Best “Dovetail for Dummies” instructional video & tools needed?

[Bruce Page]

I’m about to tackle the drawers on my WO cabinet and have decided against using my Omnijig. Who has the best “Dovetail for Dummies” video?

[Chris Padilla]

Are you HANDcutting these dovetails, Bruce?!?! :eek:

[Bruce Page]

Are you HANDcutting these dovetails, Bruce?!?! :eek:

I'd like to learn how to hand cut them. I figured that after as long as it's taken me to build this, why wimp out now? :rolleyes:

[John Keeton]

Bruce - Rob Cosman. Check this thread http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=106261

[Mark Singer]

Try some practice joints before the actual drawers. Practice will point out any issues that you may have and then you can adjust the technique

[Scott Loven]

A link on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxIgNel0H_I) to his dovetail technique.
Scott

[Bruce Page]

Thanks for the info & links.

This is what’s on the shopping list so far:

Rob Cosman’s Hand-Cut Dovetails, DVD
Rob Cosman’s Advanced Hand-Cut Dovetails, DVD
Rob Cosman’s Hand-Cut Dovetails: Shop Copy, Book
Lie-Nielsen Dovetail Saw
Lee Valley Micro-Adjust marking gauge

I’m assuming that Cosman’s “Advanced Hand-Cut Dovetails” goes into half-blind DT’s, correct?

There seems to be a lot of fretsaw/coping saws to choose from, ranging from $15 to $80. What would be a good choice?

Anything else?

[Ken Shepard]

I've read a lot of books and magazine articles on cutting dovetails, and I've viewed several DVDs as well. I learned more from Rob Cosman's DVDs than everything else combined.

You can rent them (and many more woodworking videos) from SmartFlix.

www.smartflix.com (http://www.smartflix.com)

No affiliation, just a satisfied customer.

Ken

[frank shic]

don't forget the frank klausz "dovetail a drawer" dvd. although i prefer doing tails first, i like the idea of visually laying out the dovetails instead of getting out the calipers and i'm finding chopping out the waste with a chisel to be easier for me than sawing out the waste with a fret saw and then cleaning up with a chisel.

[Bruce Page]

Try some practice joints before the actual drawers. Practice will point out any issues that you may have and then you can adjust the technique

Mark, I have a nice big plank of basswood to practice on. :)

[Doug Mason]

Personally, I think a video is a waste of money. Just go dovetail about five small practice boxes and you'll come around real quick.

[Bob Lloyd]

I watched Rob Cosman's video on YouTube.... amazingly fast. I guess practice makes perfect!!

[Don Dorn]

don't forget the frank klausz "dovetail a drawer" dvd. although i prefer doing tails first, i like the idea of visually laying out the dovetails instead of getting out the calipers and i'm finding chopping out the waste with a chisel to be easier for me than sawing out the waste with a fret saw and then cleaning up with a chisel.

Interesting - I'm just now trying the fret saw and tails first approach after three our four years using Franks method. I don't have any problem with the chisel approach, but thought that the Fret saw looked very efficient, especially for thicker and harder woods like oak. I'm not well into it yet so I'll keep your comment in mind.

[Mark Singer]

I think the videos are probably a good beginning. Once you have the basics its practice that makes the difference. Sawing like you drive a car... relaxed ..and it goes right down the middle of the road

[Richard Gillespie]

The only video on hand cut half blind dovetails I ever saw was on the Woodwright Show years ago. When I cut my first ones based on that, I had a devil of a time getting the two sides perpendicular to the front. Had to line them up at time of glue up by use of the floor as a brace. Come to think of it, that was the last time I used that style.