I agree with your reasoning, but in the world of antiques and furniture restoration, you can't deny that a dovetail is a beautiful piece of wood engineering 😊.
I think he agreed dovetails are really nice, but said you shouldn't focus on them as a beginner. For me I love the look of nice hand cut dovetails so I DID start with that. It is very frustrating at first but when you get it. It feels like I can cut any joint by hand now. On the other side I could've gotten to frustrated and just quit altogether. As he said other joints are used more frequently or are just better to first do. Then go onto dovetails.
Learning all available joints and eventually using them in projects. Gaining confidence and skill. Using dovetails when appropriate. Projects that you want to build to look a certain way or have specific requirements. The point being, when dovetails are the preferred option, do not be afraid of cutting them.
i comment above that I use them also, but pretty much only hand cut now. MOST of the time I use dowels. Yes, hand cut dovetails are a beautiful sign of craftsmanship. Back 100 years ago, folks could cut the quickly. Rob Crossman, can cut them quickly and others too, but most of us can't. I've cut a fair amount but I'm not anywhere near as good as Rob. So what. I still can make some beautiful pieces. Making art is wonderful for the soul.
Having been trained as a cabinetmaker and educated as an industrial arts teacher with over 40 years in the field, I would have to disagree with some of your advice. Mechanical fasteners have their place in woodworking, primarily attaching hardware and holding things together while glue dries - not in face frames doors and drawers. In these situations, particularly if objects move (i.e. doors and drawers) mechanical fasteners eventually work loose. Even on face frames, I have gone back on jobs done by others where cabinet face frames have failed because the fasteners in the pocket joints have worked loose AND the glue has failed with the butt to edge joint.
I've been an amateur woodworker all my life and I completely agree with you. There can be a fine line between nice joinery and crappy carpentry but what's shown here is on the side of crappy carpentry. Dovetails and mortise and tenon joints have been around for millennia for a reason. They work! You're better off if you learn how to do them and if you prefer the machine approach, acquire the equipment you need. For me, I'll stick with my assortment of antique bench planes and chisels to get the job done, but each to his own.
@@SharkBite-nm4yo We have the "we've reinvented the wheel" types on your side of the thread. You know, the type that shows up with "we've made a new bycicle wheel" - and they show a solid bicycle wheel with springs or rubber with holes... and then you go back in time, pick up a magazine from the 1910's and ... see basically the exact same thing. And then you wonder, huh... why didn't it stick... then you realize, oh... maybe it didn't stick because it's a convoluted idea that's borne of snobish inividuals who think they're better than the accepted and long tested method.
That straw anology for how wood grain direction works was phenomenal. I've seen so many woodworking youtubers try to explain grain and where to joint or glue and it all sounds so overcomplicated. But now, I can understand exactly where to glue and when to use other fastener support.
From an old boat carpenter's point of view you did a good job at explaining the basics. When structure is the most important thing we use glued and screwed corner posts. Gluing and screwing compliment each other. Screws have clamping power, but shear can make them wobble loose. Glue doesn't shear easily but have a limit in tension. Together they form a very good joint. BTW, "water resistant" glues shouldn't be used on a boat, Epoxies and Resorcinol are the only acceptable choices as far as I know. Corner posts give far greater glue area and screws don't have to be held by end grain. Other joints can be used in places not subject to joint movement. Mitres have a problem in a marine environment where changes in moisture make the outside of the joint open up, leaving a birdsmouth.
Instead of plugged hidden screws I prefer visible dowels. Glue, screw temporary for clamping, unscrew, drill dowel holes on screw holes, dowel. As a result there is no steel hidden inside the wood. No fancy tool is needed. The dowels allways will fit perfectly.
@@manny9323 Have you ever had a blade get ruined by a screw or nail before? It's not pleasant, even more so if the bale is expensive/annoying to sharpen or get it sharpened. But ye it's more of a annoyance that builders deal with when they demo and it's kinda in the back of our heads all the time if we ever take apart anything.
@@manny9323 When joining to end grain, a dowel is stronger than a screw. It's also a royal pain to have a screw fail that has been plugged. Plugging involves just as much work as removing the screws, drilling and doweling.
Your videos have made me feel empowered and brave enough to just start making stuff the way im able to make it, not the way people on the internet tell me it has to be. My work isnt amazing, but im actually making things with my hands, and even with its flaws and the mistakes im making, im pretty proud of it, and having fun. I appreciate you.
Heh, after watching one of these videos I just go back to the shed and screw everything together like I'm building a house. Good enough for me and if my wife doesn't like it she can try doing better herself. 😂
One of my favorite channels is Uri Tuchman. He does kind of rough work and leaves his mistakes in the video, but it's always really interesting & creative. Every time I watch a video of his I think I could/should make something cool. www.youtube.com/@urituchmanpigeon
All true. The advantage of the older joinery techniques is that they function without the adhesive. The pinned and wedged mortice and tenon joints don't use glue. They last more than 100 years when properly executed. A good video my opinion.
@@christiannorf1680 Sure, wedged M&Ts loosen. And they can easily be re-tightened. Pinned? If you have pinned them right in hard wood, they won't loosen.
@@AC-cg4beif they are pinned with steel fasteners like cut nails they do get loose. All those chairs made in the 90s that everyone has/had a set of are falling apart because they use screws or brads to hold them together
@@christiannorf1680 That's ridiculous. Glue is used since the Neolithics. Egyptians used wood glue for building furniture 4000yrs ago. The same kind of glue was still used 100yrs ago and is today. There was never lack of good glue.
@@clauslangenbroek9897 Bronze knifes have been used for centuries, yet still you'll have trouble finding one today. They used what they had at hand. Your statement assumes that all glue produced was of good quality and pretend that micro organisms, moisture and shelf life are no issue for glues based on animal protein. That's as ridiculous as you accuse my statement to be.
I'm old now, but my grandfather in the 1930's used to make lovely furniture using hidden dovetail joints (no end-grain visible), held together with bone glue. The furniture looks immaculate to this day, with no play in any of the joints, and it will almost certainly outlive me, and probably my son too. Modern glues are certainly more convenient, however, you can't dismantle a PVA glued joint without destroying them, whereas bone glued joints can be re-melted with some heat for disassembly and transport. (NB: I agree entirely with the video that beginners should not be starting off trying to use fancy cabinet making techniques like hidden dovetail joints)
My best ever score, during my school days in any subject, was 19/20 for my blind dovetails. Forget the science or option, my pride for this won't change! 😊
Not related to anything but I appreciated that he showed 4 different power tool brands within 20 seconds, DeWalt, Festool, Ryobi, & Bosch. Got a subscribe for that.
Loved this! From essentially a baseline of zero woodworking knowledge I learned more info I actually understood from this short video than any other woodworking DYI I've ever watched. Definitely liked and subscribed. Thanks for this!
Man, thank you so much for this. As a beginner raised by a professional woodworker who grew up with all the beautiful dovetail coffee table books who’s been struggling to figure out what I need to get started not at all helped by the “10 tools EVERY beginner needs” videos where everything in the list is at least $500 i really appreciate this simple no nonsense type video. Just simple here are the joints, here are what they’re good for and why they’re good, here’s a simple way to do it. Thanks so much
Dovetails are surprisingly easier to make than I thought using basic hand tools. They shouldn’t intimidate anyone who wants to develop their skills. I spent some time watching Paul Sellers’ videos and a few others, then spent a few hours turning a few pieces of long scrap into a bunch of short dovetail joints. By the fifth one it was looking pretty good! No need for a jig or screaming router. But all of this for most of us is the fun of making and learning. This video was very informative, thank you!
I have a solid dresser with the "old style" joints. I've owned it for about 40 years. I inherited it from my grandmother. It was given to her when her father refinished his home ~1950. A conservative estimate on how long he'd had it is 10 years (more likely 20+). So, this dresser is ~85 years old and the drawers work flawlessly - the joints never loosen, the drawers always stay on track no matter how tightly stuffed with clothes. I've never known anything, used equivalently, with wood screws to last anywhere near that long. These joints last longer than a Bob Marley spliff!
@@franziskaniabsolutely. Not that I want us to keep cutting down old growth oak forests, but the difference between that and high moisture pine/fir from the big box store (or worse yet particle board that won't even hold screw) is night and day. I use old wood when I can.
