Woodworking Techniques for Dovetail Joinery

A course by Helen Welch , Woodworker and Head Instructor at the London School of Furniture Making

Woodworker and Head Instructor at the London School of Furniture Making. London, United Kingdom.
Joined April 2022

Learn woodworking techniques to cut, sand, and assemble wooden pieces with classic dovetail joints

100% positive reviews (28)
2,601 students
Audio: English
English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch

Learn woodworking techniques to cut, sand, and assemble wooden pieces with classic dovetail joints

If experience has taught Helen Welch anything, it is that a few good tools and a solid technique will save your day. She started her career as a joiner and later as a guitar maker. But her true passion has always been passing on her extensive knowledge of her trade to students. Thus, in 2013 Helen founded the London School of Furniture, where she has taught ever since.

Now, in this online course, she teaches you a classic woodworking tactic – the dovetail. They are used to create strong, attractive joints for a range of items, including boxes, cabinets, and drawers. The technique is a mark of quality and skill of the maker. As a tool lover at heart, Helen takes you through all the materials you’ll need to get started and how to use them before crafting your dovetailed box. Once you’ve mastered the method, you can bring it to your other furniture-making endeavors!

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What will you learn in this online course?

18 lessons & 17 downloads

Tools and Materials
11 minutes, 38 seconds
Marking Systems
2 minutes, 37 seconds
Dovetails 1
14 minutes, 59 seconds
Dovetails 2
12 minutes, 6 seconds
Grooves
3 minutes, 43 seconds
Cutting the Joints 1
16 minutes, 6 seconds
  • 100% positive reviews (28)
  • 2,601 students
  • 18 lessons (3h 46m)
  • 17 additional resources (4 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: English
  • English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

A dovetailed box with a pivot hinge lid.

Who is this online course for?

This course is for DIY enthusiasts of all levels, from absolute beginners to experienced crafters.

Requirements and materials

Timber, glue, brass rod, finishing products, and other basic woodworking tools and materials.


Reviews

2,601 Students
28 Reviews
100% Positive ratings

Helen Welch

A course by Helen Welch

Teacher Plus
Woodworker and Head Instructor at the London School of Furniture Making


Helen Welch is a woodworker from London with decades of experience. She started her career as an apprentice carpenter before moving to guitar making. Eventually, she found her passion in teaching. After teaching at the London Metropolitan University, in 2013, Helen founded the London School of Furniture Making. There, she has created a space where both beginners and more experienced makers alike can learn the fundamental skills for success in their woodworking through short but intensive introductory workshops. She’s had the opportunity to take her woodworking expertise to television as well, having served as a judge on Handmade: Britain’s Best Woodworker.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • About Me
    • Influences
  • U2

    Preparation

    • Tools and Materials
    • Marking Systems
    • Dovetails 1
    • Dovetails 2
    • Grooves
  • U3

    Making a Dovetailed Box

    • Cutting the Joints 1
    • Cutting the Joints 2
    • Cutting the Joints 3
    • Surface Preparation and Assembly
    • Making the Lid 1
    • Making the Lid 2
    • Fitting the Lid
    • Surface Preparation of the Lid and Outside Faces 1
    • Surface Preparation of the Lid and Outside Faces 2
  • U4

    Finishing Touches and Other Dovetail Constructions

    • Finishing the Box
    • Carcase and Drawer Construction and Half-Lap Dovetails
  • FP

    Final project

    • Woodworking Techniques for Dovetail Joinery

What to expect from a Domestika course

  • Learn at your own pace

    Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.

  • Learn from the best professionals

    Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

  • Meet expert teachers

    Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

  • Certificates
    Plus

    If you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.

  • Get front-row seats

    Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.

  • Share knowledge and ideas

    Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.

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FAQs

Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.

All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.

The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.

You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
Woodworking Techniques for Dovetail Joinery. Craft course by Helen Welch

Woodworking Techniques for Dovetail Joinery

A course by Helen Welch
Woodworker and Head Instructor at the London School of Furniture Making. London, United Kingdom.
Joined April 2022
  • 100% positive reviews (28)
  • 2,601 students