How to Make a Dovetail Template | Paul Sellers 

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There are no words to comment Mr Sellers skills. But the most amazing thing for me is his kindness to share these precious knowledge so clearly. My unique words are THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Best wishes from Australia.

1 in 7 is between 1 and 6 & 1 and 8 I’m dying

Video quality is top notch. I learn so much from watching your videos. Keep up the good work. Have a blessed day.

Useful advice and techniques as usual. Paul Sellers is one of very few people who can make simply sawing a piece of wood, look interesting.

Mr. Sellers, you are the reason why I've turned into a 3AM viewer. I enjoy watching your technique, no matter what the project. your consistancy and positive outlook has contributed to helping an old wood hacker such as I, in gaining confidence in knowing that I still have a chance to learn and build. Thank you, Sir!

simple, effective, useful. and only costs the cost of a scrap of timber on the floor. nice job.

Hi Paul, I just wanted to say I have become fascinated with all of your videos. I find your passion and skill inspirational, and I hope that one day I can use these techniques to develop a fraction of your skill. Thank you for continuing to make these videos, nothing else comes close to the quality and instruction you provide. If ever you think that these videos have no purpose, I hope you realise that in a major way, you are having such a positive influence the lives of a lot of people, and many will be thinking these things without posting them. Thank you!

The other day I cut my finger with a chisel, I smiled because I'm finally starting to sharpen them properly. I've built my first ever workbench In my apartment, and I have my first tiny workshop there, your channel was a huge inspiration for this, I'm finally working towards doing something that I like as long as college gives me the time to do so. Thank you for your contribution to the world, you are an inspiration and a role model to me, have a great weekend!

Paul, you're the only man I can sit for the length of the video to watch you work magic on a dovetail joint! Win or lose, I'm subscribed and always recommend your channel! 350 is almost there!

Here i am thinking: wait why is he doing it with pencil and not marking knifes, that cant be accurate. And then he freehands two perfect straigth parralel lines on a angeled piece of wood that he hold freely in his other hand. Like what.... Amzing template, will recreate.

Paul, I love your videos. I've changed from "mostly power tools" to "mostly hand tools" and learned so much about excellent technique from your instructions.

Your videos offer me all the knowledge on woodworking that I never knew I needed. Thank you for the great content.

I just made this yesterday and I can’t wait to try it out! Unfortunately there is a bird’s nest right next to my last scrap wood stack so I need to go and get some new wood to practice on while they nest in peace. The hardest part for me was trying to create a small perfectly square block first without any power tools. Good practice but I wasn’t 100% successful.

Just stumbled across this video again, made one of these a couple of years ago. Still in use, and used heavily the last couple of weeks for Christmas gifts. Wonderful aid, made out of scrap oak flooring I had laying around.

This is like listening to Pete Rose talk about baseball. Golden!

People should reffer to razors as "Paul Sellers' chisel sharp".

Well I didn't have any offcuts in a decent size but I did have some 5mm thin stock so I trimmed down to about 30mm wide, made 4 saw cuts and laminated one together. Lovely, hard maple and sapele, almost looks too nice to use.

If a guy watches this and walks away with only one quote, I think this is the one, "Never Compromise" I love it, thank you sir, that will stick with me forever. I appreciate you taking the time to teach us all how to make this jig, I actually have one in my Amazon cart $12 bucks you just saved me. I think my little gauge I make will make me much more happy than one I bought, so thank you so much sir. I hope you have had a blessed and happy birthday week sir. Dale

Can't wait to make one. For now, I need to get back out in the garage and finish this table saw restoration so I can start being a woodworker, rather than just a watcher. Although, watching continually gives me something to strive towards. Thanks Paul and team!