@@rclewis01 I think a lot of that is up to the tester and variables in the test. In my opinion a box/dovetail joint would be much stronger than a rabbet joint just because of more surface area to apply glue. Would also depend on the length of the two things we are joining. Like for a frame I think a rabbet is probably the easiest and going to provide plenty of strength. If we are making a drawer I think a box joint would be better.
I have FINALLY mastered the art of making a bunch of mistakes!! I have reached the pinnacle of my woodworking skills!! My wife gets after me because I am never satisfied with anything I build. I guess that can be a good thing, but typically it's NOT a good thing for a person like me who is a perfectionist because it means I spend more time discouraged with what I do than I do being happy with what I do, and that extends to every part of life. In any event, I am very ENcouraged by your video about these different joints. I'm going to try some on my next project. I do cut myself some slack because I've only been doing woodworking for maybe a year, but I am simply amazed at the skills some people have. It's just off the charts amazing what people can do with wood. Thanks for helping me on my own journey to improve and make things I might even be able to sell. That is, after all, my ultimate goal!
Great video, even for old timers like me who love all things wood and lumber. My exper. mostly large-scale const. Now retired, my interest is fine woodworking, from small decorative boxes, to chests of drawers, dressers, coffee tables, china cabinets and dining tables. Thank you again! Please keep up your great work!
this is probably my first time watching an in-depth video about woodworking and i don't understand 90% of the terminologies mentioned, i watched it till the end, great video👌🏼
One point to keep in mind when using a table saw to cut joints such as dados and lap joints is that most blades have teeth that leave a U or V shape perpendicular to the direction of the cut. To prevent this use a blade with a flat top grind (FTG) tooth profile.
I've noticed this when I've cut dados, it leaves material I had to chisel out. I think dado stacks solve for it, but a pain to set up. Where do you get FTG blades? I don't think I've seen them in HD or Lowe's since they seem more specific to woodworking, but maybe I missed them.
@@MorrMedia1 Probably won't find them in big box stores but look for low tooth count "ripping" blades. That's not a guarantee but FTG are usually (always?) rip blades.
Combination blades almost always have Rakers every 4-6 ATB/HI-ATB (Alternate Tooth Bevel/High Alternate Tooth Bevel) Unfortunately many rip blades are made as thin kerf with ATB or HI-ATB due to portable saws and battery tools.
I love the fact that you don’t just batch out videos showing the same old crap that some do but that rather your videos are obviously well thought out (and no doubt researched) and actually give me information that is useful to me in a no bullshit kinda funny way. I look forward to the next one!
Nice information for the new woodworker. Your lack of master shows in your conclusions that are based on some else’s tests and not your own experience over time. It’s true modern glues are stronger than old ones, however a mechanical joint will always be stronger long term than a glued one. I use to believe what you do but age and experience has shown me otherwise. I do wish videos such as this were around when I was starting out decades ago as it would have shortened my learning curve. It’s refreshing to see a younger generation taking up woodworking. Best of luck with the channel!
Don’t forget about that end joint called the dominotail - the 90 degree is unnecessarily trimmed into a sort of hexagon that beautifully showcases and properly honors a love for fine Festool joinery.
My grandpa who was a master cabinet maker and master carpenter mainly used dado joints, dowel joints, rabbit, and groove on his furniture. He made the furniture for Molly Brown and has multiple pieces in museums. The dove joint was for "show" items are rarely used. I remember as a kid when my mom worked on her journeyman level in cabinet making her making this amazing box with contrasting dove tails, but it was the finishing sanding with corn starch and the amazing finish that matter. I've been doing wood working since I was a little kid. Now as an adult, it's always been the finish and paying attention to details of a flawless look that matter more. A simple dowel joint, makes such a clean look when you do a good finish. Making any furniture look well formed. I can't though reject how nice a dove joint looks. But not going through, filling the grain, making sure the item is smoother than eye or touch can detect, dove vs any other joint won't hold up. I hate when I watch videos of people making something and I see a pocket or gap that could be filled and cleaned up then they just slop resins or such over it and you still see the dip in the wood. Any good work is mainly paying attention to the details. You can use the simplest joint and make something that looks amazing if you pay attention. While making something that is not as quality with not looking at the details.
Best video on this topic, ever! What a great overview of so many techniques, PLUS the details needed to actually use them. I'm a 75 year old woodworker, in a family of craftsmen and women, yet learned so much from this!
OMFG you just explained to me why my grandmother's old picture frames had coins in their corners on the backside! I'd always just assumed it was some kind fancy decoration (that faced the wall?) or weird trend they did a hundred years ago. Thank you!
Thank you for BOTH the “how” and “WHY” of each jointing solution. I’ll begin putting it to good use and enjoy the practical results. Good video. Well done!
Dovetails are surprisingly easier to make than I thought using basic hand tools. They shouldn’t intimidate anyone who wants to develop their skills. I spent some time watching Paul Sellers’ videos and a few others, then spent a few hours turning a few pieces of long scrap into a bunch of short dovetail joints. By the fifth one it was looking pretty good! One advantage of the dovetail is there’s no need for a power tool. But all of this for most of us is the fun of making and learning. This video was very informative, thank you!
Thank you for an excellent teaching video. In Australia, where I have been teaching high school Industrial Arts (your comparison would be wood shop, metal shop, etc…) I taught Year 10 woodwork students how to hand cut Dovetail joints that they must include at least once in a project. Not to have them become master craftsmen, but to show them what is possible. Most never want to do them again, but some loved the challenge and the ensuing sense of accomplishment. If a 16 yr old kid can do it many of your viewers would be able to. May be another video idea for those that wish to try. FYI, dado and rabbit joints don’t exist outside the USA that I know of. As you said a dado is a trench so everyone else calls it a …… trench! Which is across the grain, rebate on an edge and a groove along the grain. One point you could emphasise is extra support from shoulders - not just glue area in dovetails, M&T, even housing joints. It’s not just greater glue area. Finally, are you likely to consider a marking knife? They go a long way to showing off perfect joinery. Once more thanks for the great teaching video. Even after 40 years in the classroom/workshop, I’m still learning. Lloyd
I am among the group that has used my Makita biscuit cutter to make splines. The ability to slowly adjust the thickness just like a table saw, but without having a table saw handy, is brilliant. Have done is many times. Scott from Japan
I love the way you start out talking down to your audience. I'd have to say you know less than you pretend to. Someone who truly knows what they're talking about would never talk down to people. I'm very pleased that I don't have to depend upon your ideas....
Awesome, thanks in advance for this video! EDIT: Yep, mistake did happen, and will happen again. It's always good to learn some more or come back to the basics.
I couldn't care less about everyone arguing over whats stronger, whats going to last longer, etc. Admit it, we all got into woodworking because we wanted to make things that look cool, and thats why we use specific joints.
No, I got into it because the bedframes I was getting for my kids were hot trash. The fences at my first two houses were hot trash. The deck at my second house was hot trash. I needed solid, reliable and quick to make wood projects for eleventy dozen different things and appearance was always secondary if it was considered at all.
End grain to end grain - scarf joint. We use them in the theatre industry as a lot of what we make is longer than the length of the timber. Also used in beams in house-building and in ye olde ship-building.
Thank you for this video. Your clarity and humility make woodworking feel possible. I am right at the beginning of my journey, but even executing the simplest construction makes me feel good in a way that nothing else does! Yours, a beginner.
I’m almost speechless at how amazing this video is. So comprehensive. Not a wasted word. No skipping over the tricky bits. Every aspect clearly demonstrated. Emphasis on practicality, and, of course, plenty of snipes at the “I’m a fancier woodworker than you” crowd (& TH-cam “actors”). You sir are a master educator and motivational shop teacher. Sincerely, very satisfied subscriber.
I am a carpenter on the job. Half laps are great. I use them for making replacement sliding barn doors. I take the metal off and rebuild them where they hang if the top rail is okay. I cut laps with a circular saw and chisel. Really fast and plenty good for a machine shed. No glue. Just face screws. I cut the weight of some doors in half as many of them are laminated 2x's and nailed 6 ways to Sunday. Often the original metal is fine. The client is often pleased enough that they are functional.
Patrick Sullivan made a video showing that end grain to end grain is stronger than edge grain to edge grain, but the point of the cellulose fibers being stronger than the glue still stands. If you're gluing two pieces of endgrain together, I would definitely still reinforce it. Edge grain to edge grain glue-ups are still pretty strong, stronger than the natural lignin, so I will definitely continue using edge grain to edge grain and edge grain to end grain glue-ups in my work.
