Dovetail advice needed for a newbie
 

I was experimenting with the dovetail jig I got from Rockler today. I made a
few cuts in some scrap wood until everything fit well and both sides of the
wood (pin and dovetail) were flush. However, I see about a 1/32" space
between the sloped sides of the pins and the cut out for the dovetail. I
don't know how to make that fit tighter. If I raise the router bit, I will
eliminate the 1/32" space but I will leave a space where the flat end of the
pin touches the flat bottom of the dovetail. If you can't picture what I am
talking about I will post this same message in
alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking along with a somewhat fuzzy picture of the
dovetails I did (I had to get close to get the picture.

Thanks. I have to make 6 drawers for dresser I am making so I want to get
this right.

Dick Snyder

I know what you are saying but belive it or not, the answer is to raise the
bit, but not excessively. Also, make sure that your board doesn't twist
under the torque of the router and that the edge of the pin board is even
with edge of the tail board over the entire width of the board, and take it
slow. Also, move from the router right to the left very lightly and then
actually rout from left to right - this way, you won't have chip out. The
space you think you will create won't be there if the boards as described
above are even. Once you have the right height so that it fights tightly,
make a template before you remove the router bit. Clamp a board in the
front of the jig and rout out a small area deep enough for your guide
bushing to fit, then move the router into the board with the base at the top
and the bottom of the bit will start cutting into the board. Once done, use
the template to return to that bit height every time. Clear as mud?

Don

"Dick Snyder" wrote in message
...
I was experimenting with the dovetail jig I got from Rockler today. I made
a few cuts in some scrap wood until everything fit well and both sides of
the wood (pin and dovetail) were flush. However, I see about a 1/32" space
between the sloped sides of the pins and the cut out for the dovetail. I
don't know how to make that fit tighter. If I raise the router bit, I will
eliminate the 1/32" space but I will leave a space where the flat end of
the pin touches the flat bottom of the dovetail. If you can't picture what
I am talking about I will post this same message in
alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking along with a somewhat fuzzy picture of
the dovetails I did (I had to get close to get the picture.

Thanks. I have to make 6 drawers for dresser I am making so I want to get
this right.

Dick Snyder

You were right Don. Thanks. Thanks also for the tips about avoiding chipout
and making the template. It was mud in the beginning but after about 3 test
cuts I cleared the mud from my brain and I figured out that raising the bit
didn't mean raise it up into the plate but raise it's height so it will cut
a little deeper.

Dick
"D. J. Dorn" wrote in message
...
I know what you are saying but belive it or not, the answer is to raise the
bit, but not excessively. Also, make sure that your board doesn't twist
under the torque of the router and that the edge of the pin board is even
with edge of the tail board over the entire width of the board, and take it
slow. Also, move from the router right to the left very lightly and then
actually rout from left to right - this way, you won't have chip out. The
space you think you will create won't be there if the boards as described
above are even. Once you have the right height so that it fights tightly,
make a template before you remove the router bit. Clamp a board in the
front of the jig and rout out a small area deep enough for your guide
bushing to fit, then move the router into the board with the base at the
top and the bottom of the bit will start cutting into the board. Once
done, use the template to return to that bit height every time. Clear as
mud?

Don

"Dick Snyder" wrote in message
...
I was experimenting with the dovetail jig I got from Rockler today. I made
a few cuts in some scrap wood until everything fit well and both sides of
the wood (pin and dovetail) were flush. However, I see about a 1/32" space
between the sloped sides of the pins and the cut out for the dovetail. I
don't know how to make that fit tighter. If I raise the router bit, I will
eliminate the 1/32" space but I will leave a space where the flat end of
the pin touches the flat bottom of the dovetail. If you can't picture what
I am talking about I will post this same message in
alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking along with a somewhat fuzzy picture of
the dovetails I did (I had to get close to get the picture.

Thanks. I have to make 6 drawers for dresser I am making so I want to get
this right.

Dick Snyder