11:32 ...Ruined my day

Paul sellers I will never forget this name in woodwork I'm from Mauritius

Hey Paul, I would like to ask, what type of wood do you recommend? I’ve been trying with an Ash blank I had laying around, but hav not been the results I feel are acceptable for this template. I’ve been struggling with the cleaning and chiseling of the finish surfaces do to the density of the ash. Let me know your thoughts. P.S. I really enjoy your channel. You take the time so beginners such as myself can venture woodworking and get good source information for technique. Thank you so much

Hi there from Portugal, Nice info as always :D Obrigado(Thanks) Master +Paul Sellers and team

1x7 is between 1x6 and 1x8....he said that without cracking a smile.😔🤔🤣,if i were there i'd give him my "your a smartass face" and flip him off.lol and then laughed.all in fun obviously.lol...Besides that sounds exactly like something i would say,only i couldn't have delivered it with the deadpan face like he did.lol

Hi Paul! Greetings from Tunisia :) I started woodworking watching your videos and others. I was wondering if it was fine to make a mortise in an angle to the grain. Thank you Sir you have been a great teacher to me.

oh Paul, you make everything seem so easy . thanks for sharing your knowledge

Just made one a week ago before this video from your post on your blog. Works really nice, and got the chanse to make it in mezquite.

How would you make dovetails on a slanting edge? I mean on a box that is smaller at the top than at the bottom?

Culture imperialism, only three countries use Imperial system and the rest of us should convert it!

What do you do with the rest of the dove... I plucked it and it still doesn't work plz hlp!,,!!

Thank you for the shared knowledge!

one third of seven eighths is approximately 0.2916", which is 729/2500ths of an inch... but of course, you actually knew that and just did not want to show off or anything... (-:

Well that just saved me $40. Thanks Mr. Sellers

Hi there Paul I been following all your projects you are a true craftsman. My Grandfather was a woodwork Craftsman sow it's something that you been born with, many thanks for you dovetail explanation I have managed to make my one dovetail jig many Bertus from South Africa stay under this Covid 19 pandemic.

Chevrolet copyright infringement. Reporting immediately! Awesome video. Subscribing.

I just finished making the dovetail marker. It was a great project to not only tohone precision woodworking skills but quite satisfying. Thank you for your great contributions to the woodworking community.

I just attempted to make my first template at 66 years of age. Never did woodwork. I realized the block preparation is crucial. I will attempt another. I used 3/4 square stock. First I learned to hone my chisel sharpening skills which needs more improvement. They are sharp as needed. Learned to sharpen before anything else. Paul you remind me of a shop teacher when I was in middle school. Great channel

I want to build a small toy chest using plywood and dovetails. What pin angles on 3/4 inch plywood should I use. I was thinking it would be 24 inches in height. Any tips ? Thank you for your videos . I have learned so much from following you.

Dear Paul, How did the log cabin builders figure this out in the 1800s? They never had formal training and they also used different size logs? There must be some secret that I can't even find with the use of the internet. So frustrating!!!!!! Log cabins/homes never had the same sized (sawmill cut) logs i.e., dimensional lumber. How did the old pioneers do it? They never had templates. I will be building a true hand hewn 1800s style half dovetail log home as soon as I find the secret. :( Any help would be appreciated.

Wow! I sure wish you would have used metric! If any of my fellow Amaricans don't like it; they can learn metric on You-tube and join the rest of the world! Thanks otherwise; good video.

It would be nice to show how to use it.

I must say I entirely agree with Paul .1:7 is a great looking ratio and is really the only one you need . There is too much piddling around with different ratios to my mind.Unless it is for historic purposes . I see nothing wrong with cutting dovetails of different sizes all by eye and no templates.

Thank you, sir... You are a worldly treasure. I love watching and learning from your videos.

Invaluable knowledge, one must make sure to Actively listen and actually learn and store these skills, then practice until skill becomes artistry.

Dear Sir Sellers I am interested in some of your carpentry books, but on Amazon they tell me that they are not available. Could you tell me where I can get them? I live in Mexico and am a beginner in woodworking.

1 in 7 is between 1 in 6 and 1 in 8! 😄

Thank for yours videos, I appreciate su much. Best regards from Mexico City.

I made one of these tonight. Laid out some practice dovetails. The template is great! I started sawing and chopping. Remember kids, always mark your waste pieces lol omg

BRAVO Master Sellers!!! I am DEFinitely going to make one of these! Thank you sooooo MUCH for showing everything in close detail, and explaining every single move. That is the only way I can learn things. GOOD JOB!!!

I squared up a piece of walnut and tried as best I could to follow Paul's excellent instructions to create the dovetail template, but it did not pass the 'eyeball' test. I was able to draw the proper lines and everything looked fine until I completed the saw cuts. The eye can discern things that do not look right but I had to take the combination square and the sliding bevel to examine where I was off. Several of my edges had humps of valleys that required extra chiseling, shaving until all surfaces were true and square with no gaps in the measuring tools. Now it is fine and I look forward to making my first handcut dovetails. Absolutely love your videos, especially the sharpening chisels and restoring hand planes.

