Llama Posted December 29, 2013 Report Share Posted December 29, 2013 It's no secret that I don't care for drawers. I bought this because I was interested in seeing Frank Klausz make some dovetails. And perhaps transfer that knowledge to making dovetailed casework. Overall a great DVD on making the drawer. The pace was good and the instruction was easy to follow and understand.One thing to know, is he only shows how to make the through dovetails, I would have liked to see him make a half-blind. This is my only criticism of the DVD. It should be called "How to make a through dovetail drawer and then you figure out how to screw the front on".Ok, being a little funny but you get the idea.The price of the DVD was worth it just to see his methods. Heck, to see a pro of his caliber size the drawer parts and how quickly he was able to get those parts ready for assembly was amazing. I'm sure he could have finished that whole drawer in five minutes. Ok, maybe ten. He's quick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted December 29, 2013 Report Share Posted December 29, 2013 ==> How to make a through dovetail drawer and then you figure out how to screw the front on Don't laugh... A lot of high-end guys do this with figured grain-matched drawer fronts... They make a false front out of the same material as the show front, dovetail the false-front and glue-up the drawers. With the box completed, they carefully apply the show front... It's almost impossible to detect the glue-on... The reason, if you've got a 10-drawer chest with a running grain pattern in highly figured wood, you might not want to risk dovetailing the show stock... A lot of museum-quality antiques were made this way for the same reason. Charles Neil has a decent video on the workflow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted December 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 One thing I was surprised with was the use of ply for the drawer fronts. I shouldn't be, but I was. I did like that he used pine for the drawers, and talked about how to make them last longer in a high use situation. Perhaps I'll pick up Charles' DVD as well. I'm a sucker for good instruction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted December 30, 2013 Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 Does anyone know of a good book(s) or DVD(s) for making dovetails? I'm tired of making the same old ones that look factory made from my dt jig. I will definitely pursue the Frank Klausz and Charles Neil videos suggested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjeff70 Posted December 30, 2013 Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 I was just studying Charles Neil's Cabriole leg videos on Utube this past weekend. So are these guys cutting dovetails free-hand or are they using a table saw, or what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted December 30, 2013 Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 ==> Charles Neil videos suggested CN uses a custom router jig and bit... His video is more about a drawer-building design/strategy, grain matching, sizing and fitting -- he doesn't care how you cut the dovetails... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted December 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 I was just studying Charles Neil's Cabriole leg videos on Utube this past weekend. So are these guys cutting dovetails free-hand or are they using a table saw, or what? The Klausz DVD is hands down the best DVD I've seen on cutting dovetails. He does them by hand, and quicker than you can say "Norm". And they're awesome! The Cosman DVD is a good one, however it is too long. Actually the entire Cosman series of DVDs are great, just watch it through knowing you're going to need a refresher. Simply because he covers so much material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjeff70 Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 ==> Charles Neil videos suggested CN uses a custom router jig and bit... His video is more about a drawer-building design/strategy, grain matching, sizing and fitting -- he doesn't care how you cut the dovetails... Hmm..yea, I like his style. He'll give a few different ways to do something. I'm curious how the 'big' guys' are cutting their dovetails...seems like using a jig isn't as big as it used to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjeff70 Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 The Klausz DVD is hands down the best DVD I've seen on cutting dovetails. He does them by hand, and quicker than you can say "Norm". And they're awesome! The Cosman DVD is a good one, however it is too long. Actually the entire Cosman series of DVDs are great, just watch it through knowing you're going to need a refresher. Simply because he covers so much material. I'm not too interested in cutting them by hand. I'm just not there yet. How about that William Ng, does he cut them by hand too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted December 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 I'm not there either. Honestly after watching his DVD I feel like I have a much better shot. His approach is so straight forward it is worth a watch. I think I paid $10 for it on amazon. Easily worth much more.I have never seen NG's dvd's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjeff70 Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 I'm not there either. Honestly after watching his DVD I feel like I have a much better shot. His approach is so straight forward it is worth a watch. I think I paid $10 for it on amazon. Easily worth much more. I have never seen NG's dvd's. Well that's cool. That's what I call value! Thanks for answering my questions in your thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted December 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 