Dovetail Jig

[bandit571]

Long time ago...had a panel that was used under a desk, to protect the carpet from the wheeled office chair....made of Lexan.    I cut a 12 x 12 square from it.    I cut a series of slots, each as wide as the guide bushing on my router base.   Maybe an inch long.   Drilled a hole to match the diameter of the guide bushing, then cut the slots square to the edge.   Slots were to the same width as the bushing, so it could follow the slots.   I moved over the width of the bushing, and made the next slot.

When done, I could attach this router guide plate to the end of my homemade router table.  added a "vise" like block on the end.   I could clamp the drawer sides up to 1 x 12s in that vise, and buzz all the tails.   I then could clamp the drawer front to the router table, with the drawer's inside face up, clamp the guide to that...usually through a pair of screw holes.   Holes would be on the inside of a drawer, and out of sight...Line up the "pin" cuts to the tails...and make the cuts.   

[mound]

I am getting kind of tired of trying to make dovetails by hand and how awful they are.  Does anyone know of a good jig that is easy to use and easy to understand and set up.

Thanks

I should add used would be good for the price.

What's aspects do you think are coming out poorly and why? Is it the layout, or the cutting to the line, or cutting to the correct angle? 

I don't cut dovetails enough  to become skilled with the muscle memory to make the cuts precisely to the angle and precisely square to the board but didn't want to give up and go the router jig route as I've been trying to get more into hand tools. 

I found that by using the "blue tape trick" in conjunction with this simple little jig:
Katz Moses Dovetail Jig

that the quality of my hand cut dovetails increased enormously very quickly, to the point it finally became enjoyable and I had results I felt proud of. (The jig holds the saw magnetically to ensure the correct angles are achieved.)

[Arlin Eastman]

If you are accepted, Rob’s Purple Heart Project pays your air fair. The program is 100% funded with donations from extremely generous people, and you might be surprised what they would be willing to do to support you and your wife. Just happing now, a Vet from Australia who has already gone through the program lost his shop to a fire. The PHP supporters have already raised several thousand in donations (one person donated $5k) to replace it. One thing is certain, it costs nothing for you to apply.

Do you have a link to apply??

Long time ago...had a panel that was used under a desk, to protect the carpet from the wheeled office chair....made of Lexan.    I cut a 12 x 12 square from it.    I cut a series of slots, each as wide as the guide bushing on my router base.   Maybe an inch long.   Drilled a hole to match the diameter of the guide bushing, then cut the slots square to the edge.   Slots were to the same width as the bushing, so it could follow the slots.   I moved over the width of the bushing, and made the next slot.

When done, I could attach this router guide plate to the end of my homemade router table.  added a "vise" like block on the end.   I could clamp the drawer sides up to 1 x 12s in that vise, and buzz all the tails.   I then could clamp the drawer front to the router table, with the drawer's inside face up, clamp the guide to that...usually through a pair of screw holes.   Holes would be on the inside of a drawer, and out of sight...Line up the "pin" cuts to the tails...and make the cuts.   

Talking above my head bandit.  I can not picture what you are talking about.  Sorry

What's aspects do you think are coming out poorly and why? Is it the layout, or the cutting to the line, or cutting to the correct angle? 

I don't cut dovetails enough  to become skilled with the muscle memory to make the cuts precisely to the angle and precisely square to the board but didn't want to give up and go the router jig route as I've been trying to get more into hand tools. 

I found that by using the "blue tape trick" in conjunction with this simple little jig:
Katz Moses Dovetail Jig

that the quality of my hand cut dovetails increased enormously very quickly, to the point it finally became enjoyable and I had results I felt proud of.  (The jig holds the saw magnetically to ensure the correct angles are achieved.)

All you described.  Sometimes I think my eyes are getting tired or hard to focus and shaking hand and not sharp saws and and.....

I looked at the Jig you linked to and only think I can think of is it sticks to the saw right????  Top of the saw or bottom of the saw and how does I guide it??

I did also notice it said tails on one side shoulder on the other and the other two say pins.

