My introduction to the world of Fine Woodworking came shortly after I took a job as an apprentice at Lohr Woodworking Studio. After a few months, it became apparent that cutting dovetails was a rite of passage. When I asked Jeff (the namesake of the studio) about it, he showed me a bastardized dovetail jig slapped together with scrapwood and whatever spare nuts and bolts were lying around. A vintage Bosch router screamed through some poplar blanks and out of a cloud of dust came some dovetail-shaped ends. “Why don’t you hand cut dovetails?” I asked. He explained that he offers customers that option, but only if they’re willing to pay an extra $300 per drawer. I don’t think anyone ever went for it.

He handed me a VHS tape titled, “Dovetail a Drawer with Frank Klausz.” Even though we were in the mid-’80s, I somehow still had a functioning TV/VCR combo to watch it with. What I saw was a buttoned up Hungarian man in a shop full of green tools telling me that my dovetails would be terrible … and even if I got them to the point of looking good, they’d still be terrible because they took too long. I devoted myself to his practices day in and day out. Sawing and chopping with an imaginary Hungarian master shouting over my shoulder. I got better, but never matched the speed or exactitude that I saw on that videotape. Sadly, it’s not available online.

I later came across a Video Workshop from Tim Rousseau, making a frame-and-panel nightstand. He also made a dovetailed drawer, but with a much softer tone. He cut his tails at the bandsaw with an exceedingly simple jig and finished up the fit at the bench with a saw and chisel. I still use so many of the techniques from that video workshop—probably the best instructions for installing knife hinges that have ever existed. His approach was holistic. The dovetails were merely a part of the package, and it gave me a great sense of perspective.

It was only after trying out techniques by a host of makers that I found “my way.” Each step of my process is informed by some tip or trick found along the way. I use the ones that seem to fit my style of work and marvel at the ones that don’t.

That imaginary Hungarian master still reminds me that speed is important, but I’m never getting it down to 20 minutes per drawer.

Rob Spiece​

	Making a Drawer with Half-Blind Dovetails You don’t have to sacrifice speed for a hand-cut joint. Frank Klausz
	Video: Frame-and-Panel Cabinet Woodworker Timothy Rousseau shows you how to build frame-and-panel nightstand, step-by-step, in this Video Workshop series. Tim Rousseau
	Illustrated Guide to Drawers The ideal drawer? That depends. Here’s how to choose Matthew Teague
	My Favorite Dovetail Tricks Five ways to increase accuracy and reduce the time it takes to execute this hand-cut joint Christian Becksvoort
	The Five-Minute Dovetail Joinery practice is a woodworker’s warm-up. Gary Rogowski