have sufficiently low adhesion to remove the pierces that are cut away. It would need to be tested of course. The advantage, if it works, would be no squeeze out of glue on the mahogany. Perhaps a low tax tape would be better. Needs experimenting but might be worth it.

[@seanstanley3849]

Yeah I thought the same but my experience with that kind of tape is it allows glue to absorb or creep in. There is a tape for painting called "Frog Tape" it has a better seal. Also the tape may make a gap for the glue.

[@tomphillips8565]

Thanks so much for sharing how to make these dovetail templates. I plan on making a set soon. A great job!

[@davidcampbell2845]

Brilliant tutorial again - simple, clear, methodical and useful. Spot on.

[@timmynormand8082]

Such excellent workmanship

[@zacjohnson19]

I only just say you use a template like this and wanted to make some. I've finally got all my hand tools and sharpened them for my first proper piece of furniture for the new house. Love your work Paul

[@738polarbear]

Great idea to make three lifetime gauges . Must admit . I got slightly confused myself when I did it but it came out beautifully.i made mine from purple heart and red oak . Thanks Paul .

[@emersonassis7154]

Paul,one more time amazing video of real world woodworking.So simple and so elegant .Thanks for sharing.Congratulations from Brazil

[@tedpanek5028]

P

[@chuckheining9425]

If you leave your stock a little long before you make it s4s, you can take a sharpie and put a triangle on the end grain for alignment purposes. Cut the stock to final length after glue up :) That will make all those knife wall cuts easier to align.

[@mandyleeson1]

What a treat. Thanks Paul.

[@trueleyes]

This video reminds me of when I would start a new multi-floor high rise building office installation and I had new men in the crew that I've never had work for me before, to see how they worked I'd give them an easy phase of the installation to do and I'd tell them: "So many times the Easiest job do is so often taken for granted and the one that gets screwed up. Here the only thing you missed is correctly labeling each of the three pieces of wood to correctly correspond to each other without any doubt so there is no confusion of who goes where. Aren't we always learning?

[@augusthermann5111]

Thank you Paul. That's what I was just waiting / looking for👏

[@ianpearse4480]

Thank you for sharing such a nice project, I can't wait to have a go at making them. You are an inspiration sir.

[@fattyfat-fat6639]

WoW!! You made that layout demo clear as mud. Fortunately, i have enough savvy to interpret and interpolate so that i can reasonably duplicate the procedure. --Many Thankx

[@ScottBarrett-r6o]

Thank you for your dedication to teaching ppl all ur skill they should be alot more so the tips n full trade isn't lost would love for one of ur dovetail jig I would make but I have no space or anywhere to work as yet

[@LeavirtuS]

Nice project! Thanks for the enjoyable, instructional video!

[@TheVonhollan]

Well done very honest approach and strait forward!

[@richarsenault1004]

Thank you, for your tips and tricks. Absolutely love it. Making some thing weekend.

[@elroySF]

Thanks for always posting such useful videos! This is a great tutorial, but as a newbie, I confess it left me quite confused until I saw the layout of the pencil marks at 15:30. A good picture of the layout would be a useful addition. Thanks again!

[@leosservice8706]

Thank you. I drew up layout first. Help me keep it all straight in my head and on the wood/ make 2 or 3 at a time.

[@ianw2955]

Such a fabulous idea

[@mostho]

Thanks Master always appreciated

[@joegee1699]

Thanks, Paul! You read my mind!

[@dien2no423]

Hello Paul - I am 74 and now embarking on my dovetail journey. After searching for dovetail jigs or dovetail marking jigs, I found your "excellent" video on the dovetail templates. Thank you very much for this! Would you mind sharing with me the dimensions of the three pieces of wood (I have the length but I would like the thickness and the width of each piece). Thank you

[@woodfather]

Practical and attractive, tomorrow nights project I think. :)

[@tonyennis3008]

I think the part at the end where Paul shows how to refine the templates is very helpful. Also, it is nice to see how he applies finish. However, I think the build here is overcomplicated and too clever. His first template-making method (there's a video) is less work, less wasteful, and produces the same result (except for the contrasting wood). The benefit to this method is that one doesn't have to cut the tenon cheeks.

[@frankcowan6625]

Hey, Paul. It's great. I love it. I'm trying to become more like you, friend . Hugs, thanks.

