Replies

1. 
   YesMaam27577 | Jun 11, 2007 07:17pm | #1

   The magazine's back cover was my first exposure to this amazing joinery. I was blown away, as was my wife. She has since challenged me to include some of the through-tenon-lettering on the hutch that she is planning for me to build.

   Little does she know just how bad that might actually turn out.

    

   I compliment you on your joinery. Do not hold your head low when showing those tails. Few will even attempt them, and even fewer will match your quality.

   And one or two in a few billion will get to the level of Mr. Yazawa.

    

    

    

   Support our Troops. Bring them home. Now.  And pray that at least some of the buildings in the green zone have flat roofs, with a stairway.

2. 
   mbholden | Jun 11, 2007 11:48pm | #2

   Labolle,

   Good on ya for trying at all!

   For a first attempt they are pretty darn good! If you have ever tried dovetails, remember your first ones? Mine were awful, and it was in a class, so every one saw everyone elses attempts. Embarrassing at first, but really, none were ready for prime time. Still, with practice, I am willing to use in my work.

   Yours show great promise, imagine how nice your 10th try will be!

   Good Job!

   Mike

3. 
   user-200815 | Jun 17, 2007 09:38am | #3

   Any way you could post some pics of the two parts of one of the joints - apart? Do they slip together like through or half blind "normal" dovetails?

   One of the things I came to realize when learning to handcut through dovetails is not worrying about how perfect the parts that don't show have to be. Less than perfection in those areas isn't going to affect the strenght of the joint significantly and focusing on getting EVERYTHING perfect often lead to getting an area that isn't significant just so - and screwing up the area that shows.

   It cracks me up that some euor apprenticeship programs require you to make a drawer with perfect half blind dovetails - assembled and glued. You can hide some pretty lousey cuts inside a half blind that would be glaringly wrong in a through dovetail.

   I guess the advice is "Don't sweat the small stuff".

   Kintaro's joinery is beautiful -and initially baffling. But if you like puzzles - figure out how to make some of the joinery chinese furniutre makers have been doing for hundreds and hundreds of years - triple mitered corners with integral mortise and tenons - none of the details or complexity being visible in the finished piece.

   charlie b

1. 
   SgianDubh | Jun 17, 2007 02:58pm | #4

   Here's an online description of marking and executing one version of the joint-- with pictures of joint assembly. Slainte.

   http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/readarticle.pl?dir=furniture&file=articles_442.shtmlRichard Jones Furniture

2. 
   chscholz | Jun 18, 2007 03:17am | #5

   They make some pretty good dovetails, too, just not a joint that is used very frequently. For most of history Chinese literati (the primary customers of the Chinese furniture makers/wood-artists who were mostly anonymous) preferred a refined understated style.(Photographs taken in the Meixi village museum in Zhuhai).Kintaro's joinery is beautiful -and initially baffling. But if you like puzzles - figure out how to make some of the joinery Chinese furniture makers have been doing for hundreds and hundreds of years - triple mitered corners with integral mortise and tenons - none of the details or complexity being visible in the finished piece.

   
4. 
   TrueGentleman | Jun 18, 2007 08:45am | #6

   Excellent effort.  I told my father of the trouble and battle I have had to make the perfect simple box joints I want.  He said if they so hard do another joint.... I replied...that misses the point.. it is the challenge.  I hope to try some more exotic ideas I  have some day as well.  YOU take pride in your work because it is hard.   As they say perfection is a journey not a destination.

   Great work.  Look forward to your next effort.... I bet you you already thinking on better methods..

   Rich

5. 
   duotone | Oct 28, 2007 02:10am | #7

   Thanks for sharing, I had never heard of him before. Just looking through his website now.

6. 
   9619 | Oct 28, 2007 04:39am | #8

   Labolle,
   Great post.
   Congratulations on teking a shot at some great joinery. I try to do a number of new things each year, but I still haven't tried Yazawa's joinery. To me, Yazawa is the one true genius in innovative woodwork today. I wrote to him once and was lucky enough to get a response. He is also a nice guy.

   Not getting the double twisted dovetail right the first time is nothing to be ashamed of. Why not write to Yazawa andd ask him how many times he tried it before he got it right.

   You have a great attitude toward woodworking.
   Keep it up. Keep us posted.
   Mel

   Measure your output in smiles per board foot. 

1. 
   WillGeorge | Oct 28, 2007 07:01pm | #9

   Not getting the double twisted dovetail right the first time is nothing to be ashamed of.Geee. I cut a hundred of them before I stopped cutting my fingers! The joint was still bad but at least not stained in red!

7. 
   marking | Oct 29, 2007 05:13am | #10

   I like the idea of learning from the master how long it takes to master a difficult joint. I assume it won't be perfect the first or even the fifth time.

   I followed the supplied link to Yazawa's site and marveled at his work.

   I noticed his examples of the Double Twisted Dovetail Joint ( and others) appear to be slightly chamfered along all the mating surfaces. Even an aspiring novice such as myself has learned that this method sometimes hides minor errors better than putty. The viewer ends up admiring the little bevel and glossing over any little ill fitting mistake.

   I think you should be congratulated on your first attempt. And "fessing up" and sharing pictures of your project is a learning opportunity for us all.

   peace, mark