Drawer Making episode 1

Posted 6 April 2016

Categories: , ,

This is an episode in a free series. Want to watch it? It is free to do so, you just need to log into the site, and you can enjoy this video and many other videos we think you will love.

Already a Member? Log in
Not a Member? Sign Up

Paul shows the steps used to prepare the stock and fit the drawer to the recess. The drawers feature half-lapped dovetails into the thicker front, and housing dados with tenons at the back. In this episode, Paul demonstrates the first of two different methods for marking out and cutting the half-lapped dovetail joint.

Previous: Drawer Making

54 Comments

  1. Thanks for the brilliant episode today. I especially liked the section at the beginning with the explanation on getting your pieces precisely square and accurate, a problem many of us face.

  4. Would be interested to know Paul’s reason for not gang cutting dovetails. I do this regularly and it seems to work well. My reasoning is that the longer registration edge helps keep the saw cut square and gang cutting assures uniformity of the drawer sides. Thanks again.

  9. I find it very helpful to sit down with a cup of coffee and watch the whole video, then let it sink in over night and watch it again the next day. For me, I will pick up little things I missed, forgot, or whatever. Then I try my hand at it. There is so much to learn not just in knowing what to do, but eye to hand coordination, and even more, knowing what you are seeing. After making one or two dovetails, watch the video again. I always seem to pick up on something more. When I make my first perfect dovetail, you’ll hear a scream of joy from Colombia to England. I’ve got some that are ok, but nothing that would pass your eye.

      1. Me too! What I find interesting is that when I revisit a video it is the subtle softly spoken cues that I missed the first time, which make it seem like I am watching a retake. There is tons of info in each video. Sometimes I feel like when Paul makes a video he is acutely aware of his students making a revisit and those soft spoken and guiding cues are like the hand of skill guiding you to your goal of better than paint quality work.

  13. Thank you for taking the time to go through this topic in full detail and with such emphasis on precision. I have been practicing through dovetails and meaning to take on the half-lap. This gives us all a wonderul point of reference for this technique.

      1. Since they have different names and different handles, I suspect there is a difference, especially since I’ve seen tenons and dovetails with the same TPI. Maybe Paul can tell us if the angle of the handle is significant.

        1. The terms are pretty subjective really. Tenon saws are usually 12″-16″ long with 11-13 tip. Dovetail saws are usually 6″-12″ long with 12-20 tip. The blade on tenon saws is typically thicker and the set is greater than on a dovetail saw as it’s meant for, generally speaking, heavier work. That said, I’ve cut a zillion dovetails with my favorite 12″ Diston tenon saw.
          Gent’s saws are just dovetail saws with a straight handle, as opposed to the more common pistol grip.

    1. Hello Juryaan,
      Do you mean the narrow edge of the sides that Paul is planing up at the beginning? We don’t usually use a shooting board to plane such a long edge. It is also important for developing good planing technique and sensitivity to get used to planing narrow stock by hand.Forgive me if I miss-understand you.
      Best,
      Phil

    2. Juryann, I agree with you. I shoot the end grain with a shooting board, or just lay my plane on its side on the bench. For the long grain edge, just laying the stock on the bench, elevated a little (usually with its twin piece), and stroke the length with the plane again on its side. Just holding down with hand pressure, maybe butt the end against a stop with the edge peeking out a little. Don’t bother messing about with trying to hold a heavy hunk of metal square to a narrow edge held in a vise. That’s a losing proposition; for me at any rate. L

  27. “…see if something had slipped”. Sounds familiar, I had to build a jig with a lever clamp so I could mark my dovetails because of slippage.
    I’ve started a count today in my daily journal to see how many times I watch this. I’ve never cut a blind dovetail but I think I know how now. Thanks.

  28. It’s just incredible watching you cut dovetails and your methods are so great. I’ve have a couple of dovetails under my belt can’t wait to start cutting half blinds. One day I hope to take a class from you it’s on my bucket list. Thank you for sharing.

  34. Hi, Paul!
    As always, this is an awesome series, as is your books, DVDs, and your passing on the wealth of information you have gained through hard work and perseverance! One question, what kind of hammer are you using to strike your dovetail chisel? Brand, weight, etc. Thank you so much!
    Don B!

  39. I have cut all for sets of sockets for the half blinds. Despite using the same guage setting for both the length of the tails and the depth of the socket on the end grain, I continue to get a small (approx. 0.5-1 mm) gap between the end of the tail and the socket wall. I would appreciate any insights or tips.

    With thanks,

    1. Assuming that all other faces of the joint come together snugly, and that when marking out the fins, the edge of the tail piece is flush with the gauge line of the fin edge, I can only imagine that there is a bevel of the gauge line of the fin edge, resulting in too deep chiselling.

      /Sven-Olof

    2. Hi Otto,

      I have passed on your question to Paul and he says:

      In the video, i’m using a cutting gauge which is also called a slitting gauge and not a marking gauge, this video was about the traditional method used for making half lap dovetails. I assume that you’re using the same type of gauge i am using and not a marking gauge, if that’s the case you have to reverse the blade and reset because the bevel will be on the wrong side when you mark the depth of the tail recesses. If you are following this using this method then there shouldn’t be any problem. Also you could be dealing with compression of the wood, whereby the pressure on the chisel compresses on the fibres and results in the gap you’re speaking of. Usually this gap swells when you apply the glue because the glue is water based. Of course there are no guarantees, this is generally the issue. It doesn’t sounds as though you’re mis-cutting. We have an upcoming series for making drawers for a new project that we have just completed that will be out next Wednesday. If you want to wait to watch that to see the method I now use all the time.

      Kind Regards,
      Izzy

Leave a Reply