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I've had this jig for quite a while and never really quite got the hang of it. But lately I need to make some drawers. When I go by their instructions as best I can, I get poor results. This test piece for example fits really tight in the socket, but I still get a gap at the shoulders. Any advice?
[attachment=24449]
"Some glue, some brads while the glue dries, and that's not going anywhere!"
Norm ▼ 
02-29-2020, 04:04 PM
Lower the bit. ...
Gary
Please don’t quote the trolls. Liberty, Freedom and Individual Responsibility Say what you'll do and do what you say. 
03-01-2020, 02:21 PM
Here's a link to the User's Manual.. Turn to the page about dovetail fit (31). There are several causes. Dirty collet, not enough extension on the router, etc.
http://www.akeda.com/pdf/UserManual2007.pdf
Still Learning,
Allan Hill
03-04-2020, 02:23 AM
(02-29-2020, 02:24 PM)plharrison Wrote: I've had this jig for quite a while and never really quite got the hang of it. But lately I need to make some drawers. When I go by their instructions as best I can, I get poor results. This test piece for example fits really tight in the socket, but I still get a gap at the shoulders. Any advice? Turn the base so you have more depth of the cutter . Sometimes instructions are not correct. Many years ago I bought a small book on using a router. They showed the router moving counter clockwise on an inside cut. They showed the router moving clockwise on an outside cut. Both of these descriptions were wrong as they described a climb cut. I wrote to the publisher but never received an answer. I was new to routing at that time but clearly not that new. I have several routers, I used to keep the one with a dovetail bit at the correct height and did not move the base at all. If you have one router than raise the base a bit at a time til the cutter is perfect. Practice on a scrap board and keep the scrap to set the cutter for future use. You may find after setting the base on the scrap that a small adjustment needs to be made when using the dovetail jig in the future. That's why I dedicated one router for dovetail use and never touched the base. mike
03-21-2020, 09:22 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-21-2020, 09:26 AM by plharrison.)
Update:
After considering all input here, I stumbled onto the problem. I actually exchanged emails with the inventor of the jig at Akeda. What happened was that many years ago when I first got the jig, I struggled to figure it out. Their instruction manual leaves something to be desired, plus I was overall less experienced. At one point I thought the router wasn't riding level on the rails, so I slightly shimmed one end, but I got frustrated and set it aside for a long time. BTW, shimming is sometimes necessary for the jig as per the inventor. Anyway, when I removed the rails again to check them for straightness, I saw the shims and removed them. What do ya know? After doing that, I was able to get good fitting dovetails (or ducktails as my wife calls them)! Paul 
"Some glue, some brads while the glue dries, and that's not going anywhere!"
Norm 
03-21-2020, 09:55 AM
That is a nice looking joint, you gotta be happy with that!
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03-22-2020, 12:02 PM
I am going to have to get a dovetail or (ducktail) jig sometime. My doing it by hand is just not working and I need to get to making some drawers and case work.
Hard to find a good one and easy to use. 
As of this time I am not teaching vets to turn. Also please do not send any items to me without prior notification. Thank You Everyone.
It is always the right time, to do the right thing. |
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Anyone use an Adeda dovetail jig? I have a question!
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