How to Size Dovetails | Paul Sellers

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  • čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
  • Dovetail sizing has a big effect on the strength and appearance of your project. Paul shares some advice on how to size your dovetails depending on the size of your project.
    To see a step by step version of how to make a dovetails for beginner woodworkers, visit our sister site: commonwoodwork...
    For more information on these topics, see paulsellers.com or woodworkingmas...

Komentáře • 126

  • @sloppymcwetfart
    @sloppymcwetfart Před 6 lety +11

    The simple way you hold your hand against the board and run those perfectly straight lines is the slickest part of watching this video!

    • @kipdunagan3107
      @kipdunagan3107 Před rokem

      He draws a straighter line free hand than I do with a straightedge

  • @sabfam5545
    @sabfam5545 Před 5 lety +4

    Searching internet last three days. This is the best explanation I’ve found. Thanks

  • @juistgaming01
    @juistgaming01 Před měsícem

    I was never bad at calculating Dovetails but this video just furthered my knowledge of the craft. Thank you very much :)

  • @MrCujo1
    @MrCujo1 Před 6 lety +11

    "I'm never sure what makes it prissy and what makes it refined" -- Brilliant !!! --- Mr. Sellers you are delightful :)

  • @55ATA3
    @55ATA3 Před 6 lety +10

    I have never seen such a great walk through of dovetail layout before, Thank you Paul. Again you are a great teacher, and your skill in wood working is always worth watching.

  • @seanstanley3849
    @seanstanley3849 Před 3 lety +1

    Thank you so much for catering to the poorer classes! I like how you are old fashioned learning how to"make do with what you have at hand. Blessings dear brother!

  • @keiththrelkeld5890
    @keiththrelkeld5890 Před 6 lety +4

    After all these years ! I have never seen a board devided up in this manner and I feel so "left out " till now. Thank you Paul

  • @wagsman9999
    @wagsman9999 Před 5 lety +6

    This guy is the best. I've learned so much from Mr. Seller's videos.

  • @luckyhiker3434
    @luckyhiker3434 Před 6 lety +2

    Hi Paul, I always appreciate your demonstrations. Keeping it simple and easy to follow is critical for all who are eager to learn from a master. You seem to have the knack of giving a perfect amount of information - not to much and never to little.
    A friend in America.

  • @1rammsteinium
    @1rammsteinium Před měsícem

    Much much easier using a pair of dividers. No measuring needed. Love your videos.

  • @MRrwmac
    @MRrwmac Před 6 lety +2

    I’ve seen the way you use that technique with the ruler at an angle to get equal measurements before. I will definitely be using it myself! Thank you again Paul.

  • @josearrue4072
    @josearrue4072 Před 6 lety +3

    Thank you very much Sir Paul, it was so confusing to size dovetails for me, a beginner in woodworking after retirement, but after this video cristal clear. Regards from Panamá City

  • @InternalizedSun
    @InternalizedSun Před 6 lety +4

    So simple, yet so elusive... thank you Paul.

  • @bobs344
    @bobs344 Před 6 lety +12

    I LIVE FOR PAUL SELLER VIDEOS!

  • @policedog4030
    @policedog4030 Před 5 lety +1

    Wish I could recall who taught me this (and it could well have been Mr. Sellers) but the advice to "always work from centers" has been very helpful when I'm undecided or torn between two layout methods.. it really has been a useful principle and will be self-evident when you find yourself there.. it might have been "Ask Woodman"..

  • @2heeldrive
    @2heeldrive Před 6 lety +2

    Would love to see a video on that shelf unit behind you! Interlocking uprights, airy and clean. Thanks for all of the knowledge you share!

  • @thomaslamora1679
    @thomaslamora1679 Před 6 lety +6

    A very clever trick - the "no thinking" method for equal size/equal spacing dovetails.

    • @seanstanley3849
      @seanstanley3849 Před 3 lety +1

      Yes no thinking and no buying unnecessary tools!