[@raphaelklaussen1951]

What makes Paul's dovetail template unique and superior? This deserves clarification, because there is more to it than meets the eye. A standard dovetail template uses the angled component to trace the dovetail. This requires cutting a segment of an isosceles triangle and gluing it precisely on a back piece at 90 degrees - this is easy to say but hard to do accurately. In Paul's design, the angled component is used to register the tracing component. This simple change dispenses with the isosceles triangle and replaces it with a straightforward 90-degree alignment of the angled component, something far easier to accomplish accurately.

[@geniephi]

Hi Paul, Super concise and well explained video. Just one thing; what dimensions are you using for the three strips of wood, assuming they are all the same size? Many thanks!

[@kevinorr6880]

I really appreciate this tutorial. What I’ve been looking for is a lesson on dovetails on an angled board. Much like on a seaman’s chest. Could you consider this video?

[@hbert06]

absolutely great! 👍🏼👍🏼

[@andrewbolton892]

Great project Paul. Made a set today and I am sure they will do me well. Before removing the waste sections I drilled through to make a neat hole in each one for hanging them up. One question on finish, though: I found that clear shellac was fine on the darker wood I used for the middle section (no idea what - salvaged from broken garden chair), but it stained the open grain in oak a rather unattractive dark grey. Any idea why? I ended up re-planing the faces and using boiled linseed oil instead.

[@Jonathan-ru9zl]

I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS

[@lejlej]

You're a genious Paul. I have tried making dovetail templates before but had a hard time sawing the flat parts straight enough. This may make the job so much easier. Btw. I have some salvaged wood that looks a lot like the light wood you have but I cannot figure what kind it is. What kind is it?

[@zickzack7986]

Lars-Erik Johansson Did you even watch the whole video? It‘s oak and mahogany, source: he mentions it a few times.

[@abrahamtelesforo8747]

thank you very much.

[@jeanfleming9687]

Wow I finally get it thank you👍

[@TFChealthcoaching]

Hi Paul thanks again for your tutorial. Really love your content. Just an observation for any future videos, we cant see your mark lines, please move the camera much much closer to the work. Cheers.

[@intravenoussalmon3677]

As always a well done video. I feel stupid asking but, how are they used?

[@codelicious6590]

I think I like the little guy with the square end opposite the dovetail template so I dont end up with three tools in my hand while Im trying to think straight! Lol.

[@tonyennis3008]

The bit with the square at 19:45 only works if your stock's edges are perfectly parallel. Otherwise, mark one edge as the reference edge and always use that edge.

[@dylanneely91]

One adjacent (next to eachother in plain english) edge and face. Then you can mark both of the others always using the original two to register your square against. This works even when pulling marks from one non-reference face/edge across another. Put the square so the body is against the referece face, slide the rule part against the mark on the other reference face and strike your line or make a matching mark as fits your need. Sounds complicated but it helps far more than one would expect.

[@billwong7420]

Too much work.

[@peterwilliams6188]

Fantastic Paul, thank you. I’m new to woodworking and your videos have been very informative and inspirational. Just one question, I want to have a go at making these dovetail templates, but where can I buy the wood? Mahogany and oak I think you used. What size boards should I ask for? Peter.

[@julienpaquette9433]

Hi Paul what is the finish you put on your dovetail templates ? Thank you for sharing with us

[@spacemansabs]

Mark the ends of the wood with a triangle and avoid a lot of the confusing flipping over and over of the wood strips.

[@BarronFinancial]

Not that it matters much, but I'm curious what sizes were your three pieces of stock to start? I don't recall it being mentioned in the beginning of the video. Great video otherwise. Thank you.

[@marcleblanc7021]

Mr. Paul you are definitely a master at your craft. I dont know if you made this so complicated just to mess with folks. But such a simple tool, It was so damn confusing. Ill stick to your sharpening videos. This one I cant follow along.

[@dustyjoe8071]

First person I have heard talking sense

[@brennan985]

I missed it, what kinds of timber are these?

[@ScottBarrett-r6o]

Can you show were you have one stock for all grodges

[@Grumpycat0405]

Hi Paul, what kind of wood are you using?

[@thomasarussellsr]

He mentions several times, oak and mahogany.

[@billwong7420]

Will a dovetail or dovetail router bit just work as well as your presentation??I like the old days you just hand cut all the dovetails without the template.

[@haroldpruett7854]

Is it preference when chiseling/cutting for saw line (about 35:30)? I've learned chisel bevel should be down to avoid digging backwards; or does the low angle you're using mitigate that?

[@Heroasteral]

If I understand you correctly, the problem you are talking about shouldn't be a problem since he's chiseling from the wastewood side. So any damage or "digging" as you say made by the chisels are gonna be gone after sawing anyway.

[@ishakoufighou2706]

Thanks you sir.

