How To Create A Woodworking Bowtie With A Router | Video Tutorial

[@scottfernandezproperties3979]

I spent an hour this morning looking for templates and instructions before I hit this video. Now it feels so straightforward! Thanks.

[@NancyHafler]

Now I need to get brave enough to do this. (New subscriber) My husband made an oak kitchen table in 1981. He has passed and I still have the table but it is cracked. I'm not willing to part with the table and I have many of his tools. Thank you for sharing this and wish me luck❤

[@tonymartin790]

Wow it’s such a massive difference watching this old video of yours vs your new ones 😂 your personality definitely gets to shine a lot better now

[@outboardfixer]

This video is the absolute best I have seen for doing a bowtie. Using the knife first is a good idea...just simple things make a BIG difference...thank you for a simple, no foolishness video.

[@christopherlarson120]

The only way to overcome your distaste for sharpening....is to change your thinking. Love the tedious process and embrace the result knowing that your effort is well rewarded with ribbons of wood chipping off....oh the smell. Great tutorial, thanks!

[@marenrjensen]

Leather strop. Strop your chisels every time you use them and they stay sharp. You very rarely have to take them to the stones or the grinder if you just keep your strop out and use it regularly. Great video! I'll refer back to it when I finally do my first dutchman.

[@John_Malecki]

Thank you!

[@ronaldjohnson7905]

Maren Jensen , you are absolutely correct. For the first sharpening, or when I need to do a little more than the strop will do, I put a handheld belt sander in the vice with 320 grit, put a new edge on, then take it to the strop. It only takes about five minutes to sharpen a chisel.

[@John_Malecki]

+Ronald Johnson that's a good trick

[@bobbyleon6243]

I’m now smarter for watching this, thanks for such an easy to watch and understand video.

[@tarmach523]

I make stump coffe tables, and they always split in many areas due not being kiln dried. I am excited to implement this technique. Thank you for simplifying what I thought was a daunting task, cheers!

[@nickmitchell7925]

Great tutorial. Why not pull the split timber together with clamps and route, glue in the bow tie whilst the timber is closed?

[@MarcenariaAmadora]

TKS for tutorial, this is the first video I see for this technic and I will try soon. Cheers

[@kylet.j3539]

Badass man thank you. Love that rotex and your saw dust fill trick. Way better than wood filler 👍🏼

[@twicebittenthasme5545]

Interesting video. I've used this a few times over the years and any tediousness aside, it is always as you've stated, a personal joy to see the end result. When it works out. I've had the piece slide a minuscule bit, unobserved, when scribing the lines which made for some seriously difficult fits and a boxful of colorful linguistic sounds and syllables in the workshop! Always thought sharpening one's own tools was a requisite when learning the craft. Seems like I spent a year of apprenticeship just sharpening and resharpening chisels and lathe tools to please the boss. And he was never pleased... Nice job on yours. Thanks for sharing...

[@bean7858]

I use a fine file to to put a very slight chamfer on the bow tie (Dutchman) prior to scribing, the results are a perfect fit as the bow tie pushes the fibers if the mating surface when driven in.

[@borislum1998]

Great instructions. I have chiseled butterflies but I will try your freehand router method. Great tip about the saw dust for cracks. Cheers Boris

[@iainbrown4945]

nice ; simple ; explanatory enough to follow well done!

[@RobertMSmith1]

Great Job , Thanks for showing us how you do your inlays .

[@John_Malecki]

You're welcome Robt

[@jacktrotter5357]

Taylor tools has a relatively new affordable chisel sharpening system that is a breeze to use , you make a jig , use drill press kit they sell 😀. Good video , great reason to have a rotex

[@williamhollaway2198]

Very good work. I enjoyed your craftsmanship

[@John_Malecki]

Thanks WIlliam!

[@WoodTreesAndRope]

For sharpening chisels I use a guide and a guide jig so the stick out is consistent and I dont have to think about it. Then I use lengths of glass or mainline at about 500-600mm long. Use spray adhesive to stick on some sand paper and lether to the lengths. Having them long makes it so quick to sharpen chisels. Grits I use 400, 600, 800, 1200 then two types of buffing compound on lether. Sometines I can can sharpen a dull chisel with two strokes on each.

[@TheSMEAC]

Oldie but a goodie; I have this one saved and have referred to it a few times.

[@Dryfire55]

Great video! This explains exactly what you need to do. I will be using this technique for a piece of wood I'm working on. Thank you!

[@John_Malecki]

Thats awesome John!

[@Samlol23_drrich]

What a great video. Thank you very much. My first try was across the grain in the wrong direction. Glad I saw your vid before I glued it

[@daletherail]

This is the best tutorial on this topic I've seen so far. Thank you.