Yeah I think the big issue people missed in that video is that the wood failed in the edge to edge. So it’s not an apples to apples that one joint is “stronger” it somewhat confirmed what we already know, glue is stronger than lignin. But people still lost their minds over it
Are you a teacher by trade?? You're so good at breaking complicated concepts down and making them more understandable. The straw visual was incredible helpful!
Your wood working how to vids of way better than all the rest out there. Keep a steady hand, pls do not rush it. You looked, investigated, understood, did it better. Now just keep at it. Doing it in your own, natural way. It's the best and will pay off. No pressure is best practice. Always. Long term. No comparison. Ever. Please. Awesome shit man.
This taught me the all the weird dowels and grooves in Ikea furniture actually make a lot of sense, and why it survived multiple moves even though it's just 'cheap' materials
Are you kidding? He literally starts out by crapping on all the other people in internet land who have given advice on building furniture then proceeded to tell us why we should ignore all the ancient techniques and just use screws. This was the most preachy and condescending video I have seen.
I find that a major consideration when choosing what type of joint to use is what is easiest to glue, clamp and assemble. Especially when you have many pieces that need to be glued at the same time. Some types of joints will by themselves help to align and pull the pieces together. Also, the glue, screw, unscrew then plug method can work well for pieces that are difficult to clamp.
Love dovetails, been making them for 45 years on an ancient jig and have never seen one fail or even come loose oh and they look beautiful. By the way we have 2 3 and 4 hundred year old French and English furniture that were crafted with dovetails and those have stood the test of time. Go check your antique markets here or abroad and you will find them.
If you want a better finish, then use a whole cutter. Don't use a jigsaw to cut it out or for an even nicer finish a butterfly that involves a lot more work though.....
Nice video. Retired sort of woodworker here. I started off as a woodworker trying to make a living at it. Ended up a manufacturer of commercial interiors. Went through about every method there is. Each has their advantages. Just be careful of controlling moisture. In solid lumber construction variations in moisture content over the life of the product can be a killer. Half laps I'm looking at you! For production work MDF & particle board were the preferred materials. The top manufactures controlled size and moisture content very well. There are huge variations in the quality available and unfortunately, for the small guy, buying from the big box stores or the like doesn't get you top of the line products. In my production plant doweling was the preferred method because it could be: accurate, strong and fast. The drawback was to get be those 3 cost a lot in equipment. If anyone watching this video has hopes of competing in the business end... consider my recommendation, taken with a hand full of salt. Keep it fun and don't try to go into the cut throat business side of wood product making. One last thing, consider going to IWF in Atlanta August 6-9, 2024. Almost everything related to woodworking. Something for every size from the guys doing it for fun to massive machines.
I'm just starting out so I mostly settled on dowels and (pocket) screws with butt joints. I know it's not the fancy solution but it's easy to do and really strong. I think that for now I have enough to learn as-is
The problem with 'A is stronger then B' is: stronger at what? The joint tests test one thing. Some joints are better at that one thing than others. But other joints are better at another thing, and that was not tested. So try to be very skeptical in determining the accuracy of any joint test. Look to see if the test evaluates real-world stresses.
Very good point! The joints at the front of a drawer won't have to deal with much bending stress, but the tensile strength will be tested every time the drawer is opened or slammed shut. That makes me think that in this application, dovetails would have a longevity advantage over glue alone.
6:42 I was just about to turn off the video at the spline part, until I heard this comment. I'm glad I stayed. I like your quick and dirty substitute for a spline.
I was fascinated watching this video and realized that I wasn't being fatigued by constant camera push ins and wonky animations with sound effects. Thank you so much for building a video around CONTENT and not assuming I'm a child that needs constant visual candy to keep my attention. A good script, some solid b-roll and good old-fashioned editing is all you need. But then you put an L-cut at 12:51 and I knew I was dealing with a professional. Thank you so much!
Nice overview of different techniques and tricks for beginners. There are way too many videos talking about joint strength that frankly don't reflect real world usage. Dovetails are great but other joints are easier to make. PEC makes great squares - I bought a combination set years ago and love it.
1:57 another quick way to verify your saw is at 90 degrees is to cut a board, flip one piece and put them back together. Any variance from 90 degrees will be doubled and easily seen.
Right on. I cut "sloppy" finger joints for tolex covered amplifier cabinets for just that reason. Glue. They're going to be covered. Even "sloppy", they sand out with no gaps. They are crazy strong, and I promise guitar amplifier cabinets get way more abuse than fine furniture. If sloppy finger joints are good enough for guitar cabinets, they're probably fine for your homebrew furniture work (strength wise). Of course, like you say dovetails are pretty. I respect anyone who has the patience and bandwidth and unit-price to cover the work. For the rest of us, finger joints are the way to go.
I prefer the stopped cut on the table saw for miter splines because the groove it leaves is concave/hollow along its length rather than flat like with a sled jig. Since I don't own a flat tooth table saw blade, the groove ends up with a slight 'V' that is unsightly and needs to be cleaned up with a chisel. The flat grooves need to be cleaned up along the entire length to seat the spline and achieve a seamless look, but the hollow groove only needs to be cleaned up on the ends--much quicker and almost foolproof. Small detail, but I haven't heard it mentioned before.
Im not a woodworker so this is a genuine question. What's the reason for drilling the pilot hole after the countersink? In all the times ive countersunk a screw it seems easier to keep the holes all centered with one another if i do the pilot hole first and then sit the tip of the bit im using to countersink in the pilot hole.
4:22 "A butt joint is end-grain connected to face-grain." That's not quite right. A butt joint is any two surfaces against each other without lap (or OVER-lap) or additional fasteners or cuts (&c.). The wood grain is not part of the definition (although in practice, of course, some grain combinations are far more likely in common applications).
Another reason an amateur might pick one joint vs another: Fun! Since this a hobby for me, being effective at it is a somewhat surprisingly low priority. I do value quality, looks, and want to be proud of the final product, but sometimes I choose what I think will be an enjoyable challenge, even if it contradicts an objectively wiser option (...up to a point).
I also find it hilarious when people treat the dovetail as a high end skill that is the epitome of joinery. The second you start seeing classical Japanese joinery, it puts dovetails to shame in both workmanship and appearance.
Well, yes and no. The dovetail is a strong and classy joint, and seems to represent a certain amount of experience from the crafter. An expert can bang them out in no time. At the same time, it's mostly the people who don't know much about it who seem to appreciate it the most. Its like being told whats good and then you aspire to that. In modern days it basically means the stuff you hear the most about must be the best. Popularity dictates perceived quality. Dovetails are popular, so they must be good.
@@stefanfyhn4668 I agree wholeheartedly. My statement is based off what I see on videos and especially on comments on YT, reddit, etc. It’s that attitudes people get about it. It’s especially prevalent when people try to insist that it is the strongest, most stable joint. Also, and even though it is a nice looking joint, there are better ones in my opinion.
The skill and accuracy of Japanese woodworking is wonderful to see and hard to beat. One reason is that Japan has no native source of iron so they had to do without iron nails and fixings, and only had animal glues which are not waterproof, so they had to try harder! I personally like dovetails on drawers because they elegantly provide the ideal strength of joint. Every time you open a drawer, you are trying to pull the face off the drawer sides. The wedge form means that the joint tightens when you pull on it. As a retired furniture maker I know that people are impressed by dovetails so I bought myself an expensive jig and two new routers some years ago. With careful use it worked beautifully.
Loved your video, very informative however, it was fairly machine-orientated/biased, if your fortunate enough to have a kited-out workshop, great. The lessons and skills that come from cutting joints by hand; dovetails and mortice and tenons are extensive and extremely valuable; utilizing marking gauges, measuring tools, squares, hand saws, chisels and the sharpening of these tools, how to use a grinder, honing stones, gluing up square and out of twist are some of the many skills dovetail joints will give you. Learning with hand tools, and I mean, straiting and thicknessing, too, enables those passionate folk that don't have big machine budgets a way in, and in my humble opinion, the best way to start! The question of strength was apparent few times in your presentation and I agree, there are other important questions that need to come into consideration whilst in the design stage, if we were to preference strength above other considerations we would be sitting on logs or boulders etc; welcome home the Flintstones! Proportions, aesthetics and function are prime questions when designing and will answer the "strength" question when answered. I think your presentation was articulated very well, thank you.
