I had to boot into Mac OSX and use Safari to watch them, but AKEDA has
some great Flash animations

Clamping 1 min. 45 sec 5.5 MB file. The front clamp's two modes of use
are difficult to explain with words

Guide Fingers 2 min 38 sec 7.6 MB file. How the guides are postioned
and "snap in" to the 1/8th inch incremented
"ladder"

Through Dovetails 4 min 43 seconds 13.6 MB file. Excellent computer
animation of the process, including the bit
spinning
up to speed and slowing to a stop at the
end - AND
sawdust shooting out as cuts are made.
Worth
seeing because most of what you'll see is
applicabl
to any router based dovetail jig

Half Blind Dovetails 4 min 39 sec 13.4 MB (see above but for half
blinds)

Box Joints 5 min 17 sec 19.1 MB (didn't watch this one but judging from
the above videos I did watch I'm betting it'll be just
as
useful to see

Given the file sizes those who still have dial up connections probably
will never consider downloading any of these files. And you need
Flash 7 or later to view them IIRC.

Here's the url - scroll down to get to the videos

http://www.akeda.com/videos/resources.videos.html

charlie b

Sure would be nice if AKEDA had mpeg versions of these computer
animations - that you could download and view when you want to.

On Feb 21, 10:31 pm, charlieb wrote:

I had to boot into Mac OSX and use Safari to watch them, but AKEDA has
some great Flash animations

SNIP

Sure would be nice if AKEDA had mpeg versions of these computer
animations - that you could download and view when you want to.

After I watch them all and become a registered user, I may get email
them with that.

I don't know what Akeda page I was on before, but it wasn't that one.
The one I was on looked the same, but wasn't. I found the whole
manual on that site.

But for anyone with a Windows computer, I watched them with no problem
through Firefox. The correct flash player you need is linked on the
page Charlie posted.

And man.. I thought I was a detail guy. I watch the half blind
dovetail video and it was scary. Simple, but scary. Just the little
things, like the climbing cut to avoid chipping when starting out on a
larger cut, the direction and proper color of the sawdust (as noted),
and even seeing the bit come to a stop after cutting.

You could literally cut your dovetails on that jig based on those
videos alone.

Robert

Wow... thanks Charlie! I had never seen the Akeda jig before. Now I want one!
The computer graphics could make George Lucas envious!

I remember reading something recently about these jigs being offered at a
sale price, but I can't remember where. Do you recall?

Cheers.

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On Feb 22, 12:53 am, "toolman946 via CraftKB.com" u40139@uwe wrote:
Wow... thanks Charlie! I had never seen the Akeda jig before. Now I want one!
The computer graphics could make George Lucas envious!

I was thinking the same thing.

I remember reading something recently about these jigs being offered at a
sale price, but I can't remember where. Do you recall?

Try this, it should take you there. Be sure and read Charlie's
earlier posts on this subject if you haven't already.

http://tinyurl.com/3ynsdn

Robert

Thanks Charlie, I had no problem watching them on XP IE7.0
Seeing the statement on the link about this being the worlds only
permanently parallel clamp jig reminded me of a comment you made in another
post concerning one handed operation of the clamps.

Because wider panels are not always perfectly flat and when laid on a flat
surface often exhibit some cupping I was wondering if you have enough
leverage/torque using a single knob to tighten the parallel clamping bar
enough to flatten out a cupped panel? Do you know the thread pitch on the
clamping knob screws?








"charlieb" wrote in message
...
I had to boot into Mac OSX and use Safari to watch them, but AKEDA has
some great Flash animations

Clamping 1 min. 45 sec 5.5 MB file. The front clamp's two modes of use
are difficult to explain with words

Guide Fingers 2 min 38 sec 7.6 MB file. How the guides are postioned
and "snap in" to the 1/8th inch incremented
"ladder"

Through Dovetails 4 min 43 seconds 13.6 MB file. Excellent computer
animation of the process, including the bit
spinning
up to speed and slowing to a stop at the
end - AND
sawdust shooting out as cuts are made.
Worth
seeing because most of what you'll see is
applicabl
to any router based dovetail jig

Half Blind Dovetails 4 min 39 sec 13.4 MB (see above but for half
blinds)

Box Joints 5 min 17 sec 19.1 MB (didn't watch this one but judging from
the above videos I did watch I'm betting it'll be just
as
useful to see

Given the file sizes those who still have dial up connections probably
will never consider downloading any of these files. And you need
Flash 7 or later to view them IIRC.

Here's the url - scroll down to get to the videos

http://www.akeda.com/videos/resources.videos.html

charlie b

Sure would be nice if AKEDA had mpeg versions of these computer
animations - that you could download and view when you want to.

