How To Use Dovetail Router Bit

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There are lots of excuses for non using dovetails; cutting them by paw takes fourth dimension, patience, and lots of practice. A dovetail jig is relatively fool proof, just if you don't use it regularly, be prepared for an 60 minutes or so of re-learning each time you use it. Also, dovetail jigs are expensive; particularly those that are capable of cut dovetails with variable spacing, to give a manus-cut look.

This router table method lays waste to all the excuses; information technology's piece of cake, accurate, and inexpensive. All you need are ii router bits, and ii sleds for your router tabular array. Layout and cut is directly forward, and you can cutting variably-spaced dovetails!

Fig. A. Tail Sled

Fig. B. Pin Sled

Fig. C. Sliding Clamp Block Detail

Fig. D. Debate Item

Make Two Sleds

Photo 1. Attach side rails to both bases. These rails allow the sleds to slide on the router table without whatever side-play.

The two sleds (Fig. A & B) must exist custom fit to your router table, so use the cutting list every bit more of a parts index. As long as your router tabular array has two parallel sides, you lot're proficient to become. Cut the bases (A) the same length as and one-i/two″ wider than your router tabular array'southward top. The extra width allows yous to attach the runway (B) to the underside of each base of operations. When you attach the rails, squeeze them against the sides of your router table slightly (Photograph 1). They should be snug enough to eliminate any play, but all the same allow the sled to move easily.

Photograph 2. Rout the pin sled's slot with the bit you'll use for routing the pins. Rout the tail sled'south slot wide enough to allow clearance for the dovetail bit's flared end.

Apply your router table to cutting a slot in each sled (Photo 2). For the tail sled (that's the one you'll use with the dovetail bit), make the slot broad enough for the flared end of your dovetail bit to laissez passer through the slot. For the pin sled (that'south the one you'll use with a directly bit), cut the slot using the same bit y'all'll employ for cutting the pins. This slot is really the key to the accuracy of this method considering it shows exactly where the chip will cutting.

Make the fences

These fences are just giant wooden T-tracks. You'll need three of them. Employ a dado set up or router to cut the wide groove in the contend body (C and Fig. C) and then glue on the keeper rails (D). When the gum is dry out, check to brand sure the fences are apartment and foursquare. If they're not, have the time to true them up on your jointer.

Next, factory 1 long lath for the sliding clamp blocks (Eastward and Fig. D) and cutting both blocks from information technology. Attach a toggle clamp to each block. You lot but demand ii clamp blocks. Just motility them from debate to contend as you work.

Photograph three. Square the tail sled's argue to the slot. Clench information technology in place, and and then attach it from underneath using screws.

Loosely clamp one fence to the tail sled. Use a foursquare to align the contend exactly perpendicular to the sled's slot, and and then tighten the clamps (Photo 3). Turn the sled upside down and spiral the argue in identify. Don't use gum, just in case you lot demand to make adjustments.

The pin sled uses two fences, both set at the aforementioned bending as your dovetail fleck. You can use whatsoever dovetail bit you like. A shallow bending – anywhere from vi°-eight° – looks the virtually similar manus-cut dovetails. I used a 14° bit, considering that's what I had on manus.

I used the ascent over run method to marking the angles on my sled, as it's more accurate than a small protractor. If you don't know how to convert an angle to rising over run, use this handy calculator at http://www.blocklayer.com/riserun.aspx.

Photo 4. Lay out the pin sled'southward contend angles, matching the angle of each contend to your dovetail bit's angle. In this case, 3″ of ascension over 12″ of run equals xiv°.

To use your rising over run figures, mark a center line across the sled, xc° to the slot. Brand a mark on the eye line 12″ from the sled'southward border. Make another mark three″ out from this point, 90° from the centre line. Connect that mark with the end of the eye line for a perfect 14° angle (Photograph 4).

Photograph 5. Clench the fences on the layout lines and attach them with screws.

Cut the fences to length and clench them to the base; one on each angled line. Adhere the fences with screws, like you lot did the tail sled's argue (Photo 5). Glue bit guards (F) to both sleds in front of each debate, on both sides of the slots. Leave enough clearance between the fences and the scrap guards for your stock. The fleck guards add together a small-scale degree of safety, but they're mainly a reminder to proceed your fingers out of the danger zone.