You have been consistently putting out the best woodworking videos on youtube for years now. I watch A LOT of yoube woodworking content. You're on top my guy
I love your presentation style, and get that many times a simple joint is all that's needed - it's a good point. But surely a dovetail beats all when the joint come under tension, e.g. holding the bottom of a wall cupboard to a side.
I will respectfully disagree with making hand-cutting dovetails sound like super niche skills. This would scare many woodworking hobbyists who are totally capable of learning it in a week. It is a practical skill after all, as long as you don't do those super thin pins.
Dovetails by hand are actually a lot easier to make than you would think. It takes a bit if practice (obviously), but once you can accurately draw a line and saw straight, it's pretty easy.
Not only is modern wood glue incredibly strong, but most youtube woodworkers use way too much of it. You just need a tiny bead when tightening, not glue literally dripping out on to your bench.
yeah he is one of them, 12:45 thats already too much. Yes glue can improve a joint but applying so much that it drips everywhere is just wrong. One shouls also mention that most glues are "pressure sensitive adhesives", meaning that that you have to apply pressure with clamps until it's dry. I eiredly get the feeling hes is just plastering it on and leaves it be ...
I am so pleased to see this video. Making is about the finished article. Thats it. For many though it is how you get there thats the thing - if youre a start up maker then thats also where many stop. Cant do dovetails, then you cant make drawers - Enthusiasm for making is often destroyed by non existent traditions, the invention of "new"traditions and nobody diving into the history of that particular technique or idea - was there another way of doing it? With that, i have been experimenting working with wet wood - no glue, no really clever joints - just wooden nails and good design. That for cabinets - yes it really does work and yes others are doing the same. Im having fun - i hope you are.
I appreciate the no BS approach. As you say, there’s a lot of silly gatekeeping that people should ignore. Two addenda to what you said: one benefit of using plywood is that you always have at least half side grain that can glue well. Also, when you cut a miter on the end grain, you actually end up with something that has attributes of both side grain and end grain because the angle of cut. So miters glue better than straight end grain butt joints.
Rob Cosman is coming for you! But seriously I learned something and had fun at the same time. And even if I already knew it who cares, I still liked hearing you say it.
For half laps, bridle joints, and dovetails, the end grain soaks up more finish and will be darker than the face or edge grain. To me this highlights the joint and looks really good. Good video.
Nice video, but count me a little in the grumps camp here. First off there is a common end-end join the Scarf joint that most hobby woodworkers don't need because it mainly acts as a technique to extend stock, and we work on a scale where large enough wood is easily available. My main grump is that raw strength as tested by a force meter, while important, doesn't account for all the needs in a project. Aesthetics: Do you want a classic look (maybe dovetails), wrapping grain? (miters), etc. Functionality: Does the furniture need to break down? mortise and tenon might be a better option. Alignment: Dowels, Dovetails and Mortises all help align pieces or can be self squaring. Mechanical Advantage: For small regular forces like drawers, having the mechanical advantage of a dovetail could still survive if glue fails where a finger joint probably wouldn't. Now, you don't need to use every joint on every project, but throwing out a joint because you deem it as complicated or "weak" (when measured on 1 axis) seems foolish.
Thank you for your video. I really liked how you encourage us to try and not worry about making mistakes. That's the only way we can learn - through our success and mistakes.
Excellent video. It is absolutely true that modern glues have changed woodworking, and your summary of joining methods is excellent. Incidentally, I am a fan of Products Engineering measurement tools. They are excellent -- everything from precision rulers to squares. Thank you for the time spent to put this together. Cheers.
Lincoln: Shows all the cool joints you can do with glue and stuff Me: only uses screws and nails I love the amount of ways you can joint two boards, and I plan on getting more into glueing, and its great to have a fairly on point guide about all the different jointing methods. The only two main reasons I never liked glueing wood is the dry time and not being able to take it apart simply by reversing the screw. I feel like I just have gotten used to hiding all the screws in places no one can easily see. But since some of my projects will deal with some pretty hefty loads, its probably a good idea I add in glue to the mixture too.
7:55 Regarding miters & splines making people think I'm a better woodworker than I am... I recently made a project where I angled the table saw blade to cut the slot for the spline. Afterwards, people looking at it were VERY impressed but have no idea how simple it is to do. And my little infantile ego is inflated! ha ha! Great video!
guy complaining about internet know-it-alls that commits to be an internet know-it-all. Then says unfortunately nature doesn't have glue that talks about lignen. He finally mentioned dowels which are stronger than screws if you do them right. I was too annoyed to listen much longer but I'm betting he didn't mention biscuit joints. For amateurs like me who want eazy strong good looking joints without the effort and knowledge you have dowels and biscuits are fantastic
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Is there a way to get the black and gold? I only ever see them in a blue and satin. Which is fine, but black and gold….
I second @@Existential_brian , where did the black and gold starred come from?
I like your videos, thanks
Dide
Don't really appreciate the clickbait title line for this video. You spend the entire video explaining the value of basic joints, not critiquing them.
I agree with your reasoning, but in the world of antiques and furniture restoration, you can't deny that a dovetail is a beautiful piece of wood engineering 😊.
I think he agreed dovetails are really nice, but said you shouldn't focus on them as a beginner. For me I love the look of nice hand cut dovetails so I DID start with that. It is very frustrating at first but when you get it. It feels like I can cut any joint by hand now. On the other side I could've gotten to frustrated and just quit altogether.
As he said other joints are used more frequently or are just better to first do. Then go onto dovetails.
Learning all available joints and eventually using them in projects. Gaining confidence and skill. Using dovetails when appropriate. Projects that you want to build to look a certain way or have specific requirements.
The point being, when dovetails are the preferred option, do not be afraid of cutting them.
i comment above that I use them also, but pretty much only hand cut now. MOST of the time I use dowels. Yes, hand cut dovetails are a beautiful sign of craftsmanship. Back 100 years ago, folks could cut the quickly. Rob Crossman, can cut them quickly and others too, but most of us can't. I've cut a fair amount but I'm not anywhere near as good as Rob. So what. I still can make some beautiful pieces. Making art is wonderful for the soul.
If I've learned anything, it's all about the specific application. Doesn't matter what joint it is.
I hate them, they look terrible to me and far too noticeable. They've also became increasingly more popular and i see them too much
Having been trained as a cabinetmaker and educated as an industrial arts teacher with over 40 years in the field, I would have to disagree with some of your advice. Mechanical fasteners have their place in woodworking, primarily attaching hardware and holding things together while glue dries - not in face frames doors and drawers. In these situations, particularly if objects move (i.e. doors and drawers) mechanical fasteners eventually work loose. Even on face frames, I have gone back on jobs done by others where cabinet face frames have failed because the fasteners in the pocket joints have worked loose AND the glue has failed with the butt to edge joint.
I've been an amateur woodworker all my life and I completely agree with you. There can be a fine line between nice joinery and crappy carpentry but what's shown here is on the side of crappy carpentry. Dovetails and mortise and tenon joints have been around for millennia for a reason. They work! You're better off if you learn how to do them and if you prefer the machine approach, acquire the equipment you need. For me, I'll stick with my assortment of antique bench planes and chisels to get the job done, but each to his own.
Agreed...I cringed when the screw went into end grain. That's fine for those super coarse thread IKEA fasteners going into particle board but...yikes.
We have the snobby snobs on this thread 😮
Your point points out that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Each method has its strong points and it's weak points.
@@SharkBite-nm4yo We have the "we've reinvented the wheel" types on your side of the thread. You know, the type that shows up with "we've made a new bycicle wheel" - and they show a solid bicycle wheel with springs or rubber with holes... and then you go back in time, pick up a magazine from the 1910's and ... see basically the exact same thing. And then you wonder, huh... why didn't it stick... then you realize, oh... maybe it didn't stick because it's a convoluted idea that's borne of snobish inividuals who think they're better than the accepted and long tested method.
“Get out there and make a bunch of mistakes” great advice! I’m really good at making long boards short. Not so good at making short boards long.
just a little bit of practice, and you can do it. !!!
😂👍😊
Measure once, cut until you have to go back to the store, lol.
