Dovetails with a router jig

[Bombarde16]

Ever get the setup perfect on the first try? Me neither. But Norm nailed it in this week's free episode!

I know, I know...he's got a production staff to set up the tools and edit out all the test cuts it took. It was still cool to watch someone walk up to a router jig cold and go straight to the actual work piece.

[wdwerker]

When I set up to use my Keller dovetail jig I set up 2 d handle routers and adjust them. Then I leave them set that way until I am done with all the drawers . As long as the stock has been prepared to the exact same thickness it is that easy to walk over and cut. Adjustments are not that complicated with Keller's jig, but it only cuts a fixed pattern of through dovetails or finger joints.

[PaulMarcel]

"But Norm nailed it" LOL

[CessnaPilotBarry]

He has to nail it! He only has a half an hour! ;^)

[Mike M]

I've tried both the Leigh and PC top of the line jigs and ended up selling both and learning to cut dovetails in other ways. I never got to the point where I could "do a Norm" and always ended up cutting several test pieces to dial in the cut. Even then, the alignment of the fingers on the rods usually left a couple of gaps in the final product.

Generally, I use the table saw with a 7" thin kerf blade with the teeth ground at 8 degrees to cut the tails (tilt blade to 8 deg). I mark the pins and use a small router to hog out the bulk of the waste and finish with a chisel.

[Beechwood Chip]

Mike M's post reminded me of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EootxBzj4Yk.

[Tom King]

With one of these, anyone can nail it first shot.  The important thing is the depth of cut with a standard dovetail jig.  I used to keep a dedicated router in the box with the jig, but once I got one of these, it didn't matter anymore.  After enough test cuts to get it like you want it, measure, record the measurement, and repeat whenever you need to.

 

This same company sells these for about 20 bucks, but I didn't look for a buy it now version once I found this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/iGaging-5-Digital-Height-Depth-Gauge-Router-Table-Saw-Set-Up-Tool-/130936364423?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e7c6a5d87

[Janello]

First Shot- Just Like Norm!  This was my buddy's project, but I cut the DT's for him with my Omni Jig. I actually did these first shot with the set-up I dialed in but I made 100 failed attempts at other dovetails before I got to know the jig well.

 

 

[mikem]

Beautifully done!

[Guest]

Ever get the setup perfect on the first try? Me neither. But Norm nailed it in this week's free episode!

I know, I know...he's got a production staff to set up the tools and edit out all the test cuts it took. It was still cool to watch someone walk up to a router jig cold and go straight to the actual work piece.

 

 

 

FWW did a profile on norm back in 1993.  Here is a link, it is on their pay site so you can only open it if you are a member.  http://www.finewoodworking.com/membership/fwnpdf/011099046.pdf

 

In the article, the FWW writer reports that Norm builds all the projects over a 2 day span himself, with only occasional help from a crew member.   According to the article, the show only had a 6 person crew, including the executive producer and the camera and light people.  So that does not leave room for a bunch of monkeys doing the dirty work.  Whether or not you believe this claims is up to you.  The article claims that most of the show was filmed in a single take.  I do think this is believable.  For one, we never really see close-ups of the joinery.   So stuff that might otherwise be redone was probably good enough for (low def) video.  Also,  the article states that Norm built each project 3 times.  Once as a prototype, once again for video, and a third time for still photography.    Which leads you to believe that the joinery and finishing on the live project might not have been good enough for still photography.  The article sheds Norm in a positive light.  But reading between the lines Russ Morash (the shows producer)  seems like an opportunist who got public television and sponsors to pay for his workshop, his garden, and most of his furniture .  He certainly seems proud to be a bit of an autocrat. 

[mikem]

Realistically most of these shows are not what they seem.  Watching last week's NYW online episode, at the end when he was putting the top on, it was obvious he was working on the prototype rather than the one he was making for the show.  What they show in 26 minutes was the result of many hours of planning, prototyping, and pre-building, all just to make sure they could fit everything in a couple days of filming.  One of the humps I had to get myself over was learning patience and that I couldn't build a complex piece in a weekend, like the TV shows seem to claim.  I even had one case where someone was thinking about me building a cradle for their expected grand-child.  They asked me how long I needed to build it, I told them a couple months, since I would mainly work on it during weekends.  Their response was, oh, I just want something simple.

[sjeff70]

Can't argue with the result of that tablesaw jig.  

Amazing results but is it worth all that work and time?  

 

I remember watching David Marks using an Akeda.  

He'd cut the pins proud then plane the joint flush.

 

I'm not sure I want to invest in an expensive jig to later find out it's a pain in the rump dialing it in to get a perfect joint.

I never noticed David having tear out in his joints.  

[Andrew Pritchard]

I did a review of a cheapy Craftex jig. Although I've yet to use it to create a project (so many projects, so little time!), I have done a few test cuts with it. Sure it has it's limitations, but it was pretty easy to setup and use.

[krtwood]

I've used a Leigh (a "Super", not the top of the line but they use the same basic setup) and the Akeda and the Akeda is much simpler to set up, at least for through dovetails which is mainly what I do.  I have two routers dedicated to it and I never do a test cut.  On half blinds the fit is controlled by the depth of the cutter so you'd have to have a router set up for it or do test cuts.  On the Leigh you have to slide the fingers backwards and forwards to adjust the fit for through dovetails so every setup you have to do test cuts to be sure.  None of that with the Akeda.  It's not infinitely variable spacing, but 1/8" spacing is enough control.  Plus even if you have changed the setup and then find you have to remake a part you can reliably get that setup back again, only having to worry about the bit depth.  You could get away with using one non-dedicated router because of that.

[sjeff70]

I've used a Leigh (a "Super", not the top of the line but they use the same basic setup) and the Akeda and the Akeda is much simpler to set up, at least for through dovetails which is mainly what I do.  I have two routers dedicated to it and I never do a test cut.  On half blinds the fit is controlled by the depth of the cutter so you'd have to have a router set up for it or do test cuts.  On the Leigh you have to slide the fingers backwards and forwards to adjust the fit for through dovetails so every setup you have to do test cuts to be sure.  None of that with the Akeda.  It's not infinitely variable spacing, but 1/8" spacing is enough control.  Plus even if you have changed the setup and then find you have to remake a part you can reliably get that setup back again, only having to worry about the bit depth.  You could get away with using one non-dedicated router because of that.

krtwood,

Thanks for the detail.

Those are two great jigs.

Your review certainly narrowed it down for me.

Is the cause for tear out the jig, the user, or failure to use a backer board behind a work piece?

[krtwood]

Is the cause for tear out the jig, the user, or failure to use a backer board behind a work piece?

 

Having a backer definitely helps on the back side of the cut, which is the show side on the piece with the tails.  On the pin board it helps to make a shallow climb cut right to left across the material to be removed before hogging out the waste.  On the tails if you are using thicker stock it can help to use a straight bit to remove the bulk of the material first so the dovetail bit has an easy cut.

 

Some woods are more prone to it than others.  I do a lot of boxes out of cedar and I just expect to lose 10% along the way.  I find that especially in cedar the cut for the last tail on the right end of the board (where the half pin is going to go) tends to blow out.  It's not a problem on the left end because that one is a climb cut.  I take the time to make shoulder cuts on the band saw just above where the bit is going to be cutting and that really cuts down on the problem.  It only rarely happens with a good hardwood, but if it's something where I'm not in a rush I'll take the time to make those shoulder cuts just to be safe.  You don't have to go very deep, you're just trying to keep the fibers on the back corner from being broken off instead of cut.