[@nam6910]

Are these Individual pieces 12 3/8" x 1/4" x 1" ?

[@timmanning5357]

I enjoy watching you wood crafting but this video would have been much easier for a novice like me to put into practice if you just showed how to make a single template instead of 3. Thank for everything you do.

[@josephciaravino4115]

Is it ok to leave the tape on?

[@lanecobb4150]

Love the Weissenborn guitar music! Is that Anderwood (made in UK)?

[@buzzz241]

Is there a video that demonstrates how to use templates?

[@johnschiavi4154]

Paul Rather than using the tape another option would be to apply a light coat of wax to the areas of the outside pieces that you don't what to glue to the center mahogany?

[@TheTigersaracen]

I know that he talked about how you would use them, but how do you use them once they're finished?

[@hypnoraythompson5824]

just have a look on Pauls channel for " dovetail joint box " I believe you will find all you need to know, and more .

[@jamieirwin6783]

What are the imperial dimensions of the stock?

[@richardsinger01]

It looks like 1 1/4”x 1/4” or thereabouts. Improvise!

[@jim_obrien]

Great video, except one small detail. How you use them? Found the original video you did in these. In it, it was demonstrated how to use them in the first minute. Now that I’ve seen that, it’s so obvious, but was scratching my head after this video ...

[@brucewelty7684]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWTUXqSfaciJj8k

[@jonescrusher1]

How do you get rid of the double-sided tape residue left over?

[@RyanMyers-fx8gz]

i'd just like to buy some :)

[@fernandolobaoemoficnadeapt9197]

Prezado Sr Paul, poderia ativar a legenda para tradução em português no seu canal do KZbin? Obrigado pela atenção!

[@paulagidius9827]

Maybe I missed it, but how do you use the templates?

[@dpepsta]

I'm asking myself the same question

[@brycegamble1385]

I might have missed it if he said, but what's the intent of the extra 1/16th line outside the 4" lines?

[@motofish7727]

It’s for your saw kerf

[@miguelelmc]

How do you use it?

[@randyrodenborg1691]

What is the name of the brush Pail uses to put the shellac on with?

[@blakewofford9709]

Hake brush

[@sarashinai528]

Maybe I missed something obvious but did anyone catch Paul explaining why he's taken this approach? Given the accuracy that he can cut and chisel, wouldn't it have been simpler to just cut the white angled sections and glue them down to three strips of mahogany? Could even have used the tape trick when gluing to protect the exposed areas. Would love to know what I'm not getting...

[@osirisfeliz2390]

The part I’m confused is that he uses cm for the ratios, however, I continue to read the ratios everywhere else in inches. Any insight on this detail will be greatly appreciated.

[@mikeb1520]

Measurement units don’t matter at all, it is simply a ratio. As he showed it, a 1:8 dovetail angle means one unit along the long edge of the board, and 8 units across. You can use mm, cm, meters, inches, yards, etc, as long as each measurement when laying out is with the same units, you will get the correct angle.

[@osirisfeliz2390]

Super helpful, thank you!

[@mikeb1520]

@@osirisfeliz2390 you’re welcome!

[@matthewcaird7448]

Where can I find one of those protractors?

[@TermiteUSA]

Amazon

[@bouser210]

What's the 1/16 for? At 9 minute mark?

[@jayj4142]

Kerf for saw - it’s used to separate each 4” dovetail guide when you cut them apart.

[@bouser210]

I got lost at the 1/16 if it's 1:7 . 7cm up down to the 1/16 mark that's a thin dovetail. Someone tell me what I'm missing please.

[@jayj4142]

Ok, the 1/16” is only the spacing between each 4” wide dovetail guide. Doesn’t have anything to do with the actual dovetail ratios. To get your other dovetail ratios, you’d just mark them out exactly the same way he did for the 1:7, but for 1:8, you’d go up 8cm (instead of the 7cm on the 1:7) and over 1cm. Likewise, the 1:4, you’d go up 4cm and over 1cm. Hope that helps...

[@johnmm]

Why make a 1:6, 1:7 & 1:8 templates? Guess I am asking when would you use one angled template rather than another angled template? Thx

[@tjennings4412]

My understanding is that it has to do with hardwood vs softwood. I made a 1:7 version of this and use it for all my dovetails. No problems yet. Seems to be a good middling choice. Try a 1:7 for a bit. See if you like it.

[@tauhidtauhid1192]

Kapan uploud lagi mas paul.

[@williambraddock1686]

I Don’t understand why you can’t cut the small pieces then glue to the larger pieces. I think it would be simpler. But then I am new to all of this.