You need one of those lumber stretchers out of the back of the truck...
The trick is to change the purpose at end from cabinet making to chopping firewood ;-)
That straw anology for how wood grain direction works was phenomenal. I've seen so many woodworking youtubers try to explain grain and where to joint or glue and it all sounds so overcomplicated.
But now, I can understand exactly where to glue and when to use other fastener support.
From an old boat carpenter's point of view you did a good job at explaining the basics.
When structure is the most important thing we use glued and screwed corner posts.
Gluing and screwing compliment each other. Screws have clamping power, but shear can make them wobble loose. Glue doesn't shear easily but have a limit in tension. Together they form a very good joint. BTW, "water resistant" glues shouldn't be used on a boat, Epoxies and Resorcinol are the only acceptable choices as far as I know.
Corner posts give far greater glue area and screws don't have to be held by end grain. Other joints can be used in places not subject to joint movement. Mitres have a problem in a marine environment where changes in moisture make the outside of the joint open up, leaving a birdsmouth.
Wasn't Jesus a carpenter?
@@GB-ez6gehe worked with his hands. That he was a carpenter isn’t known for certain. Could have been a stone mason.
Good explanation of a composite joint
Instead of plugged hidden screws I prefer visible dowels. Glue, screw temporary for clamping, unscrew, drill dowel holes on screw holes, dowel.
As a result there is no steel hidden inside the wood. No fancy tool is needed. The dowels allways will fit perfectly.
Second. This technique makes doweling tons easier (and fun) to work with.
Who the hell cares if there is steel hidden inside your wood? You’re not x-raying your furniture, no one will ever see it
@@manny9323 Have you ever had a blade get ruined by a screw or nail before? It's not pleasant, even more so if the bale is expensive/annoying to sharpen or get it sharpened.
But ye it's more of a annoyance that builders deal with when they demo and it's kinda in the back of our heads all the time if we ever take apart anything.
What is your favorite dowel jig?
@@manny9323 When joining to end grain, a dowel is stronger than a screw. It's also a royal pain to have a screw fail that has been plugged. Plugging involves just as much work as removing the screws, drilling and doweling.
Your videos have made me feel empowered and brave enough to just start making stuff the way im able to make it, not the way people on the internet tell me it has to be. My work isnt amazing, but im actually making things with my hands, and even with its flaws and the mistakes im making, im pretty proud of it, and having fun. I appreciate you.
And I appreciate you more than you know!
Heh, after watching one of these videos I just go back to the shed and screw everything together like I'm building a house. Good enough for me and if my wife doesn't like it she can try doing better herself. 😂
One of my favorite channels is Uri Tuchman. He does kind of rough work and leaves his mistakes in the video, but it's always really interesting & creative.
Every time I watch a video of his I think I could/should make something cool.
www.youtube.com/@urituchmanpigeon
Quit smoking and you'll never need a joint again.
Back to sniffing glue then!
You really need to insert a ‼️Dad Joke‼️ warning label before you put out stuff like this.
"I don't need it... I definitely don't need it" 🧽
What about a joint of meat?
@@Boethius4748 Thank you! I'll keep that in mind when practising ‼️Dado Jokes‼️
All true. The advantage of the older joinery techniques is that they function without the adhesive. The pinned and wedged mortice and tenon joints don't use glue. They last more than 100 years when properly executed. A good video my opinion.
Because they had to due to lack of good glue. They may not fall apart, but they will loosen.
@@christiannorf1680 Sure, wedged M&Ts loosen. And they can easily be re-tightened.
Pinned? If you have pinned them right in hard wood, they won't loosen.
@@AC-cg4beif they are pinned with steel fasteners like cut nails they do get loose. All those chairs made in the 90s that everyone has/had a set of are falling apart because they use screws or brads to hold them together
@@christiannorf1680 That's ridiculous. Glue is used since the Neolithics. Egyptians used wood glue for building furniture 4000yrs ago. The same kind of glue was still used 100yrs ago and is today. There was never lack of good glue.
@@clauslangenbroek9897 Bronze knifes have been used for centuries, yet still you'll have trouble finding one today.
They used what they had at hand. Your statement assumes that all glue produced was of good quality and pretend that micro organisms, moisture and shelf life are no issue for glues based on animal protein.
That's as ridiculous as you accuse my statement to be.
I'm old now, but my grandfather in the 1930's used to make lovely furniture using hidden dovetail joints (no end-grain visible), held together with bone glue.
The furniture looks immaculate to this day, with no play in any of the joints, and it will almost certainly outlive me, and probably my son too.
Modern glues are certainly more convenient, however, you can't dismantle a PVA glued joint without destroying them, whereas bone glued joints can be re-melted with some heat for disassembly and transport.
(NB: I agree entirely with the video that beginners should not be starting off trying to use fancy cabinet making techniques like hidden dovetail joints)
My best ever score, during my school days in any subject, was 19/20 for my blind dovetails. Forget the science or option, my pride for this won't change! 😊
Not related to anything but I appreciated that he showed 4 different power tool brands within 20 seconds, DeWalt, Festool, Ryobi, & Bosch. Got a subscribe for that.
Why?
@@yura979 show's that he's not loyal to any specific brand, i suppose. how that's worthy of a sub is beyond me
Loved this! From essentially a baseline of zero woodworking knowledge I learned more info I actually understood from this short video than any other woodworking DYI I've ever watched. Definitely liked and subscribed. Thanks for this!
Man, thank you so much for this. As a beginner raised by a professional woodworker who grew up with all the beautiful dovetail coffee table books who’s been struggling to figure out what I need to get started not at all helped by the “10 tools EVERY beginner needs” videos where everything in the list is at least $500 i really appreciate this simple no nonsense type video. Just simple here are the joints, here are what they’re good for and why they’re good, here’s a simple way to do it. Thanks so much
Glad it was helpful!
Dovetails are surprisingly easier to make than I thought using basic hand tools. They shouldn’t intimidate anyone who wants to develop their skills. I spent some time watching Paul Sellers’ videos and a few others, then spent a few hours turning a few pieces of long scrap into a bunch of short dovetail joints. By the fifth one it was looking pretty good! No need for a jig or screaming router.
But all of this for most of us is the fun of making and learning. This video was very informative, thank you!
I have a solid dresser with the "old style" joints. I've owned it for about 40 years. I inherited it from my grandmother. It was given to her when her father refinished his home ~1950. A conservative estimate on how long he'd had it is 10 years (more likely 20+). So, this dresser is ~85 years old and the drawers work flawlessly - the joints never loosen, the drawers always stay on track no matter how tightly stuffed with clothes. I've never known anything, used equivalently, with wood screws to last anywhere near that long. These joints last longer than a Bob Marley spliff!
Oh I should mention four centuries old organd xD
@@vedqiibyol What is an "organd xD"?
My mistake, I mean an organ.
Pipe organs
The quality of the wood might have been better (loggin in the cold season).
@@franziskaniabsolutely. Not that I want us to keep cutting down old growth oak forests, but the difference between that and high moisture pine/fir from the big box store (or worse yet particle board that won't even hold screw) is night and day. I use old wood when I can.
I don't get this fear of dovetails thing. Once you've cut a few they are pretty easy, look great and are satisfying to do. Go on, give it a go!
Also they are the strongest of the bunch. They just have more surface area for glue which is stronger than the wood.
@@Nilboggen That seems right, but testing showed the Rabbet was actually stronger.
@@rclewis01 I think a lot of that is up to the tester and variables in the test. In my opinion a box/dovetail joint would be much stronger than a rabbet joint just because of more surface area to apply glue. Would also depend on the length of the two things we are joining. Like for a frame I think a rabbet is probably the easiest and going to provide plenty of strength. If we are making a drawer I think a box joint would be better.
I have FINALLY mastered the art of making a bunch of mistakes!! I have reached the pinnacle of my woodworking skills!! My wife gets after me because I am never satisfied with anything I build. I guess that can be a good thing, but typically it's NOT a good thing for a person like me who is a perfectionist because it means I spend more time discouraged with what I do than I do being happy with what I do, and that extends to every part of life. In any event, I am very ENcouraged by your video about these different joints. I'm going to try some on my next project.
I do cut myself some slack because I've only been doing woodworking for maybe a year, but I am simply amazed at the skills some people have. It's just off the charts amazing what people can do with wood. Thanks for helping me on my own journey to improve and make things I might even be able to sell. That is, after all, my ultimate goal!