[Greg Jones]

Here is the link to apply. It’s not a couple of questions and done, so it will take some time to fill out. Apparently they had a guy early on that got in and shouldn’t have, so that’s why they are careful to filter in deserving vets. My recommendation would be to also make sure and mention the woodworking that you do with vets. I think you would contribute A LOT to the experience for the other vets in the class. Not everyone gets approved the first time they apply, so don’t give up if you don’t make the cut the first time or two that you apply. Good luck!

https://robcosman.com/pages/php-scholarship-application

[Rob Young]

What's aspects do you think are coming out poorly and why? Is it the layout, or the cutting to the line, or cutting to the correct angle? 

I don't cut dovetails enough  to become skilled with the muscle memory to make the cuts precisely to the angle and precisely square to the board but didn't want to give up and go the router jig route as I've been trying to get more into hand tools. 

I found that by using the "blue tape trick" in conjunction with this simple little jig:
Katz Moses Dovetail Jig

that the quality of my hand cut dovetails increased enormously very quickly, to the point it finally became enjoyable and I had results I felt proud of.  (The jig holds the saw magnetically to ensure the correct angles are achieved.)

At one time I thought Lee Valley was pursuing legal action against his design. Never heard how that came out. That said, Lee Valley has a version with clamp and comes with a (mediocre according to reviews when these first came out) saw. https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/saws/saw-guides/41718-veritas-dovetail-saw-guide-system  Appears you have some choices as to angle and adding a right-angle alignment block for cutting the tail shoulders.

Having a built-on clamp (you could probably clamp the KM jig too) frees up your other hand should you need it for steadying something, etc.

These magnetic guide designs look to all be made for pull saws and/or saws with a thin plate.

[Arlin Eastman]

Here is the link to apply. It’s not a couple of questions and done, so it will take some time to fill out. Apparently they had a guy early on that got in and shouldn’t have, so that’s why they are careful to filter in deserving vets. My recommendation would be to also make sure and mention the woodworking that you do with vets. I think you would contribute A LOT to the experience for the other vets in the class. Not everyone gets approved the first time they apply, so don’t give up if you don’t make the cut the first time or two that you apply. Good luck!

https://robcosman.com/pages/php-scholarship-application

Well I just signed up but the end of it asked for a copy of my dd form 218 and the Court house has that.

[Greg Jones]

They don’t want 218, they want the DD 214 form, which is your discharge papers. Black out your SSN# on the form before submitting. Send me a PM here if you need assistance. It’s a great opportunity.

[AHill]

It is sacrilege to ask this question on the Handtool Forum. You could buy a saw guide like Lee Valley's magnetic version. It's cheating, but you have more flexibility in the spacing and you can get Derek Cohen class dovetails with a magnetic saw guide that you can't get with any router-based system.

[bandit571]

What I described was a template for the router to follow.  In the router's base there was a guide collar that followed that template.   1/2 blind or through, all depend on the depth of the dovetail bit was set to. 
I made mine after that POS Craftsman all plastic dovetail jig
proved to be too small, too fragile......the one I made could make up to 12" wide dovetailed corners.  Including on drawer fronts that were 3/4 overlay.....I used a 1/2" dovetail bit in the router....

A template can be made from about any flat panel...as long as the guide in the router base can follow the slots, and the dovetail bit can be set to the depth you need, and NOT chew on the template. 
 Use the size guide collar for the size of the dovetail bit you want to use in the router.  

need to counter-sink any screw holes, so the router can slide over them..
..I either screwed the template to the routertable or to the inside of the drawer's front, where two small holes would never be seen.  Routertable had a pine jawed "vise" on it's end....where I could clamp a drawer side vertically..and make the tails.   Two clamps to hold the drawer front down on to the routertable's top....tails to line up the pins, attach the template, and make the cuts.  


was back in the late 1980s, when I had to build a 4 or 5 drawer Chest of Drawers in 12 hours, or less...and, have it ready for the finish....0800 to 2000hrs was the schedule , Saturday was a busy day, back then...

[Arlin Eastman]

They don’t want 218, they want the DD 214 form, which is your discharge papers. Black out your SSN# on the form before submitting. Send me a PM here if you need assistance. It’s a great opportunity.

Yep that is what I meant just said it wrong.