Cutting the tails

Install your dovetail fleck and place the tail sled on your router table. In order to raise the chip sufficiently beyond the sled, you lot probably won't be able to bottom out the bit in your router's collet.

Photo 6. Set up the dovetail bit'southward height to lucifer the thickness of the pin board.

Gear up the flake'south height to your stock's thickness using a directly edge (Photo 6). If your pin board and tail lath are different thicknesses, fix the scrap's height to the thickness of the pin board. That'south information technology; you lot're ready to get-go routing tails.

The dazzler of this method is that you can space the tails out however you wish. You don't have to mark the tails on the board, simply I like to sketch them in then I know what the finished joint will look similar.

Photo 7. Rout the tails using whatsoever spacing you lot wish. It'south helpful to sketch the layout on the board commencement.

I cut the outer half-pin spaces first, and and so the interior pivot spaces, but the lodge isn't of import. Position your tail lath, clench information technology to the fence and rout each pin space to create the tails (Photo 7).

Cut the pins

Photograph eight. Mark the tails on the pin board'southward end. These marks are merely a handy visual reference, every bit it'due south like shooting fish in a barrel to become dislocated when y'all're routing the pins.

Clench the tail board in a vise with its end extending above the demote'southward top the same superlative as a spacer block. Slide the spacer cake to the pin board'south end, clamp the pin board most its center, and marking the dovetails on the pin lath's terminate (Photograph viii). Strictly speaking, these marks aren't necessary, but they're prissy to take as a reference when you're orienting the pin board on the sled. Make a mark on each lath to indicate its outer confront.

Photo 9. Extend lines from the edges of each tail onto the pivot board's outer face up. These are your layout marks for routing.

With the pivot lath and tail board clamped in place, transfer the edges of the dovetails to the pivot board's outer face (Photo 9).

Pro Tip one

Traditionally, dovetails were cutting slightly proud and and so planed affluent subsequently assembly. This isn't necessary here, so when you lot're marking the pin board, clamp its face flush with the tail lath's end. This manner, you tin use a square to transfer your marks directly from the tails.

Install the flake you used to cut the pivot sled's slot, and swap the tail sled for the pin sled. Fix the bit'south height to the tail board'due south thickness.

Pro Tip 2

A screw up-cut bit is perfect for this application. Because of the direction the cutters spiral effectually the chip, it really pulls the workpiece towards the router's base which, in this case, is down.

Since you just mark pin board's outer side, that'southward the side y'all'll take facing out. Draw an orientation marking on the sled so you always know on which side of the slot to position the pins. If the pin is to the left of the slot on 1 fence, it'll be to the right of the slot on the other fence.

Photo x. Align the layout marks with the slot's edge and rout one side of each pin. Mark the pin/fleck relationship in front end of each fence to ensure that you rout on the right side of the pins.

Starting on either argue, align each pin's edge mark with the edge of the slot and rout one pass (Photograph x). To start with, cut a trivial wide of the marker and sneak upward on the line. Check the cut confronting your tail board after each cut. After you rout a couple pins, eyeballing their alignment with the tails, you'll quickly learn whether to leave your layout marks visible, cut them off, or split them. A perfect fit is the goal, and then leaving the pins slightly large is okay.

Photo 11. Cheque your cuts against your reference marks on the pin board'southward end to make sure everything is right.

Afterward routing the first side of all the pins, check to make sure everything is oriented correctly (Photo 11). Now move to the opposite fence and rout each pivot'southward other side. Rout out any remaining waste past repositioning the pin board and routing some other pass, repeating until all the waste is cleaned out (Photo 12).

Photo 12. Rout the other side of each pin and clean out the rest of the waste using the sled'southward opposite debate.

Gather the joint

Photograph 13. Tap the articulation together. It should become together with a few light taps. If it'due south likewise tight, marking the tight spots and trim the pins where needed.

The joint should fit with a few lite mallet taps (Photo 13). If y'all were cautious, cutting the pins just slightly oversize, you lot'll have to trim a couple of them. When you test the fit, marking the pins that need trimming. Because of the "zero-clearance effect" of the bit'southward slot, you can easily shave off simply a whisker for a perfect fit. As you gain experience, you'll spend less fourth dimension trimming to fit.

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