Just followed along and made one. Thank you very much! Excellent videos. Clear instruction. Best on RU-vid

Thank you, Paul! I'm starting into woodworking, and since I don't know anyone who does it... at all... except with expensive power tools, your videos have given me the knowledge and confidence to try it on my own! This is a wonderful video, and I look forward to making my own template! In fact, I always look forward to trying the things you teach me!

thanks for the demo

The quality of your videos is improving every day! Keep up the amazing work. And thanks for the knowledge you share.

Very nicely done. The subtitles work great. And all the little tricks are smart. I can use this in my class. Thank you Greetings from Holland.

What can I say? Thank you! True lessons from honest hands. Thank you as always, -CY Castor

Any reason for not using the router to clean the 'tenons'? I know that the surface is small, but i think you could let the tenons a little longer to give the router some extra support, and shorten them at the end. This is a technique that I learned from you (I am pretty much sure).

I didn’t read the wood grain on my first piece. Resulted in the wood breaking off when working with the chisel. Second attempt was successful and now in use. A lesson learned.

4:43 of course you don't know a third of 7/8". No one knows. Our brain is not designed to work with rational numbers. Just switch to metric. Other than that, a great video! I will make one tomorrow.

Wow just look at that fine tool display behind Paul! That's definitely a shop any woodworker indeed would envy!!

Hello Paul, Nice topic... Your videos are great here in Brazil....

I remember this - this was the first time I ever heard about Paul Sellers a long time ago - I wanted to know how to cut a dovetail so that I could fix a draw that had broken at home. They were bad but they worked the dovetails still hold and anyway no one can see them. Thanks, Mr Sellers I have learnt something from you that I will be teaching my son soon.

Thanks Paul your help on my dovetail cutting has helped me do much

I have no doubt at all that you are the number one master ,in the world, at setting free all those beautiful things hidden in all the wood you touch Thank you for taking the time to explain and show the woodwooker around the world how to do it. And maybe I can learn to be good at woodworking some day.

Thanks to Paul one has been in my tool box for years and has helped me draw dovetails correctly....

Patience, and precision supports Paul's passion! I attempt to think this way when working.

Ok, I’ve been trying to figure out what one third of ⅞ is for about fifteen minutes now. My poor brain.

Hi Paul! Can you make video about diy wise/poor man wise?

Just finished making mine Paul. Thank you for instruction video

Hello Paul, how do you make one of them scraper's? By the way i love the video's keep up the good work.

I feel like you leave this guy alone with any tool.. doesn't even matter which one, and he will make the rest of the tool shed with it...

Silly, one third of seven eighths is seven twenty fourths .-.

you save my life mr paul... really, thanks for the wisdom, i'm sure I use' for all my story... xaman say it! REMEMBER

mr. paul do you have pdf instructions on how to make your dove tail templates

We missed you!!

Thanks, Paul. I saw you use this a while back and asked at the time to show how you made it. Love it.

Mr.Sellers you truly are a Master and such a pleasure to watch and learn. Thank you 🙏

Brilliant craftsman ship as ever. Ian UK subscriber

I notice that you cut across the grain to finish. Why not with the grain?

Thank you very much, that's fantastic :)

Thank you Paul I learn so much by watching you.

Thanks Paul, your template was one of the first tools I made.

Paul is great

Thank you again Don Jackson Remington Magnum

I'm definitely building one of these, thanks Paul!

Now to make ten different sizes and pitches.

Do you have a video showing how to use the dovetail template

Very cool, thank you Mr. Sellers.

Thank you. I was wondering where to get one of those ?

always a good video very good instruction

I could listen to paul say "perfect" all day

Mr. Sellers would it be possible to purchase a dovetail jig from you? It would truly be an honor to own something from a "Master-Craftsman" as you....

I love your videos! Where can I get bench clamps like yours? Thank you so much for the videos!!

thanks Paul,I am going to make one now

Paul is simply a super smart craftsman.

lol, i am such a wood butcher !

Simple, elegant and perfect.

Thanks. Very helpful.

wow i like it so much. Thanks