Dovetails

[wisardd1]

I am just learning how to make these with a router and a jig and so far so good. The uncertainty I am having is that the pin? seem to be exposed on the inside of a drawer I am working on. I would think that it is not suppose to be exposed (half circle part) but I don't know for sure. The tail? can't go in any deeper because where the circle part begins is smaller than the tail. I hope that makes sense. Any feedback?

[dcarter636]

Got pictures of the faults?

[TDHofstetter]

Tails on the left, pins on the right.

Now let's peek at what you're getting from your jig. We'll figure it out right quick - the inside of the drawer should bear no evidence of the joint at all.

[wisardd1]

here ya go

[wisardd1]

tail stock is 3/4 and pin is 1/2

[TDHofstetter]

Ah, therein lies the problem. It may be possible to use half-inch stock for the drawer sides, but chances are very very good that you'll need to move to 3/4" stock instead. Nearly all the half-blind dovetail jigs are designed to work only with 3/4" stock.

[dcarter636]

That's odd. You got a pic of the parts in the jig?

My old cheapy Craftsman jig makes complete half blinds in 1/2" stock as do most others; something is amiss with the template here.

[Beamer]

Which jig are ya usin?

The ones i've seen usually round the back of the tails so they snug into that circular socket on the pins.

[wisardd1]

It is a Roclker Jig. I will take a picture of as soon as I can and the set up. I sure appreciate the feedback. When it comes to getting help, you guy are 'always' right there.

da;e

[wisardd1]

more pictures

[Stretch]

Looks like you need to slide the template forward so you don't cut the pin side so deep.

[wisardd1]

The tails bottom out just the way it is. If I shallow that depth then the tails are way proud, but I will try it to see if that helps.

[TDHofstetter]

See the wording on that template? "Through dovetail tails". That's Template E, isn't it?

EDIT: Wait. I'm confused. It also reads "half-blind dovetails". Those template fingers are too long for half-blinds in 1/2" stock. Show us the rest of that blue label?

Lemme go see if I can find a manual for that jig...

EDIT II: Rockler says you need TWO templates - one for pins, one for tails.

[dcarter636]

Those fingers are capable to make through tails on thicker stock, making half blind on 1/2" stock requires some extra steps. It appears that you have to move the template forward to cut the pins and then aft to cut the tails or vice-versa for half blinds 1/2" stock per the blue label.

Is there another template with much shorter fingers? A short finger template would simplify the operation a bunch.


Edit in: Looks like we're all up late tonight.

Tim, I think the intent is that you move the template to the locations along the fore-aft scale marked A, B, C etc for various configurations.

[TDHofstetter]

Rockler's Website calls out two different templates - one for pins, one for tails, at about $30 each.

I wanna' see the rest of that blue label, any ol' way.

[sawduster]

Looking at the pictures of the set-up, I'm thinking that the template needs to be shifted inward so that the rounded ends of the template round over the inside edges of the tail board (your drawer sides) as well as possibly creating a small ledge on the inside of the drawer side to hide those gaps on the pin board (drawer front). Should be no reason why you can't use 1/2" drawer sides with a 3/4" front.

I have the Incra router fence system and with that you actually use your DT bit to cut a DT shaped rabbit on the inside of the tail boards which then covers any round over at the inside edges of the pin cuts.

Looking again, I'm also thinking that you may be using the wrong template for that combination. The fingers on that template are way too long for that 1/2" drawer side/tail board.

[Stretch]

Looking at it again, I agree with Jerry, you need to slide the template in so that it rounds off the inside of the tails. Then you need to adjust your stop bar so that it doesn't allow the pin side to be cut so deep. The rounded tails will then fit into the rounded ends of the cutouts on the pin side.

[dcarter636]

Okay, I thought the white bent angle stop bar was another clamp, it's really a depth stop for the half blind pin cut.

So then, you set the edge of the template to the "A" mark and the stop bar to the "C" mark and cut some half blind dovetails though the 1/2" thick sides and 3/4" front.


EDIT IN:
A nice feature of that jig is that you can monkey around with the stop bar location to move the drawer sides inward allowing you to create a wider (rabbeted) drawer front if desired. I'm sure there is a name for a wide overhanging drawer front but it eludes at the moment.

[TDHofstetter]

STOP BAR. That's what I missed. DANG. My jigs ain't got a stop bar - they're built to stop at the backs of the pockets between the fingers, riding the template all the way 'round.

Yeah, that'd do it - pull the fingers back so the tails BARELY get fully rounded, then adjust the stop bar so the pins only get cut 1/2" deep. That should work fine.

[Beamer]

I wonder - could one put in a 1/4" thick spacer behind your tail board so that you don't have to futz with the template so much?