[@John_Malecki]

Glad you like it dale

[@wahinenuiloa]

Simple. Informative. Straight to the point. Great video

[@John_Malecki]

Glad you liked it!

[@kazadthebad9995]

A quick chisel sharpen technique i use is with a belt sander then oil stone.... great vid BTW :)

[@CodyHinson-pm6hu]

Dude you’ve come such a long way in 4 years

[@teamwild_UK]

Nice tutorial. I'm going to try this on a wood turning project and see how I get on.

[@piecesofshirt2042]

Tip for sharpening... I use a combination bench stone for all my blades and chisels. Works great and leaves a nice clean edge. Just fyi.

[@toddwhite2110]

Great video thank you! I see that you didn’t try to close the split in the Cherry by clamping it first. Why is that? As a beginner woodworker I am considering doing that with some of my slabs of oak,cherry and walnut but don’t want to make a rookie mistake. Thanks for your help!

[@michaelmiller6519]

I appreciate the step by step process you dd for this video.

[@mariucha29]

Good job Janusz!

[@bigdogmn73]

Enjoy the tutorials John! Also like your video's where you talk in them compared to the music playing the whole time...my two cents

[@John_Malecki]

+WoodWorkingGuy MN time and place for both! Thanks for the love

[@dalepage5511]

Super helpful. Thanks for making and posting this.

[@John_Malecki]

Thank you Dale !

[@williambranham6249]

I also hate to sharpen and I have tried every technique from Tormek to scary sharp. As you know, sharpening does involve several steps depending on condition of chisel or plane. Someone mentioned a leather strop, and I agree it does a great job if the blade is in otherwise almost perfect condition. But if blade needs some work I recommend the WORKSHARP 100 %. I have owned one for several years and it has never failed. I use chisels and handplanes daily. It is quick, accurate, and has a honing wheel as an option. For wider blades 2 in. or so, a table( as an option ).can be purchased. Plenty of you tube videos. I have no financial interest in the company, I just really like the machine.

[@John_Malecki]

Thanks William Since this video I actually got a Worksharp and some more diamond stones!

[@magicdaveable]

Nice bowtie John. Hey sharpen chisels by hand is really not difficult. After you get the scary sharp you can maintain that edge by using a leather strop. Until you get the hang of keeping the bevel use a guide. They aren't expensive and easy to use. I have been hand sharpening tools for 60 years so it is just second nature. I keep my Arkansas Stone Set arranged and ready to go because my "every day carry" knives get used often here on my small farm.

[@John_Malecki]

Hey David, yea since this video a few years ago i have learned to sharpen and have gotten a lot better at these! Thanks for your input!

[@sfeimer]

Great video with lots of good information on technique. Have you had any experience or do you recommend closing the crack with a clamp, cutting the bow tie to fit, inserting and glueing? Would this method reduce and hold the crack in place rather than just keeping the crack from spreading? Thanks, Steve

[@ericjohnson4768]

A cheap way to get really sharp chisels easily is the worksharp 3000. Fairly inexpensive and a great tool. You can even make your own stropping blocks with MDF. Stumpy Nubs has a great video on this.

[@MSRWorkshop]

Varitas makes a little jig for chisel sharpening, then you can use sandpaper or stones. It’s actually pretty quick and easy

[@franslabberton9683]

Great video, thanks! I am making a douglas table and would like to add a few bow ties on top to sort of connect the 4 planks. Any jigs you can recommend? Thank you from the Netherlands!

[@jeffreyhart2282]

Try a fiskars sharpener. Like $11 bucks... just wear leather or cut gloves if you grab the sharp sides to get leverage as you go back and forth on the sharpener. I read a great review on the Bosch 75GET sander that is just as good as the rotex for less than half the price.

[@walther9161]

Concise and to the point!!

[@scottsnyder6398]

If you do it as often as we did we had 1/4" steel template made on a water jet and used a 1/4" bit to hog it out and only had to clip the corners.

[@markray3733]

Thanks John - Can you use any size bowtie or is a certain size best? Thanks and keep the hints videos coming

[@scottsonico5710]

Would love to see more tutorial videos like this for sure.

[@John_Malecki]

thanks!

[@Theknotman1964]

Thanks John, Really informative & the little tip on hiding any gaps cheers

[@azwildman5324]

If you take a sander with super high number grit on it you can sharpen the majority of your stuff and just hit it quick with a honing stone after to get that razor edge on it

[@eltonroberts8817]

What bit did you use in your router?...trying to learn this very cool thankyou

[@anthonytvanech5293]

Hi John, Thank you for your post. I plan to do a similar repair to a plank we'll be using for a table top. My question, my plank is 2" thick, how thick should my bow tie be for the job? Thanks much, Anthony

[@markproulx1472]

Thanks for the video, John. I’ll put this into practice.