Great video, even for old timers like me who love all things wood and lumber. My exper. mostly large-scale const. Now retired, my interest is fine woodworking, from small decorative boxes, to chests of drawers, dressers, coffee tables, china cabinets and dining tables. Thank you again! Please keep up your great work!
this is probably my first time watching an in-depth video about woodworking and i don't understand 90% of the terminologies mentioned, i watched it till the end, great video👌🏼
One point to keep in mind when using a table saw to cut joints such as dados and lap joints is that most blades have teeth that leave a U or V shape perpendicular to the direction of the cut. To prevent this use a blade with a flat top grind (FTG) tooth profile.
I've noticed this when I've cut dados, it leaves material I had to chisel out. I think dado stacks solve for it, but a pain to set up. Where do you get FTG blades? I don't think I've seen them in HD or Lowe's since they seem more specific to woodworking, but maybe I missed them.
@@MorrMedia1 Probably won't find them in big box stores but look for low tooth count "ripping" blades. That's not a guarantee but FTG are usually (always?) rip blades.
Combination blades almost always have Rakers every 4-6 ATB/HI-ATB (Alternate Tooth Bevel/High Alternate Tooth Bevel) Unfortunately many rip blades are made as thin kerf with ATB or HI-ATB due to portable saws and battery tools.
Use conventional cross cut blade and ask your sharpening guy to sharpen it flat instead of conventional 15 degree alternating angle @@MorrMedia1
Who makes that type of blade?
I love the fact that you don’t just batch out videos showing the same old crap that some do but that rather your videos are obviously well thought out (and no doubt researched) and actually give me information that is useful to me in a no bullshit kinda funny way. I look forward to the next one!
Just reiterating this point. I’d rather wait a few weeks for a great video than have constant low quality content.
Thanks Shaun
Nice information for the new woodworker. Your lack of master shows in your conclusions that are based on some else’s tests and not your own experience over time. It’s true modern glues are stronger than old ones, however a mechanical joint will always be stronger long term than a glued one. I use to believe what you do but age and experience has shown me otherwise. I do wish videos such as this were around when I was starting out decades ago as it would have shortened my learning curve. It’s refreshing to see a younger generation taking up woodworking. Best of luck with the channel!
Don’t forget about that end joint called the dominotail - the 90 degree is unnecessarily trimmed into a sort of hexagon that beautifully showcases and properly honors a love for fine Festool joinery.
LOL! 🤣
Hahahah 😂
LMAO - you win the comment section IMO!
Hahaha 😅
I like your presentation style - 99% information 1% filler - thank you.
My grandpa who was a master cabinet maker and master carpenter mainly used dado joints, dowel joints, rabbit, and groove on his furniture. He made the furniture for Molly Brown and has multiple pieces in museums. The dove joint was for "show" items are rarely used. I remember as a kid when my mom worked on her journeyman level in cabinet making her making this amazing box with contrasting dove tails, but it was the finishing sanding with corn starch and the amazing finish that matter. I've been doing wood working since I was a little kid. Now as an adult, it's always been the finish and paying attention to details of a flawless look that matter more. A simple dowel joint, makes such a clean look when you do a good finish. Making any furniture look well formed. I can't though reject how nice a dove joint looks. But not going through, filling the grain, making sure the item is smoother than eye or touch can detect, dove vs any other joint won't hold up. I hate when I watch videos of people making something and I see a pocket or gap that could be filled and cleaned up then they just slop resins or such over it and you still see the dip in the wood. Any good work is mainly paying attention to the details. You can use the simplest joint and make something that looks amazing if you pay attention. While making something that is not as quality with not looking at the details.
One of the most informative videos, straightforward about woodworking on youtube
Best video on this topic, ever! What a great overview of so many techniques, PLUS the details needed to actually use them. I'm a 75 year old woodworker, in a family of craftsmen and women, yet learned so much from this!
OMFG you just explained to me why my grandmother's old picture frames had coins in their corners on the backside!
I'd always just assumed it was some kind fancy decoration (that faced the wall?) or weird trend they did a hundred years ago.
Thank you!
No problem!
Probably now the most valuable part of the picture!
Thank you for BOTH the “how” and “WHY” of each jointing solution. I’ll begin putting it to good use and enjoy the practical results.
Good video. Well done!
Dovetails are surprisingly easier to make than I thought using basic hand tools. They shouldn’t intimidate anyone who wants to develop their skills. I spent some time watching Paul Sellers’ videos and a few others, then spent a few hours turning a few pieces of long scrap into a bunch of short dovetail joints. By the fifth one it was looking pretty good!
One advantage of the dovetail is there’s no need for a power tool.
But all of this for most of us is the fun of making and learning. This video was very informative, thank you!
Thank you for an excellent teaching video. In Australia, where I have been teaching high school Industrial Arts (your comparison would be wood shop, metal shop, etc…) I taught Year 10 woodwork students how to hand cut Dovetail joints that they must include at least once in a project. Not to have them become master craftsmen, but to show them what is possible. Most never want to do them again, but some loved the challenge and the ensuing sense of accomplishment. If a 16 yr old kid can do it many of your viewers would be able to. May be another video idea for those that wish to try. FYI, dado and rabbit joints don’t exist outside the USA that I know of. As you said a dado is a trench so everyone else calls it a …… trench! Which is across the grain, rebate on an edge and a groove along the grain. One point you could emphasise is extra support from shoulders - not just glue area in dovetails, M&T, even housing joints. It’s not just greater glue area. Finally, are you likely to consider a marking knife? They go a long way to showing off perfect joinery. Once more thanks for the great teaching video. Even after 40 years in the classroom/workshop, I’m still learning. Lloyd
My goal is to trick people into thinking I'm good at wood working. That's why your videos are the best out there!
Wait, was that an insult or a compliment?
I am among the group that has used my Makita biscuit cutter to make splines. The ability to slowly adjust the thickness just like a table saw, but without having a table saw handy, is brilliant. Have done is many times. Scott from Japan
I love the way you start out talking down to your audience. I'd have to say you know less than you pretend to. Someone who truly knows what they're talking about would never talk down to people. I'm very pleased that I don't have to depend upon your ideas....
Obvious troll is obvious.
Give us a break ,we don't need you ,go away
@@jeremylindemann5117 you wouldn't recognise a troll if it slapped you in the face
Awesome, thanks in advance for this video!
EDIT: Yep, mistake did happen, and will happen again. It's always good to learn some more or come back to the basics.
I couldn't care less about everyone arguing over whats stronger, whats going to last longer, etc. Admit it, we all got into woodworking because we wanted to make things that look cool, and thats why we use specific joints.
Some of us got into woodworking to make our space more functional, and learning this stuff is incredibly helpful.
Whats a rabbit
@@kinbolluck476🐇
@@kinbolluck476 a small mammal😉
No, I got into it because the bedframes I was getting for my kids were hot trash. The fences at my first two houses were hot trash. The deck at my second house was hot trash. I needed solid, reliable and quick to make wood projects for eleventy dozen different things and appearance was always secondary if it was considered at all.
End grain to end grain - scarf joint. We use them in the theatre industry as a lot of what we make is longer than the length of the timber. Also used in beams in house-building and in ye olde ship-building.
12:17 We're tidying up 40 years of clutter at a woodworking factory, and no, a modern glue joint will not outlast a dovetail joint.
Thank you for this video. Your clarity and humility make woodworking feel possible. I am right at the beginning of my journey, but even executing the simplest construction makes me feel good in a way that nothing else does!
Yours, a beginner.
I’m almost speechless at how amazing this video is. So comprehensive. Not a wasted word. No skipping over the tricky bits. Every aspect clearly demonstrated. Emphasis on practicality, and, of course, plenty of snipes at the “I’m a fancier woodworker than you” crowd (& TH-cam “actors”). You sir are a master educator and motivational shop teacher. Sincerely, very satisfied subscriber.
Wow, thank you!
I am a carpenter on the job. Half laps are great. I use them for making replacement sliding barn doors. I take the metal off and rebuild them where they hang if the top rail is okay. I cut laps with a circular saw and chisel. Really fast and plenty good for a machine shed. No glue. Just face screws. I cut the weight of some doors in half as many of them are laminated 2x's and nailed 6 ways to Sunday. Often the original metal is fine. The client is often pleased enough that they are functional.
