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Early Access Video: Easy Dovetails for Beginners (Patreon)

Published:
2019-08-17 11:40:50
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

I don't cut dovetails. 

GASP!

I know. It's the most famous joint in all of woodwork and I don't do it. How is this possible? Easy, I mostly did custom work for years and my clients didn't even know what a dovetail was. There was no money in it, so I didn't learn it. 

But it's a new day around here and I now make content for a living. And I just wanted to learn the joint. So, let's do it together!

Here's my video on cutting your first dovetails. I've made them simple and straight-forward and you don't need any new tools. 

I think this simple joint and easy process will get anyone started, but I want to hear what YOU think. 

Happy Saturday!

--Rex

Files

Previews only

Easy Dovetails for Beginners

More Video and Exclusive Content: http://www.patreon.com/rexkrueger Get the FREE Tip Sheet: Tools in this build (affiliate):

Comments

Duncan

Thanks Rex. I like that you brought the message from "Perfect or good enough?" video into this one. It is important - in life!

Anthony Henderson

I haven't tackled dovetails yet but this seems like a great way to build up to a full row. Nice one Rex!

Lawrence Jones Jr

This will be my first attempt also. Thanks for the inspiration

Jason Bailey

I won a Katz-Moses dovetail jig about a year ago. It’s still in the box because I haven’t got a vice on a work bench. It would appear that I need to get off my duff and start doing some of the projects I’ve been enjoying over the past few months.

Alex Southwell

Looks great. Keep up the top work dude.

Rex Krueger
>>25890980

If you do break out the Katz-Moses jig, please let me know what you think of it. I've seen several of his videos and I'm quite curious what an unbiased user thinks of the jig.

Rex Krueger
>>25888672

Seriously, it wasn't that hard. Cut a few test joints in scrap before you start on your real project. You'll do fine!

Nic Beurskens

Here is my hot take on the Katz-Moses jig: This is a well made product. You certainly get the value in materials that you expect for the price. Jigs are not cheating. Anyone who says it is, doesn't actually do fine woodworking. Jigs are as old as the craft and allow for a level of precision and repeatability that is nearly impossible without decades of experience. The jig does not let bad technique off the hook. While it makes the process easier and more repeatable you, the woodworker, must invest time in learning to use a saw correctly for the jig to work. Solid fundamentals for marking out are not precluded either. If you screw up your spacing of cuts, no jig can fix that. I use mine, but not all the time. Just like a Kreg Jig is an excellent tool for the right application and super controversial when used incorrectly, this jig does not do everything. To J. Katz's credit, he doesn't claim it does. If you are having trouble wrapping your head around the dovetail angles and construction this jig helps you get it sorted out. I am happy with my purchase and recommend it to friends starting out, and the ones that have more experience than me. I look at it as a tool in my shop with a purpose and limitations just like anything else.

Rex Krueger
>>25910215

Wow, that was THOROUGH! I could stand to see a video review with that depth. (Maybe you should make one...)

Nic Beurskens
>>25910215

I really respect your commitment to teaching instead of selling tools on your channel. $35 is a little spendy for a jig compared to most of the tools or techniques you present to your audience. Long post, but I wanted to make sure I didn't recommend something that set up the wrong expectations. I'm doing a big cabinet right now and I think there will be around 30 tails when it's done. I'm totally gonna use the jig on that!

Yohann_M

Rex, I made the dovetail template that Paul Sellers shows in his videos. It was easy to make and it is extremely useful. It saves a ton of time and was very easy to make. You could try that if you keep on using dovetails.

William Allen

Nice that you setup that corner, 12x8 is good. I've got 16x10, but I have gravel floors. If you use a chisel to make a little bevel on the INSIDE of the TAIL to the line across the board, you can then use the bevel to actually physically register the TAIL to the PIN board. It is kinda like your first chisel cut chopping the waste from the pins, but at a shallower angle and perhaps a touch longer.Another great video, thanks kindly.

William Allen

My first dovetail was utter rubbish. It fit together and held, but OMG, ugly. My second was a tiny bit better. Each time I do one I learn another lesson: chisel skills, layout skills, sawing skills. There are a lot of skills that have to come together to make a good decent dovetail joint. It takes a fair bit of practice to get each of those skills to the "good enough" stage, only then will you make a dovetail joint that is "good enough", SO remember when your first one doesn't exactly make you happy that this is your first step, each one you do from now on will only get better!

Peter A Merritt

I see dovetails as one of the essential woodworking skills. I have not been using them so I am glade to see you are teaching this skill, even if you are learning it at the same time. I am off to the SWAT woodturners symposium in Texas so maybe I will get a chance to try this when I get back.

Todd Fox

Sometimes is best to learn from someone who just learned that subject. The mistakes and stumbles that a beginner makes are fresh in your mind

Rex Krueger
>>25930867

Please take some pictures at SWAT and post on the community section if you feel like it. Most of us don't get to go to big shows like that.

Daniel Bohrer

This is turning a lot into Rex Becomes The Expert Of Everything, and I really like it :D Also, accidentally, I was just thinking today of doing a dovetailed box myself, so thank you for this very on-topic video :-)

Colin Green

I know you didn't use wedges here, but the wedges I have tried....well, they work but not really very well. I was wondering if there might be a couple of "rules of thumb" you might have. I'm just getting on to your videos, so if I missed the wedge info .....which video is it in? Lol. I'm really enjoying this series, I have been working for a few months with the idea of not using metal fastners or glue, so this series is perfect for where I'm at. Keep it up!