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02-29-2020, 02:24 PM
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?
"Some glue, some brads while the glue dries, and that's not going anywhere!"
Norm
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Lower the bit. ...
Gary
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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
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(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
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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
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That is a nice looking joint, you gotta be happy with that!
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(03-21-2020, 09:55 AM)Phil Thien Wrote: That is a nice looking joint, you gotta be happy with that!
For sure, thanks!
"Some glue, some brads while the glue dries, and that's not going anywhere!"
Norm
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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.
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