[@John_Malecki]

Awesome!

[@lawrenceporter3723]

How wide does a crack need to be for a bow tie vs epoxy, beautiful work by the way

[@mfcosi]

Dear John, I wonder IF I press the sides to force the crack to 'close' and just then dig the hole for the tie, will make a better looking job. Any thoughts? Many thanks.

[@contessa.adella]

Don’t make the neck too skinny….it might look cool, but the key needs some strength at its thinnest part or the flexing stress across the crack could rip it apart in weeks.

[@eerbilly]

You prefer a Rotex more over a pneumatic sander? I’ve never used a rotex specifically, but I’ve never seen an electric sander that out performs an air sander.

[@rhovey1059]

I have a worksharp ws3000. It is a fast, easy system for chisels and produces an extremely sharp chisel.

[@saralevin5753]

I am a VERY beginner woodworker. I love your videos! I have a Sycamore tree that was cut down from outside my house milled and drying in my basement. I’m making a live edge bar top for my new kitchen island. I saw on another video you used stainless steel bow ties. How do you install those? Obviously wood glue wouldn’t work. I totally want to use them on this project!! Help please!

[@Isaiiahii]

Use epoxy.

[@robertdennis1439]

i have a unique situation with an end grain butcher block that is cracking its kind of hard to describe...i wonder if i could send you pics and see what your thoughts are? Rob

[@enreda260]

Very useful thanks very much

[@FlushtheSystem]

Great Video THANK. Question? Upcycle Bit?? Is there another name for it? Thanks again

[@zackb6045]

I cut the bow tie & the cut out with my xcarve. I was hoping you’d show what you prefer filling the crack with

[@John_Malecki]

Im not sure what you're asking? when you add the bow tie you dont need to fill the crack. It holds the slab coplanar and keeps it from expanding too far

[@zackb6045]

@@John_Malecki yeah, I know but still we are left with the crack. I've seen some fill with epoxy but that isn't ideal in all applications. like cutting boards chopping blocks

[@John_Malecki]

Yea if you're looking to eliminate the crack you'll have to cut it out of the slab and re-glue it back together. Epoxy is a solution for some. the bowtie makes it visually interesting and also adds stability, i hope this answers your question!

[@tysonschroeter9431]

I’ve read that bow tie key thickness should be 1/4 to 1/3 of the thickness of the slab… my bar table is made of about 8” thick 8x12 Douglas Fir Beams that have a long crack running along the side profiles of each piece making up the sides. In your experience would a 1” thick bow tie do for strength? It just so happens that I have a lot of 1” thick black walnut for the bow tie material. I can glue up 2 boards if I need more depth than 1” but I’m guessing that is excessive 🤔

[@Fred-hv2qm]

Sorry, me again! I will be buying your top after this as i have more questions - which wood would you recommend for the bowtie if i'm working with a western maple slab? Aka, in your experience, what would look/serve/function best? Thanks!

[@John_Malecki]

Any wood works, i like something contrasting !

[@blackfender100]

nice tips John thanks for sharing.

[@rushbikes]

Thanks for the great video! If I'd prefer to use a 1/4" thick brass bowtie that was custom milled for me, how should I adjust my approach to inlaying it?

[@John_Malecki]

I would just cut a deeper recess and make sure you use epoxy and not glue. I would probably also ask the manufacturer

[@kevinwalsh1814]

Is it wise to clamp the wood back together to close up the crack before installing bowtie? Or will that just create problems further down the crack?

[@walther9161]

I have a pro sharpen mine and they are razor sharp and last longer than you’d think

[@руматаэсторский-т5ц]

Ну если хочется помучиться ,то можно и так . Проще сделать пару шаблонов из фанеры. Гнездо обкатать по колечку . Вкладыши обкаточной фрезой по подшипнику. Хорошо если надо сделать пару вставок . Но я видел полы собранные на такие " бабочки" .

[@clfields0524]

Great video! More of this type of video would be great.

[@davidmeidel4455]

Could you put the tie more into the table below the surface and fill in the top with epoxy or would it defeat the structural purpose of it.

[@Thom4123]

Awesome video really like the tutorial videos. Always a great subject any kind of joinery but that's just me

[@veronicawilliams8056]

Check out these great woodworking plans here: RunFixPlan.xyz

[@louishampton9532]

I didn`t intend to utilize this woodworking website, *TopFineWoodworking. Com* but rather curious about it. I was truly impressed after trying it. I was looking to find out more about the art of woodworking, and was not dissatisfied. I found several topics such as wood types and designing your workshop.