Patrick Sullivan made a video showing that end grain to end grain is stronger than edge grain to edge grain, but the point of the cellulose fibers being stronger than the glue still stands. If you're gluing two pieces of endgrain together, I would definitely still reinforce it. Edge grain to edge grain glue-ups are still pretty strong, stronger than the natural lignin, so I will definitely continue using edge grain to edge grain and edge grain to end grain glue-ups in my work.
Yeah I think the big issue people missed in that video is that the wood failed in the edge to edge. So it’s not an apples to apples that one joint is “stronger” it somewhat confirmed what we already know, glue is stronger than lignin. But people still lost their minds over it
As someone with pretty basic skills who wants to get better, this is one of the most truly helpful woodworking videos I've seen. Thanks a lot!
Glad it was helpful!
Are you a teacher by trade?? You're so good at breaking complicated concepts down and making them more understandable. The straw visual was incredible helpful!
He is clearly not a teacher as he uses the panel saw without the guard which is potentially dangerous. He needs some education in how to use a saw
Thanks!
@@jimpackard8059 *facepalm...
Your wood working how to vids of way better than all the rest out there. Keep a steady hand, pls do not rush it. You looked, investigated, understood, did it better. Now just keep at it. Doing it in your own, natural way. It's the best and will pay off. No pressure is best practice. Always. Long term. No comparison. Ever. Please. Awesome shit man.
Lincoln you've done it again. Explain something in such a way that I finally understand it.
My man
This taught me the all the weird dowels and grooves in Ikea furniture actually make a lot of sense, and why it survived multiple moves even though it's just 'cheap' materials
Very informative without being preachy or condescending. Teaching is a calling. ❤
Are you kidding? He literally starts out by crapping on all the other people in internet land who have given advice on building furniture then proceeded to tell us why we should ignore all the ancient techniques and just use screws. This was the most preachy and condescending video I have seen.
the old saying- those who can do... those who can't teach...
A calling thats not his, apparently. This video runs over basic teaching skills.
@@Myke_Lemons I think you're just a sensitive little snowflake.
Were you paying attention?
I find that a major consideration when choosing what type of joint to use is what is easiest to glue, clamp and assemble. Especially when you have many pieces that need to be glued at the same time. Some types of joints will by themselves help to align and pull the pieces together. Also, the glue, screw, unscrew then plug method can work well for pieces that are difficult to clamp.
Real men just nail it together with zero planning
Sorry, gave up nails when I bought my first battery screw gun, so many years ago !
@@MrStevos Still haven't bought battery anything.. all electric or hand.
Then the wood splits.
@@Topdoggie7 then nail it back together numb nuts
The land of stupid always disappoints.
Love dovetails, been making them for 45 years on an ancient jig and have never seen one fail or even come loose oh and they look beautiful. By the way we have 2 3 and 4 hundred year old French and English furniture that were crafted with dovetails and those have stood the test of time. Go check your antique markets here or abroad and you will find them.
I used the circle of plywood trick today on a project after seeing this. Thank you!
If you want a better finish, then use a whole cutter. Don't use a jigsaw to cut it out or for an even nicer finish a butterfly that involves a lot more work though.....
Glad I could help!
Nice video. Retired sort of woodworker here. I started off as a woodworker trying to make a living at it. Ended up a manufacturer of commercial interiors. Went through about every method there is. Each has their advantages. Just be careful of controlling moisture. In solid lumber construction variations in moisture content over the life of the product can be a killer. Half laps I'm looking at you! For production work MDF & particle board were the preferred materials. The top manufactures controlled size and moisture content very well. There are huge variations in the quality available and unfortunately, for the small guy, buying from the big box stores or the like doesn't get you top of the line products.
In my production plant doweling was the preferred method because it could be: accurate, strong and fast. The drawback was to get be those 3 cost a lot in equipment. If anyone watching this video has hopes of competing in the business end... consider my recommendation, taken with a hand full of salt. Keep it fun and don't try to go into the cut throat business side of wood product making.
One last thing, consider going to IWF in Atlanta August 6-9, 2024. Almost everything related to woodworking. Something for every size from the guys doing it for fun to massive machines.
Your transition from joints to a commercial for PEC tools was pretty creative.
I'm just starting out so I mostly settled on dowels and (pocket) screws with butt joints. I know it's not the fancy solution but it's easy to do and really strong. I think that for now I have enough to learn as-is
The problem with 'A is stronger then B' is: stronger at what? The joint tests test one thing. Some joints are better at that one thing than others. But other joints are better at another thing, and that was not tested. So try to be very skeptical in determining the accuracy of any joint test. Look to see if the test evaluates real-world stresses.
Very good point! The joints at the front of a drawer won't have to deal with much bending stress, but the tensile strength will be tested every time the drawer is opened or slammed shut. That makes me think that in this application, dovetails would have a longevity advantage over glue alone.
6:42 I was just about to turn off the video at the spline part, until I heard this comment. I'm glad I stayed. I like your quick and dirty substitute for a spline.
If you like dowels, the dowelmax system is fantastic and high quality.
I was fascinated watching this video and realized that I wasn't being fatigued by constant camera push ins and wonky animations with sound effects. Thank you so much for building a video around CONTENT and not assuming I'm a child that needs constant visual candy to keep my attention. A good script, some solid b-roll and good old-fashioned editing is all you need. But then you put an L-cut at 12:51 and I knew I was dealing with a professional. Thank you so much!
Using mitres will "trick people into thinking you're actually good at woodworking." Well it's working, you look like a master.
Nice overview of different techniques and tricks for beginners. There are way too many videos talking about joint strength that frankly don't reflect real world usage. Dovetails are great but other joints are easier to make. PEC makes great squares - I bought a combination set years ago and love it.
Drawers are not sufficiently stressed to break in that location. First, it's tradition; second, it looks sweet, dude!
Dovetails will never fail in a drawer. There is a reason they have been used for thousands of years.
1:57 another quick way to verify your saw is at 90 degrees is to cut a board, flip one piece and put them back together. Any variance from 90 degrees will be doubled and easily seen.
Best explanation of setting up a lap joint I’ve ever seen. Maybe now I’ll try one!
Do it!
Right on. I cut "sloppy" finger joints for tolex covered amplifier cabinets for just that reason. Glue. They're going to be covered. Even "sloppy", they sand out with no gaps. They are crazy strong, and I promise guitar amplifier cabinets get way more abuse than fine furniture. If sloppy finger joints are good enough for guitar cabinets, they're probably fine for your homebrew furniture work (strength wise). Of course, like you say dovetails are pretty. I respect anyone who has the patience and bandwidth and unit-price to cover the work. For the rest of us, finger joints are the way to go.
I prefer the stopped cut on the table saw for miter splines because the groove it leaves is concave/hollow along its length rather than flat like with a sled jig. Since I don't own a flat tooth table saw blade, the groove ends up with a slight 'V' that is unsightly and needs to be cleaned up with a chisel. The flat grooves need to be cleaned up along the entire length to seat the spline and achieve a seamless look, but the hollow groove only needs to be cleaned up on the ends--much quicker and almost foolproof. Small detail, but I haven't heard it mentioned before.
I got kicked out of the woodshop in school for breaking a broom over someone's head so I needed the help.
Im not a woodworker so this is a genuine question. What's the reason for drilling the pilot hole after the countersink? In all the times ive countersunk a screw it seems easier to keep the holes all centered with one another if i do the pilot hole first and then sit the tip of the bit im using to countersink in the pilot hole.
4:22 "A butt joint is end-grain connected to face-grain." That's not quite right. A butt joint is any two surfaces against each other without lap (or OVER-lap) or additional fasteners or cuts (&c.). The wood grain is not part of the definition (although in practice, of course, some grain combinations are far more likely in common applications).
Another reason an amateur might pick one joint vs another: Fun! Since this a hobby for me, being effective at it is a somewhat surprisingly low priority. I do value quality, looks, and want to be proud of the final product, but sometimes I choose what I think will be an enjoyable challenge, even if it contradicts an objectively wiser option (...up to a point).
I also find it hilarious when people treat the dovetail as a high end skill that is the epitome of joinery. The second you start seeing classical Japanese joinery, it puts dovetails to shame in both workmanship and appearance.