  • @sissomd1
    @sissomd1 Před 6 lety

    Thank you, Paul and team. Hope you are enjoying your new space.

  • @ramingr
    @ramingr Před 4 lety +3

    Wow! Using Thales's theorem on woodworking, that's brilliant! Geometry used in a wonderful way, thanks for the great tip Mr Sellers. You have been a true inspiration in my woodworking journey!

  • @donniebrunswick4356
    @donniebrunswick4356 Před 5 lety +5

    You are the Chuck Norris of woodworking!!!

  • @jjStinger72
    @jjStinger72 Před 6 lety

    I've used that trick for spacing the shingles on roofing when the roof is not so sqaure, never thought about translating it to wood working... Brilliant

  • @garyknight8616
    @garyknight8616 Před 6 lety +1

    Lovely dose of common sense. Thank you Paul.

  • @DavisStillson
    @DavisStillson Před 4 lety +1

    Brilliant measuring ideas.. loved the video, but then I enjoy all your videos..

  • @DBacaMaker
    @DBacaMaker Před 6 lety +1

    Wow. I've not seen that before. I have so often marked out and then erased the marks to try again because I couldn't graps how to make the dovetails proportional and even. I've modeled them on the computer even and tried taking the measurements off the models but they never came out exactly right. This looks very simple and effective. Thank you.

    • @tarbucktransom
      @tarbucktransom Před 6 lety

      Also look up the dividers method of dovetails. It can be a bit of guess and check to get the exact size you want, but it makes it very easy to do a large number of dovetails very quickly in one batch and have them all come out exactly the same.

  • @dman81032
    @dman81032 Před 6 lety +1

    Thanks for the awesome videos! The way you explain how things work and break down the methods is awesome! Thank You!

  • @marcuspullan1142
    @marcuspullan1142 Před 6 měsíci

    Thank you, Paul. Have been looking for this information for a while.
    Brilliant

  • @joeytribbiani33
    @joeytribbiani33 Před 3 lety

    It helped me As a beginner to woodworking, thanks Mr. Sellers

  • @Laurelinad
    @Laurelinad Před 7 měsíci

    this is so interesting to me since in german cabinetmaking class we got a formula to adhere to

  • @luisp8999
    @luisp8999 Před 6 lety +27

    I think Paul uses rulers, squares and all that just so we can understand what he is doing. I bet he doesn’t need them!
    He could build a workbench with a wooden spoon!

    • @toniharkins5967
      @toniharkins5967 Před 6 lety +6

      True. Every time he draws a line from a tickmark without a straightedge, I'm agog. Then he measures and it's spot on.

  • @markleng67
    @markleng67 Před 9 měsíci

    This video is what I've been searching for! THANK YOU!

  • @watermain48
    @watermain48 Před 6 lety +1

    Thanks Paul, you simplified layout for me.

  • @smasica
    @smasica Před 6 lety +1

    Clear, concise, simple. Thank you so much.

  • @danalexandroaie3233
    @danalexandroaie3233 Před rokem

    Thank you very much, Sir! Thank you very much indeed, very nice explanations, not to mention the examples. I very much appreciate you lesson.

  • @ClearlyCero
    @ClearlyCero Před rokem

    That was so simple and efficient. I will now go cut some dovetails.

  • @pingASS_
    @pingASS_ Před 3 lety

    Thank you so much. I got crazy trying to do it properly.

  • @JeepTherapy
    @JeepTherapy Před 6 lety +1

    I really like that method Mr. Sellers. Thanks.

  • @richardwood2693
    @richardwood2693 Před 6 lety

    you make it soo easy to follow your directions

  • @9957nite
    @9957nite Před 6 lety

    Hi Paul this is off topic just wanted too say thanks for all the lessons just finished my first spoon today it's going too my daughter she claimed it already :)

  • @neilschurrer1157
    @neilschurrer1157 Před 2 lety

    This really helped me out today, thanks so much!