It's our thread Really, I'm glad to help out as much as I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 Just buckle down and practice a joint from start to finish. After one or two you should be able to detect any mistakes you are making and adjust your strategy for the next set. It's nerve-racking at first but very rewarding once you sync the steps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChetlovesMer Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 I cut all my dovetails by hand. To date, I've never used a dovetail jig. I have a buddy with a fancy Leigh jig and I've often bet him I can knock out a drawer before he can get his jig set up. (It's actually not completely true - I CAN knock out a drawer before he gets his jig set up, but it's usually a pretty ugly drawer. That and he'll pass me easily on the second drawer.) Anyway, I started cutting them by hand because I was too cheap to buy a jig and I only needed them once in a while. I often say I'm a cabinet maker who's trying to learn to be a fine woodworker. There are a dozen ways to do it, but none of them are "Rocket Surgery". To Freddie's point, I'll bet if you cut 2 drawers worth, you will be producing showroom quality dovetails from that point forward. I have a Chicago Public School education and I can do... It can't be that hard! Go to your shop right now and cut some by hand. (Hint, believe it or not, the actual angle you choose isn't really critical for practice.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChetlovesMer Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 By the way, Mel. 2 things. 1 - I actually have this dvd on my Netflix list. 2 - Dovetailled drawers would look great in your new shaker bench..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted January 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 By the way, Mel. 2 things. 1 - I actually have this dvd on my Netflix list. 2 - Dovetailled drawers would look great in your new shaker bench..... I agree. They would look nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted January 12, 2014 Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 ==>Klausz DVD... Cosman DVD It's interesting to watch both DVDs back-to-back. I recommended it to any/all woodworkers interested in hand tool use... Their approach and workflow are polar-opposites…Cosman uses a workflow so precise and meticulous that it’s like ‘Engineering’ the dovetails – almost like working in a machine shop... He delivers 'precise' dovetails on a formula with an extensive (and expensive) set of tools… Frank ‘just does it’ in the truest sense… Zen in the Art of Dovetails… Flash-back to Caddyshack and Chevy Chase, ‘Be the ball’… http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/323607/Caddyshack-Movie-Clip-Be-The-Ball.html ... Frank uses minimal kit and cuts by eye… And the speed while maintaining accuracy -- that’s what’s incredible… He just pop-out the joinery in a fraction of the time and the drawer snaps-together -- on the first go… Further, notice how Frank never picks-up a single measurement tool in the entire DVD… No compass, no dovetail gauge… Hell, no ruler… Both men are considered today’s top dovetail gurus – yet you get the sense that Rob is a craftsman while Frank is a master… 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhl.verona Posted January 12, 2014 Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 Possibly the audience has changed? I think the Klausz video dates from the late 70's, whereas the Cosman video will be early 21st century. There is a noticeable change towards 'engineering' over that period in the woodworking magazines too. Just a thought. Either way, as Chet says, just dive in a try them. You may have to throw away the first few (though I kept the very first myself), but a little practice will work wonders. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted January 12, 2014 Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 Good observation on the audience, but I did take a seminar class with Frank Klausz and that's still exactly how he does it. Only thing that changed is he now has Shapton stones to carry around to his classes because they were given to him by the manufacturer; in his shop, he still uses waterstones because he likes them better once they start to dish a little. Very cool guy; he'll let you know his opinion, too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 I haven't seen any of these videos. Does he make the back width of a drawer slightly less than the width at the front? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 I always do that. Been so long since i saw Frank's DVD that I can't remember if he said it or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted January 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 I haven't seen any of these videos. Does he make the back width of a drawer slightly less than the width at the front? Not that I noticed. Are you thinking he does because of drawer suction? Or is there another reason? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 For the drawer bottom to expand/contract out the back without blowing out the drawer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 It was done all the time on really old furniture. Without drawer slides, it makes sure that drawers don't stick as the wood swells, fronts always fit the face of the carcass, and you can still have a fairly tight fitting drawer (at the front as it closes) in all wooden construction. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Oh I read your question as asking if the back wasn't as wide as the sides so the drawer bottom could escape out the back. I don't remember him going over fitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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