Wow! Thanks Robert. They're closing out the unit for $289.99!!! including the
accessory kit.

Where's my credit card....

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On Feb 22, 9:20 pm, "toolman946 via CraftKB.com" u40139@uwe wrote:
Wow! Thanks Robert. They're closing out the unit for $289.99!!! including the
accessory kit.

Where's my credit card....

I ordered mine by phone today, and the told me they were finally
starting to run low on the jigs. I don't know what their idea of low
is, but they told me they had all the stores send back their jigs and
they are selling them from the home office now.

Just a tip or two here. Make sure you get the waste collector ($20 -
stock number 143583) to get with this. The only tool I have that
makes a more uncontrollable mess than my dovetail jig is my lathe.
And you might consider the Akeda router bit set to go with this.
Their price for all the necessary bits (which you will already have
one set of in the DC package) is $59, item #143582.

I went ahead and bit on these as they are carbide, made to Akeda's
specs, and they will warrant them. They tech guy I talked to before
ordering told me to consider the Whiteside bits for Akeda, and I
actually did for a minute. They were something like $189!! THREE
times the amount of the Akeda branded bits. Ouch!

So at the end of it all, I go the jig, the waste/dust collection kit
with the extra bits, and another set of bits to the door including
shipping fro about $380.

That sure worked for me. Check out the prices at some of the folks
that are handling this jig and you will be stunned at how much more
they cost. Woodcraft didn't even get to me on shipping - it was
something like $13 !

Robert

wrote:


And man.. I thought I was a detail guy. I watch the half blind
dovetail video and it was scary. Simple, but scary. Just the little
things, like the climbing cut to avoid chipping when starting out on a
larger cut, the direction and proper color of the sawdust (as noted),
and even seeing the bit come to a stop after cutting.

Attention to details - even in the videos on the AKEDA - is an
indication of how well thought out the jig is. Having done some
coputer generated animation, just getting the point of view right
so nothing obscures the thing you want the viewer to see is
tricky to work out. And to have the bit spin up, make it's
passes to avoid climb cuts that could get away - WITH SAWDUST
FLYING - and then have the bit wind down and stop at the end . . .

And while it's a subtle, but significant thing, the video on the
moveable clamp jaw allowing you to clamp in front of it AND,
if needed, behind it shows you something important that is
not obvious just looking at the jig. I'm really impressed with
the "turn in tandem toothed belt and sprockets" mechanism
the keep the jaw parallel to the reference face(s) - one for
the horizontal clamp and two for the vertical clamp.

You could literally cut your dovetails on that jig based on those
videos alone.

YUP - it's a simple, elegant jig that's pretty bullet proof - for
the things that a jig can do for you. However, like ALL router
based dovetail jig systems, it's still up to you to orient and
manipulate the parts correctly. While it's easy to route
through dovetails for one joint and have them fit together
properly - getting the "outside" actually facing out for just
two parts is a 50-50 thing if you don't understant WHY
parts have to be oriented a specific way, the odd go down
to 1 in 4 or 1 in 6 that all the joints will fit together right
- and have all their "outsides" actually facing outside.

I've been working on a one page How To and WHY cheat
sheet to keep with my jig. Should be applicable to the
LEIGH and PC OmniJig as well. Download the image file,
print at your leisure, keep with the jig and refer to
before doing any through dovetails. Will post the
url to it in a new thread -
"Through Dovetail Jig Cheat Sheet - Need Beta Testers"

I spend way too much on tools, seriously... you name it and I probably have
it... 2 table saws, 9 cordless drills, 3 arc welders, 3 roto hammers, 6
routers, 5 circular saws, 9 sanders, 3 Paslode Impulse nailers, 8 pneumatic
nailers/staplers, 2 drill presses, 3 air compressors, 15 pneumatic tools, 9
angle grinders, 4 band saws, lathe, jointer, 2 thickness planers... and on
and on and on {note: I'm not bragging... just acknowledging my addiction...
lol!!!}

I have a dovetail jig, but, after much searching around the web for reviews
and hands-on experience I decided to bite the bullet and add the Akeda jig to
the collection. I've ordered the DC16 with the DC accessory kit and after
shipping, handling, taxes and Cdn. exchange it will arrive at my door for
$379.47. A bargain that I couldn't pass up!

Ping to Charlie: have you tried using stock dovetail bits instead of the
Akeda proprietary ones? Could they work with this system and if you think not.
.. why not?

I can't wait for it to arrive (it's like Christmas in February!)