  • @cobberpete1
    @cobberpete1 Před 6 lety +5

    Thanks Paul, So many ways to do things but it's nice to have a general rule of thumb. I'm metric, but it makes me smile when you use the two different standards in the same sentence ;D

    • @Paul.Sellers
      @Paul.Sellers  Před 6 lety +4

      Probably a bad habit now. hard to change.

    • @edwardcharles9764
      @edwardcharles9764 Před 6 lety +2

      Peter Compton I'm sure there those who appreciate it as not everyone is metric. UK for example would be happy with 9mm whereas America would recognise and associate better with 3/8, so he caters for all as opposed to leaving one guessing.

    • @petelevoguer5638
      @petelevoguer5638 Před 6 lety +2

      Haha, I think it's a British habit, I apprenticed as a carpenter in the U.K. and can use both metric and imperial measurements with fluency, now I live in "metric" Canada, I only use imperial measurements!

  • @Alan2E0KVRKing
    @Alan2E0KVRKing Před 6 lety +1

    Excellent video as always, thank you for your teaching!

  • @aleblanc3547
    @aleblanc3547 Před 6 lety +2

    Thanks Paul, as always, for another great video.

  • @Mikhandmaker
    @Mikhandmaker Před 6 lety +6

    Nice vídeo Paul!

  • @humbleme6974
    @humbleme6974 Před 3 lety +1

    would love to see that shelf build in your backdrop I will build that

  • @williamhanna5224
    @williamhanna5224 Před rokem

    Awesome video Great work!

  • @TheHolydruid
    @TheHolydruid Před měsícem

    now I just need that dovetail template

  • @zimmermaniacs
    @zimmermaniacs Před 3 lety +1

    "I'm guesstimating this....." briljant !!!

  • @DNind78
    @DNind78 Před 6 lety

    Thanks Paul, excellent video again.

  • @Jon4as
    @Jon4as Před 6 lety +1

    I've learned the following:
    Number of dovetails = board width / (1.5 * board thickness)

  • @jhendry12
    @jhendry12 Před 6 lety +5

    Have I missed a video that shows you building the shelf unit behind you? Would love to see that!

    • @lint2023
      @lint2023 Před 6 lety

      That captured my eye, also. Constantly! There also was a prototype or miniature version on his tool shelf. I've envisioned how he built it. Soon, we will see, I hope.

    • @MatthewBuntyn
      @MatthewBuntyn Před 6 lety

      I think it's an upcoming class for his website

    • @Paul.Sellers
      @Paul.Sellers  Před 6 lety +9

      Yes, its an upcoming wwmc series. I included the neatest internal joints inside this one.

    • @lint2023
      @lint2023 Před 6 lety

      What is wwmc? Thanks.

    • @K8Nicole
      @K8Nicole Před 6 lety +1

      InTnMnNmAz. Wood working master classes

  • @Ron-FabandBuild
    @Ron-FabandBuild Před 6 lety

    Great formula. Thank you

  • @catmeme7945
    @catmeme7945 Před 3 lety

    Men! it actually works!!!!

  • @ausaiden7483
    @ausaiden7483 Před 6 lety

    Great video as usual. Thanks a bunch.

  • @daniellangdon5514
    @daniellangdon5514 Před 3 lety

    That is awesome. Thanks for the video

  • @lungbuster341
    @lungbuster341 Před 6 lety

    This is brilliant. Thanks for sharing

  • @clemmcguinness1087
    @clemmcguinness1087 Před 6 lety

    Thanks for this. So much sense.

  • @andrewford80
    @andrewford80 Před 6 lety

    Exactly what i needed to know, thanks!

  • @28gwdavies
    @28gwdavies Před 6 lety

    Brilliant!... You must be psychic! I just logged in to ask you this very question... Uncanny!
    I'm saving this link on my desktop with the other videos of yours that I need when I try to make something.
    I'm probably answering my own question here, but is the reason that all my work at this time of year is almost impossible to get clean and crisp due to all my wood being about 19% and over on my tester?

