Lie-Nielsen DVD Review

[Jason Tuinstra]

Mr. UPS dropped off some DVD's for me last night and I just wanted to review them.

1. Hand-cut dovetails
2. Advanced h.c. dovetails
3. Hand planing and sharpening.
4. Rough to Ready

Okay, these DVD's involve those funny tools without long tails, but they were very educational and would be an excellent reference even on this side of the forum. Each one is a treasury of information related to the subject at hand. If you are wanting to begin to dabble with hand tools, these DVD's are just what you need - unless you live close enough to go the Alan's school ;) .

Dovetails: His method for laying out perfectly spaced dovetails was great. These two DVD's were truly inspiring and, at least for me, quite humbling, especially when he says, "No test fits! They'll only fit perfectly the first time!" Huh??? Yep, no test fitting.

In "Rough to Ready" he shows you how to prepare stock with only hand tools. While I personally think this is impractical, I did like how he shows you how to flatten stock by hand with a scrub plane. This can be helpful if you don't have a massive jointer. So it was some real good information even if you don't go all the way and thickness your stock by hand.

The other video was simply a primer on how to use hand planes.

Overall, excellent videos. Two thumbs up!

I attached a pic of the half blind dovetails he teaches you to cut. He likes the thin pins, just like me. Gotta love the look of hand cut dovetails!

[Helen Gee]

Thanks for the review, Jason!! I have the Rough to Ready and Hand Planes/Sharpening ones and they were very helpful. Now I'll need to pick up the dovetails one

[Dave Fifield]

Thanks for your reviews. I have these DVD's too, but haven't had time to watch them yet! (sad, isn't it?)

I've never understood why hand-cut dovetails need to have a line scored into the wood on the outside of the joint (at the bottom of the tails). IMO, it's just ugly. I understand that the craftsmen of yore did this, but it's really not necessary - there are plenty of other non-destructive handmade marking options available. I don't buy the argument that it proves that the dovetails were hand-cut either; how easy would it be to score such a line on machine cut dovetails? (rhetorical question). Also, wouldn't it be more masterful if a line was only scored at the bottom of the cutouts (not all the way across)? What am I missing?

Dave F.

[Geoff Harris]

If you like the dovetail video he has one called "Drawer Making the Professional Approach" where he teaches how to make piston fit drawers (it's 2 DVD's tons of material here). Also his latest "Hand-Cut Mortise and Tenon" which I have yet to get. You can find them on his website www.Robcosman.com (http://www.Robcosman.com)

Geoff.

[Rob Blaustein]

Excuse my ignorance--what's the connection between Rob Cosman and Lie-Nielsen?

[Jason Tuinstra]

Rob, I have no idea what the connection is, but he's like thier tools... and their t-shirts :p

[Jason Tuinstra]

Dave, concerning your rant, he explains this a bit in the DVD. See if you agree. I'd just be happy to cut dovetails by hand right now :p

[Mark Stutz]

Jason,
I've heard good things about those DVD's. They are definitely on my list.

Rob,
I believe he is a distributor or something like htat , for LN in Canada. Besides, what's not to like about LN tools!;)

David,
The reason for the scribed line, is that a pencil line is not accurate enough. When doing the final paring of the baseline, you can actually split the scribed line, and get a nice tight fit that just wouldn't be possible with a pencil line. Some peolple prefer to plane off the scribed line, I think it was Frid who cut the pins just shy so that the scribe could be planed off.

[Peter Mc Mahon]

LN, approached Rob and asked him to be there Canadian distributor.

[Alan Turner]

Jason,
I've heard good things about those DVD's. They are definitely on my list.

Rob,
I believe he is a distributor or something like htat , for LN in Canada. Besides, what's not to like about LN tools!;)

David,
The reason for the scribed line, is that a pencil line is not accurate enough. When doing the final paring of the baseline, you can actually split the scribed line, and get a nice tight fit that just wouldn't be possible with a pencil line. Some peolple prefer to plane off the scribed line, I think it was Frid who cut the pins just shy so that the scribe could be planed off.

Mark,
I know that Ian Kirby cuts the pins shy of the depth of the tails so he can plane off the scribed lines, but my recollection is that Frid left it there. But, I might have CRS.

[Mark Singer]

Mark,
I know that Ian Kirby cuts the pins shy of the depth of the tails so he can plane off the scribed lines, but my recollection is that Frid left it there. But, I might have CRS.

Frid left the pins proud a bit and planed them flush....the scribed line is part of the process of making hand cut dovetails and I think it is fine to leave it...

They sound like very good DVD's.....