Can I get dovetailing for £250?

[PerranOak]

OK.
I had a brain-wave!
I've been posting about all sorts but couldn't get things formulated in my brain ... now I'm clear.

I want to get dovetailing (both 1/2" and 1/4") with a jig (including a "fine" template or whatever) and a router for about £250.

Which two should I get?

Preferrably, I want to be able to use the router for other, general purpose work, so nothing too "dedicated".

Any help would be gratefully received.

 

[wizer]

What are you dovetailing? Small boxes? Drawers? Cabinets?

 

[Ironballs]

Was doing some dovetails today. On the bandsaw

 

[PerranOak]

Yes! Drawers, cabinets and small boxes!

Well, not large runs of dovetails in large cabinets.

Don't have a band saw.

I can cut by hand but, oh, the time!

 

[wizer]

Well you can't get the leigh jig and a router for £250 (more like £350). So you'll have to take your chances with the cheaper brands. I haven't used them so can't recommend them.

 

[Shultzy]

PerranOak, first get a good router, it will do lots of other things besides dovetailing. Maybe make a table for it then it will do even more things. There are a few variations of jigs so you need to decide how much and what type of dovetailing ( fixed size, variable etc) you want to do and look for the most appropriate jig.

 

[Chris Knight]

Machine cut dovetails look just like machine cut dovetails - with the arguable exception of the output from a Woodrat. Any woodworker will recognise them as such.

Box joints are just as strong as dovetails using modern glues and most laymen aren't bothered by or can't tell the difference.

So.. why do you want dovetails? If money is an issue then consider box joints which can be cut with a simple home made jig using a tablesaw or a router.

There are homemade dovetail jigs for routers, Shop Notes carried plans once I believe but they are harder to make than a box joint jig.

 

[p111dom]

After working with machines and jigs for years I'm actually hankering after learning to cut them by hand. The look is definately better and spacing intervals, pin width and angle of the tails are all infinate when cut by hand. After seeing that thread about the 3 minute cabinet grade dove tail it's made me think. I can't cut them this fast on the jig. My jig is a relatively cheap one but this would be what you would get for a jig and a router within budget. A £100 jig will work just fine but you'll have no variable pin size. The best jig for near this money would be the Leigh super 12 jig at £190. It's a lot of jig for the moneyand you could get a good T5 secondhand for difference of £60. I can imagine it would be a clart on to set up though.

 

[tnimble]

Machine cut dovetails look just like machine cut dovetails - with the arguable exception of the output from a Woodrat. Any woodworker will recognise them as such.

Box joints are just as strong as dovetails using modern glues and most laymen aren't bothered by or can't tell the difference.

One could argue that a router is only capable of straight and angled box joint. Only a bandsaw and scrollsaw (or a table saw to some extent) is capable of machine cut dovetails.

 

[PerranOak]

Hmm.
Yes. A machine created joint is obviously that, I guess.
I can cut them by hand but two things hold me back:

First and foremost, skill. This will develop though, I'm sure.
Secondly, tools. I had a big tenon saw, a coping saw, general "workmate" type bench and a few old chisels. To buy a good dovetailing saw, nice chisels, etc. would cost quite a bit, I suppose. Also, it would be ages before I was producing good stuff.

A router would, as said, be generally useful and from day one.

My strategy was to get the router and jig to start producing asap. I could also get used to using a router (never even touched one before!). Then, I could, say, cut the tails on the router/jig but the pins by hand until finally launching into hand-cut heaven!

 

[13eightyfour]

Im sure i remember a thread here somewhere about the dovetail jig from rutlands, its very basic from the looks but seems to have good reviews about it.

 

[AndyBoyd]

erm 10 quid for a saw a fiver for a chisel and then 5 more for a coping saw and 3 quid for a mallet. Oh yes and a marking gauge - 10 quid

38 quid and so much quieter neater greener and healthier



Only kidding

 

[wizer]

A good dovetail jig is perfectly sufficient to create attractive joints. It's only fellow woodworkers that scoff at machine cut dovetails. You can set them a variable spacing and use differing sizes. However, being totally hypocritical, I think you should learn to do them by hand. The outlay to get a good dovetail jig is too much for the hobbiest. Even for a pro, dovetails aren't typically used in production runs, like kitchens. I'm probably going to end up selling my Leigh jig, not because it's rubbish, but because I can't think of the next time I am going to need it. Get yourself Rob Cosman's DVD on dovetailing, a marking gauge, a decent dovetail saw, a couple of dividers and a set of chisels. You'll get change out of your £250.

 

[shim20]

you can do it cheaper than that, do it the proper way and buy a dovetail saw :lol:

 

[Ironballs]

Japanese dovetail saw is a tenner at Axminster, as are the Veritas markers, coping saw is a few quid, so's a mallet, leaving a few decent chisels as the most expensive thing

 

[tnimble]

As already said, and there's the option of the LV saw guide or do them machine cut with a cheap scroll saw or more versatile get a band saw doesn't have to be a big cast iron one.

 

[colinc]

I make dovetails by both machine and by hand and the latter is the most rewarding and is also the most flexible as most jigs control the spacing.

May I make two tool suggestions for dovetailing:

1) a japanese dovetail saw £11.99 from APTC, much better/easier/finer than the traditional saws:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Ice-Bear-Japanese-Ikedame-Dovetail-Saw-22299.htm

2) a triangular profile japanese chisel to get right into the corners, I have a 3mm one, a bit more expensive at £32.90 but finds many uses too:
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product....japanese+chisel&user_search=1&sfile=1&jump=44

Colin

 

[PerranOak]

Right! I now have a dovetailing saw, chisels and some scrap wood.

It could be ages before I can cut a presentable joint.

In the meantime, a jig would be useful though, no?

 

[wizer]

Are you still talking about a router jig? Or do you mean a jig for doing them by hand?

Honestly. Buy the Rob Cosman DVD on dovetailing. Practise a few joints, each one will be better than the last. My first couple of attempts where ok, I haven't had the time to keep up the practise.

If you really must use a jig for hand cut dovetails, then Veritas do one which is not bad.

 

[PerranOak]

No, I'll learn to do it by hand with no jig.

I still need a "machine" jig for donkey-work though.