  • @arnold7156
    @arnold7156 Před 6 lety

    I just went to paul blog and cliked on the same vid about dove tails, the size of the frame was smaller but it did not break up into pixals like the one off the email

  • @gbparn
    @gbparn Před 6 lety +2

    Very informative Paul. Thank you. How do you do dovetail layout if you want your box to have sloped sides?

    • @Paul.Sellers
      @Paul.Sellers  Před 6 lety +1

      Hi. It is more complicated but you just have to do the geometry. Whatever slopes you have on the sides you would use a sliding bevel to establish the angles on both the pins and the tails.

  • @milehighslacker4196
    @milehighslacker4196 Před 6 lety +3

    +10 (12?) for mixing imperial and metric in the same measurement group!!!

  • @purpleviolin
    @purpleviolin Před 6 lety

    Always wondered that. Thanks!

  • @Lodewikus
    @Lodewikus Před 6 lety

    Really nice video, thank you!

  • @BDM_PT
    @BDM_PT Před 6 lety +2

    Hi there from Portugal,
    The last out side half pins are 10mm ou 5mm each?
    Obrigado(Thanks)

  • @gibtsnocheinenfreien
    @gibtsnocheinenfreien Před 6 lety

    Great again! Thank you!!

  • @MrGorfinkle
    @MrGorfinkle Před 6 lety

    Very nice Paul, Thank You

  • @ironmantooltime
    @ironmantooltime Před 4 lety

    So clever 😎

  • @gsrorive
    @gsrorive Před 6 lety

    I'm so glad I subscribed sometimes.

  • @AtticusDraco
    @AtticusDraco Před 6 lety +1

    very good
    thanx

  • @JeffGloverArts
    @JeffGloverArts Před 6 lety

    Thank you!

  • @WeedMIC
    @WeedMIC Před 6 lety

    I thought one would want 50% & 50%. Very interesting.

  • @FAFBWoodShop
    @FAFBWoodShop Před 12 dny

    Off subject but how did you make the shelves behind you?

  • @LimitedGunnerGM
    @LimitedGunnerGM Před 5 lety

    At some point, tiny pins become the weak point of the joint. To optimize strength, wouldn’t you want the same amount of wood in the pins as you would the tails?
    I know, it’s a beginner question.

  • @humanbeansauce
    @humanbeansauce Před 6 lety

    great video

  • @neriyah
    @neriyah Před 6 lety

    You are amazing!

  • @walterrider9600
    @walterrider9600 Před 6 lety

    thank you

  • @jimspencer1077
    @jimspencer1077 Před 2 lety

    👍

  • @brettmciver432
    @brettmciver432 Před 4 lety +3

    When is he going to be knighted for services to woodworking?? Come on lizy,,!!

  • @adomasvysniauskas9509
    @adomasvysniauskas9509 Před 6 lety

    How would You cut those smallest pins out?

    • @Paul.Sellers
      @Paul.Sellers  Před 6 lety

      With a 3/16" (4.7mm) or 1/8" (3mm) chisel. On superfines you might use a 1/16" (1.6mm) chisel.

  • @RanjitSingh-dl1wi
    @RanjitSingh-dl1wi Před 6 lety

    No mater dovtail depend your choice first you look which one good more dovtail need more time two quickly finish😀

  • @tonyennis3008
    @tonyennis3008 Před 4 lety +1

    Dude, at 1:04, the two smallest pieces are 2" and 3" wide. But there's no way. The small one is 1.5", or the larger one is 4".

    • @mralabbad7
      @mralabbad7 Před 4 lety

      I think it's 2, 4 ,5 ,7
      Or maybe 2, 4, 6 ,8
      He may have just used them for visual demonstration with what he had lying around not wanting to bother ripping them to size for no real reason😂

  • @clydedecker765
    @clydedecker765 Před 6 lety

    Could have had a better closeup of that last set of dovetails. Not sure how you compensated the outside pins.

    • @Paul.Sellers
      @Paul.Sellers  Před 6 lety

      I explain it in the blog i wrote.