Well, yes and no. The dovetail is a strong and classy joint, and seems to represent a certain amount of experience from the crafter. An expert can bang them out in no time.
At the same time, it's mostly the people who don't know much about it who seem to appreciate it the most. Its like being told whats good and then you aspire to that.
In modern days it basically means the stuff you hear the most about must be the best. Popularity dictates perceived quality. Dovetails are popular, so they must be good.
@@stefanfyhn4668 I agree wholeheartedly. My statement is based off what I see on videos and especially on comments on YT, reddit, etc. It’s that attitudes people get about it. It’s especially prevalent when people try to insist that it is the strongest, most stable joint. Also, and even though it is a nice looking joint, there are better ones in my opinion.
The skill and accuracy of Japanese woodworking is wonderful to see and hard to beat. One reason is that Japan has no native source of iron so they had to do without iron nails and fixings, and only had animal glues which are not waterproof, so they had to try harder!
I personally like dovetails on drawers because they elegantly provide the ideal strength of joint. Every time you open a drawer, you are trying to pull the face off the drawer sides. The wedge form means that the joint tightens when you pull on it.
As a retired furniture maker I know that people are impressed by dovetails so I bought myself an expensive jig and two new routers some years ago. With careful use it worked beautifully.
Where it takes them hours or days to joint cut.....it takes us the same time to complete the whole job...successfully...
@@majordendrocoposwhat about Japanese steel?
Loved your video, very informative however, it was fairly machine-orientated/biased, if your fortunate enough to have a kited-out workshop, great. The lessons and skills that come from cutting joints by hand; dovetails and mortice and tenons are extensive and extremely valuable; utilizing marking gauges, measuring tools, squares, hand saws, chisels and the sharpening of these tools, how to use a grinder, honing stones, gluing up square and out of twist are some of the many skills dovetail joints will give you. Learning with hand tools, and I mean, straiting and thicknessing, too, enables those passionate folk that don't have big machine budgets a way in, and in my humble opinion, the best way to start! The question of strength was apparent few times in your presentation and I agree, there are other important questions that need to come into consideration whilst in the design stage, if we were to preference strength above other considerations we would be sitting on logs or boulders etc; welcome home the Flintstones! Proportions, aesthetics and function are prime questions when designing and will answer the "strength" question when answered. I think your presentation was articulated very well, thank you.
You have been consistently putting out the best woodworking videos on youtube for years now. I watch A LOT of yoube woodworking content. You're on top my guy
@@jamesburton6661 much appreciated!
I watch a lot of TH-cam woodworking content and I have to agree. Disappointed in myself for just discovering his channel today.
I love your presentation style, and get that many times a simple joint is all that's needed - it's a good point. But surely a dovetail beats all when the joint come under tension, e.g. holding the bottom of a wall cupboard to a side.
I will respectfully disagree with making hand-cutting dovetails sound like super niche skills. This would scare many woodworking hobbyists who are totally capable of learning it in a week. It is a practical skill after all, as long as you don't do those super thin pins.
Dovetails by hand are actually a lot easier to make than you would think. It takes a bit if practice (obviously), but once you can accurately draw a line and saw straight, it's pretty easy.
Not only is modern wood glue incredibly strong, but most youtube woodworkers use way too much of it. You just need a tiny bead when tightening, not glue literally dripping out on to your bench.
yeah he is one of them, 12:45 thats already too much. Yes glue can improve a joint but applying so much that it drips everywhere is just wrong. One shouls also mention that most glues are "pressure sensitive adhesives", meaning that that you have to apply pressure with clamps until it's dry. I eiredly get the feeling hes is just plastering it on and leaves it be ...
I am so pleased to see this video. Making is about the finished article. Thats it.
For many though it is how you get there thats the thing - if youre a start up maker then thats also where many stop.
Cant do dovetails, then you cant make drawers -
Enthusiasm for making is often destroyed by non existent traditions, the invention of "new"traditions and nobody diving into the history of that particular technique or idea - was there another way of doing it?
With that, i have been experimenting working with wet wood - no glue, no really clever joints - just wooden nails and good design.
That for cabinets - yes it really does work and yes others are doing the same.
Im having fun - i hope you are.
I appreciate the no BS approach. As you say, there’s a lot of silly gatekeeping that people should ignore.
Two addenda to what you said: one benefit of using plywood is that you always have at least half side grain that can glue well. Also, when you cut a miter on the end grain, you actually end up with something that has attributes of both side grain and end grain because the angle of cut. So miters glue better than straight end grain butt joints.
Thanks for the tip about reinforcing picture frames simply with a circle. I had not seen that one before.
Word mashup gets a like all on it's own!
Rob Cosman is coming for you! But seriously I learned something and had fun at the same time. And even if I already knew it who cares, I still liked hearing you say it.
9:48 I'll never be able to watch the movie _Deliverance_ again the same way. 😂
He gawt a real purdy mouth, ainee 😁
When I did my apprenticeship in cabinet making and carpentry . We were always taught to dovetail because it is beautiful and strong .
Dovetails are used in drawers not because of strength but because of the taper and the direction of force !
For half laps, bridle joints, and dovetails, the end grain soaks up more finish and will be darker than the face or edge grain. To me this highlights the joint and looks really good.
Good video.
Any more shop swap videos with your neighbor John coming up in the future?
Likely not
Nice video, but count me a little in the grumps camp here. First off there is a common end-end join the Scarf joint that most hobby woodworkers don't need because it mainly acts as a technique to extend stock, and we work on a scale where large enough wood is easily available.
My main grump is that raw strength as tested by a force meter, while important, doesn't account for all the needs in a project.
Aesthetics: Do you want a classic look (maybe dovetails), wrapping grain? (miters), etc.
Functionality: Does the furniture need to break down? mortise and tenon might be a better option.
Alignment: Dowels, Dovetails and Mortises all help align pieces or can be self squaring.
Mechanical Advantage: For small regular forces like drawers, having the mechanical advantage of a dovetail could still survive if glue fails where a finger joint probably wouldn't.
Now, you don't need to use every joint on every project, but throwing out a joint because you deem it as complicated or "weak" (when measured on 1 axis) seems foolish.
It's fun to watch the Keyboard Engineers debate which "X" is better. Even when you back up your comments/theories with FACTS. Thanks! !! !!!
Dovetails are the best.
Thank you for your video. I really liked how you encourage us to try and not worry about making mistakes. That's the only way we can learn - through our success and mistakes.
You half lapped your way to my dovetail heart but you put a spline between me and my screws. Guess i have to dowel my way up the joints ladder. 😁
Excellent video. It is absolutely true that modern glues have changed woodworking, and your summary of joining methods is excellent. Incidentally, I am a fan of Products Engineering measurement tools. They are excellent -- everything from precision rulers to squares. Thank you for the time spent to put this together. Cheers.
Thank you very much!
As a beginner, you should learn to make dovetails. Then you won't be a beginner any more.
Lincoln: Shows all the cool joints you can do with glue and stuff
Me: only uses screws and nails
I love the amount of ways you can joint two boards, and I plan on getting more into glueing, and its great to have a fairly on point guide about all the different jointing methods. The only two main reasons I never liked glueing wood is the dry time and not being able to take it apart simply by reversing the screw. I feel like I just have gotten used to hiding all the screws in places no one can easily see. But since some of my projects will deal with some pretty hefty loads, its probably a good idea I add in glue to the mixture too.
You had me at "easy"
7:55 Regarding miters & splines making people think I'm a better woodworker than I am... I recently made a project where I angled the table saw blade to cut the slot for the spline. Afterwards, people looking at it were VERY impressed but have no idea how simple it is to do. And my little infantile ego is inflated! ha ha! Great video!
"I Don't Get Why People Still Use These Joints". Because people still pay me to use those joints. And they are actually effective for their usage.
guy complaining about internet know-it-alls that commits to be an internet know-it-all. Then says unfortunately nature doesn't have glue that talks about lignen.
He finally mentioned dowels which are stronger than screws if you do them right. I was too annoyed to listen much longer but I'm betting he didn't mention biscuit joints. For amateurs like me who want eazy strong good looking joints without the effort and knowledge you have dowels and biscuits are fantastic
Did you actually watch the video? This is directed at beginner woodworkers....and it makes perfect sense.
DUDE! YOU are an incredible communicator!!! You make woodworking approachable!!!!!!
Thanks