Cheers,

Michael

p.s. this link provides an extensive, hands-on review to using the Akeda jig
and clicking on the red highlighted words links to excellent photos. Howard
Ruttan's review underscores the need to pay attention to set-up detail and
shows the problems inherent to using any jig, as well as depicting the
positive results after accurately setting up your tools:

http://www.inthewoodshop.org/reviews/akeda.shtml#h

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and clicking on the red highlighted words links to excellent photos. Howard
Ruttan's review underscores the need to pay attention to set-up detail and

Oops! Should have read: the "blue" highlighted words...

http://www.inthewoodshop.org/reviews/akeda.shtml#h

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On Feb 23, 3:20*pm, charlieb wrote:

* *I've been working on a one page How To and WHY cheat
* *sheet to keep with my jig. *Should be applicable to the
* *LEIGH and PC OmniJig as well. *Download the image file,
* *print at your leisure, keep with the jig and refer to
* *before doing any through dovetails. *Will post the
* *url to it in a new thread -
* "Through Dovetail Jig Cheat Sheet - Need Beta Testers"

I'll be looking for it! The jig will be here by the end of next week
if I am lucky and I can get on it this weekend. If not, a couple of
more days.

Robert

toolman946 via CraftKB.com wrote:

Ping to Charlie: have you tried using stock dovetail bits instead of the
Akeda proprietary ones? Could they work with this system and if you think not.
. why not?

If you look at #6 on this page you'll see an illustration of the bits
- red
for the Akeda and green are the "other jig's".

Notice that, regardless of the dovetail bit angle, and AKEDA has FIVE
bits, each with a different dovtail angle, the bottom of the bit is
always
1/2" regardless of the dovetail angle. The AKEDA pin and tail guides
are designed to the bits - five different sets, one for each of the
five dovetail Tail angles.

The "other jig" uses a fixed dovetail angle (8 degrees) and varies
the
bottom diameter to get the different "stock thickness" pin sockets
in the Tails part of the joint. There's only one set of pin
guides.

So you can hold the angle constant
the tail AND pin guides constant
and vary the diameter of the bottom of the bit

OR

Hold the diameter of the bottom of the bits constant
and
vary the bit dovetail angles with corresponding Pin guides

Different approaches to arrive at similar results.

I haven't measure the other dovetail bits I have, one
set for the JoinTech Cabinet Maker System and another
set of "generic" dovetail bits to see if there's any
"non-jig-specific" bits that match either dovetail jig's
dimensions. BUT - I suspect each jig has bits specific
to it.

Since Whiteside (I think it's Whiteside) that makes dovetail
bits specifically for the AKEDA, I'm betting that they're
unique to the AKEDA.

There does seem to be a very good reason for going with
AKEDA's one "bottom of the bit diameter" - all at 1/2".
The amount of torque exerted on the shank of the bit
is related to the maximum diameter of the bit - smaller
bit diameter exerting less torque than larger bit diameter.
Not a big deal when cutting thinner stock because the
"end of bit to router collet" distance is less with thinner
stock bits than it is with thicker stock.

When you have the most bit hanging out of the collet,
with the "other jig's" bit you have the largest bit diameter.
That means 26% more torque on the "other jig's" shank
than on the AKEDA bit's shank
( [0.63 - 0.50]/0.50 ) x 100%

The more I study the AKEDA the more I appreciate the
thought that went into its design - lots of subtle, but
important "little things".

Have I answered your question?

charlie b

toolman946 via CraftKB.com wrote:

and clicking on the red highlighted words links to excellent photos. Howard
Ruttan's review underscores the need to pay attention to set-up detail and

It does help to have learned to layout and handcut dovetails BEFORE
getting
and using a router based dovetail jig system so you understand what does
what and WHY

When laying out the dovetails you have to scribe the thickness of the
Pins
part on to the Tails part to get the depth of the the sockets for the
pins
to later fit into.

And you must scribe the thickness of the Tails part on the Pins part to
get
the the depth of cut for the tails' socket for the pins to fit into.

That experience makes the importance of the correct depth of cut of the
router bit clearer.

You focused on the "set up" and may have overlooked a very important
prior step - stock prep. If your parts aren't "Four Square" and the
flat
parts aren't flat, the faces aren't parallel and edges straight - no
matter
how well you did the router bit and jig set up right - you won't get a
nicely
fitted dovetail joined "box". And no matter how good you are at laying
out dovetails and cutting them with hand tools, if the stock ain't
prepped
right you ain't gonna get good dovetail joined boxes.

The dovetail jig is a handy thing to have. But when the results have
a problem, it's more difficult to diagnose what went wrong and what
you need to do to fix it - unless you know the How - AND - WHY of the
process. The Step By Step procedures in The Manual will get you
decent results - IF you follow them exactly. But if you skip a step,
or DON'T follow them - to the letter - it's hard to figure out what
went wrong and how to not repeat the error.

late - sleep is necessary - every once in a while

charlie b

Have I answered your question?

charlie b

Yeah... thanks Charlie.

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