    • @user-is4gy7be3n
      @user-is4gy7be3n Před 6 lety

      It looks like this. Say you want 10 mm pins, so you devide 10 by 2 and get 5. Now you draw two lines along the piece offsetting 5 mm. These are the lines you align the ruler to. When you have the centre points of the pins you add 5 mm on either side which gives you 10 mm, and 5 mm to the lines you already have along the piece; 5 and 5 is 10 again. So all the pins are now 10 mm.

    • @clydedecker765
      @clydedecker765 Před 6 lety

      Stupid me -- I did watch again and caught the 5 mil compensation as adding back the half pins to get full pins at the edges. Thanks for your kindness to my poor concentration.

    • @clydedecker765
      @clydedecker765 Před 6 lety

      Thank you Misha _

  • @chrisschultz6541
    @chrisschultz6541 Před 6 lety

    Has anyone else had problems watching his videos as of late? I am seeing a lag on mobile viewing. It starts out fine, then about 40 seconds in and will delay and Paul's movements slows down.

  • @sdpkom
    @sdpkom Před 6 lety +4

    And ... you cant make a dovetail smaller than your smallest chisel.

  • @crztrn1
    @crztrn1 Před 5 lety

    ehh huh what huh do you do a dovetail for newbies ??????

  • @mozpogson3639
    @mozpogson3639 Před 2 lety

    So your metric answer is to use imperial. Illogical

  • @markschofield576
    @markschofield576 Před 6 lety +1

    So why do most UK creators on CZcams work in inches with MM in a subtitle? Is everyone trying to cater for the US market? It's funny but the US creators don't feel the need to put MM in the subtitles! Is it a money thing or are they just more important, Paul you are my woodworking hero and I find it sad that you seem more concerned about pleasing the American audience than your native UK, still I suppose you gotta go where the money is.

    • @Paul.Sellers
      @Paul.Sellers  Před 6 lety +9

      +Mark Schofield Paul used imperial when he was first learning woodworking then swapped to metric when everyone else in the UK did. Then he moved to the US and swapped back again. He is back in the UK now and is very proficient with both but is most comfortable with feet and inches.
      - Team Paul

    • @paulkeogh1396
      @paulkeogh1396 Před 6 lety +1

      Growing up in the UK everything in school was in metric and everything out of school was still in inches so I naturally use both. I tend to rough out in feet and inches and do precision work in mm.

    • @JeepWranglerIslander
      @JeepWranglerIslander Před 6 lety +11

      Just completely fuck shit up like we do in the UK and use both metric and imperial at once! Weigh sugar by the pound, meat by the kilo and ourselves in stone. Buy water and soft drinks by the litre but milk by the pint (beer is bought either by the litre or the pint depending whether you're buying it on draught or bottle). We measure cables in metres and ourselves in feet and inches. We measure our fuel in litres but fuel economy in miles per gallon. Snow/rainfall is measured in millimetres but windspeed is miles per hour.

    • @Paul.Sellers
      @Paul.Sellers  Před 6 lety +14

      Imperial is my first language. I can work equally well in both but visualise better in imperial and can gauge distances in any increment up to 2" to within 1/32" (1mm) by eye and then after that to within say 1/8". This I cannot do in metric so it is something we learn at a very early age. I have noticed that many young people cannot gauge size accurately in either standard and I am not sure if there is a good reason or that we no longer require it at a young age. As an apprentice I was expected to be ably to guestimate a size by eye. Getting it wring was a rap on the knuckles or the back of the head. Not harshly, but do that today and you'd likely be in prison.

    • @meanders9221
      @meanders9221 Před 6 lety +4

      Now that you're leaving the EU the French can't make you use their metric system anymore! You'll be free to return to the good old British imperial measurement system for everything. Make Britain great again!

  • @foresterjikes9054
    @foresterjikes9054 Před 6 lety

    I've just found God , lol

  • @gokdenizkarakas9221
    @gokdenizkarakas9221 Před 6 lety

    im the first:-)