# Cutting Dovetails Without Jig ?



## flanajb (4 May 2010)

I need to make a number of drawers and was thinking of buying a Leigh jig, but then I thought to myself "How often will I actually use it". So this is the plan I have forumated.

1. Cut tails by clamping all drawer sides together and then run over dovetail cutter mounted in router table. This should be quick and means all tails will be cut at the same time.

2. Cuts pins by use stop on the end of the router table fence. I was also thinking of using spacers which I keep adding between piece being machined and router fence. This then ensures equal spacing between pins ?

Interested to hear if anyone else has any good tips. The £200 that I was going to use for the jig can then go towards a quiter extractor unit.

Thanks


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## AndyT (4 May 2010)

I've done routed dovetails without buying a jig. There's some handwork, but it's quite quick.

Tails, like you said, clamped up together, held vertical, stepping sideways after each pass - usual way is to have a locating peg on the fence which fits in the hole you just cut.

You then transfer the marks and saw the pins by hand. Clamp together in pairs, against a broad flat board. Use a small straight cutter to remove the waste, working freehand, leaving straight flat floor to the cut. You can either leave a sliver to cut off with a knife, or if you feel confident, rout into the saw cut.

There's a better description, and pictures, in Patrick Spielman's Router Handbook.


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## stoatyboy (4 May 2010)

sounds like a good plan - i've got a few to do might have a play with this at the weekend

let us know how you get on!!


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## flanajb (4 May 2010)

stoatyboy":vlrx4ord said:


> sounds like a good plan - i've got a few to do might have a play with this at the weekend
> 
> let us know how you get on!!


Sure will. Hopefully I can avoid using so much of the timber for test pieces, like I did last weekend with my Perform dovetail jig that I could not get to work. No matter what depth I set the cutter to be.


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## Steve Maskery (5 May 2010)

Do you have a bandsaw? If so, with a couple of very simple jigs you an cut DTs that are indistinguishable from hand-cut ones (except there are no gaps).

This method comes into its own with small batch production, and the process is intuitive, as the steps are the same as I would do them by hand. It's also a heck of a lot quieter than a router!

You'll need a very narrow BS blade. I use a 1/16" blade. See Ian John at Tuffsaws and if he can't help Hamilton Edge do them.

There is a trailer showing the method here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v2udCG6HQw

You may want to skip to 3:45.

The same principle is described in Duginski's Bandsaw Book, although not in such detail.

There is also an article in an old GW, although I'm afraid I can't tell you which issue it is in.

You can produce varied or fixed spacing, symmetric or asymmetric tails - just about the same flexibility as by hand. It's a real alternative to hand-cut, without the cost of a jig (assuming you already have a BS, of course!). The learning curve is not too steep, certainly not as steep as the Leigh.

Cheers
Steve


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## miles_hot (5 May 2010)

Steve Maskery":2jxyzbz2 said:


> You'll need a very narrow BS blade. I use a 1/16" blade. See Ian John at Tuffsaws and if he can't help Hamilton Edge do them.
> Cheers
> Steve


Who do you buy your blade from Steve?
Miles


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## Steve Maskery (5 May 2010)

The last ones I bought came from Hamilton Edge. They are good, but I had to wait a while as no-one was prepared to weld them! The boss himself had to do it.

The main problem with them is getting them welded. My understanding is that the blade is made in the UK, but the manufacturer's welding machine is broken and they have no plans to fix it. A standard BS wekder won't take such a small blade, so the challenge is to find someone who can do it. HE could and did, albeit it wasn't next-day service.

I'm happy with them, though.

S


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## jimi43 (9 May 2010)

Hi flanajb

If you get Steve's DVD, what he describes all becomes very clear.

Superb production and a wealth of information. Best woodworking DVD I have by miles.

I did once try watching it in bed it was so fascinating but her indoors clipped me one around the ear....

Jim

p.s. I have no affiliation with Steve's company...it is just too good not to recommend....and loads of other useful information too!


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## Steve Maskery (10 May 2010)

Thank you for that, Jimi, very much appreciated.
Cheers
Steve


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