[@scottmajors5320]

Thank you for the video very helpful

[@IntentionalGains]

Looking forward to trying this out!

[@nickkaplan6585]

Hi John, You seem like a knowledgeable guy and I am hoping you can help me find a solution to my router bit problem. I make wooden knee sliders for motorcycle roadracing. My sliders are a simple rectangular shape with rounded edges. I have been making them with 90 degree sides and using a 1/2" diameter round over router bit (in a table) to soften the edges. I would like to angle the sides slightly in an attempt to minimize chipping since I use the more durable and longer lasting end grain on the main dragging surface instead of edge or face grain. Is there a way to make a chamfer and round over/soften the edge with one bit? I can't figure out a way to do it even using two bits. Is there such a thing as a round edged chamfer where the chamfer is straight but has a curved shape at the top? Thank you in advance for your time.

[@John_Malecki]

Don’t think that bit exists my friend. You can soften the edges by hand.

[@jkharwood1973]

thank you for posting. damn, you make it look easy.

[@dalepage5511]

Thanks for making this. Have you found one particular species of wood to be best for the bow ties?

[@John_Malecki]

I like using a contrasting color to be honest. The cross graining is what makes it stable, to my knowledge

[@kadygert]

I think I have the same cordless Ridgid trim router. Every time I use an upspiral bit, the fence walks up driving the bit down further - the more I route, the deeper the channel grows. Any suggestions? I always dial in my depth and then lock the latch in place that I thought was supposed to prevent this from happening. Thanks.

[@John_Malecki]

I would contact them i have similar issues with the collet. I actually have routers from different brands now because of it haha

[@burntsider8457]

I have never made a Dutchman. Wondering how it would work if I cut the recess first then whittle the insert to fit rather than the opposite. Seems like I could rout the recess without any chiseling that way. And it seems like it would be easier to whittle the insert by rasping, filing, sanding after band sawing. What do you think?

[@John_Malecki]

i think it would just be more unecessary work. If you have the bowtie done before you can just chisel the wood. I would probably always cut the mortise to fit the tie, not the other way

[@burntsider8457]

Thanks for the reply.

[@craigjones1115]

Very helpful. Thanks.

[@timschregardus5613]

Could you use a negative die with a longer router bit if u dont have chisels

[@ThePaulsupporter]

Hey John, check out the Grizzly slow wet grinder. Fairly affordable and will save you tons of time in sharpening.

[@deadzone4791]

What was the size of your stainless template dove tail that was sent to you? Interested in getting some made at work for my future wood working

[@dozer1511]

Any ideas on staining the wood and then installing the bow tie?

[@Avason1]

Very informative...thank you. How about a link to that router. looks small and versatile!

[@John_Malecki]

Check out John Malecki.com. and search router i have a few on there

[@stankolodin5586]

At 2:10 - You could also use spray paint if the board is partially sanded or flat.

[@MacnWood]

Ya buddy!!! I do the exact same thing! Great explanation! 👊

[@clydemoreno1854]

Good hands, great eye.

[@John_Malecki]

Thanks Claudio!

[@sirinattechaplee9079]

Hello i’m new here! Well thank you for the video!

[@tcarlson06]

What is the electric rigid tool that you used to make the cut with? Is it a router?

[@nunyabisnis1448]

The audio is not coming threw all that well thank you for your time !

[@John_Malecki]

Ya this video is very old and bad, i have an updated version with much better audio! and better technique

[@MrFancy1990]

Hi John, thanks for the video and great tutorial. What kind of router bit do you use? thanks.,

[@John_Malecki]

1/4” upspiral

[@donnymcarter]

Nice work John!

[@GlennTalbott]

Can you buy these or do you have to make them

[@jonathanfitzgerald4889]

Hey John, could you let me know the make and model of the orbital sander you were using? You mentioned a Rotex.

[@eddieespinosa8743]

Great job

[@John_Malecki]

+Eddie Espinosa I appreciate that ! Glad you enjoy

[@ElitesQuest]

New to these, is there a reason the key is shaped like this it seems like it’s creating a weak spot in the middle of it, why not have it all one width?

[@dutu000]

great video!!!

[@PrimalEdge]

great video. quick and dirty! ATB - Michael

[@gary24752]

What bandsaw brand are you using?

[@kurtellison4789]

What kind of router bit do you have on or do you recommend?

[@John_Malecki]

Up spiral bit

[@davidlucasgimenez5871]

Capo!! Muy bonito

[@Intagliosulegno]

Number one