Sliding dovetail

[miles_hot]

Am I missing a simple trick? I have made the tenon element (I'm never sure about tail vs other bit) and that is nicely centred on the edge (I'm joining two boards together to then make a bowl so this is a decorative join). Is there a trick to setting the router table up to cut the tenon element up? At the moment I'm going through test pieces at an uncomfortable rate...

Many thanks

Miles
PS Should mention the bleeding obvious - this is my very first time at doing this!

 

[9fingers]

Miles,
I'm having difficulty in visualising the problem you're having
Is the problem that your cuts are inconsistent or that you are having trouble adjusting the fence in small enough steps?

One way to achieve small controlled fence adjustment is to clamp down a block of scrap against the fence and then slacken the fence, introduce a shim (even a sheet of paper) and re-tighten the fence which should have only moved by a papers thickness.

Is the cutter moving in the collet? even a small movement will introduce a huge error due the the dovetail angle.

hth

Bob

 

[miles_hot]

Bob

I wondered if there was some way of setting the fence from the socket bit of the wood...

Your idea about the blocks of wood is a neat one and will allow me to sneak up on the measurement - at the moment it's all rather crude and involves tapping the fence with a hammer which means that as soon as I've taken too much off that test piece is useless.

I think that the cutter is stable in the collet but then again how can I tell?

Miles

 

[9fingers]

I do quite a lot of 'sneaking up' type set ups on the router table to get most second operation cuts to fit the first operation result.
My fence has no guides and can be placed anywhere on the table top. I clamp one end pretty tight and just tap the other end usually noting movement relative to a speck of saw dust or similar.

Also passing pieces through on both sides keeps the cut central but does take off twice as much!!

good luck

Bob

 

[Sportique]

Miles,

I have a pdf and doc file which may be of help. I could PM them?

Dave

 

[stuartpaul]

Miles,

Like Bob I'm struggling a bit to visualise your problem.

When I cut mine I did the socket first and then the tail. Found it reasonably easy to get a snug fit although as Bob says creep up on it with shims and cuts both sides.

 

[miles_hot]

I do quite a lot of 'sneaking up' type set ups on the router table to get most second operation cuts to fit the first operation result.
My fence has no guides and can be placed anywhere on the table top. I clamp one end pretty tight and just tap the other end usually noting movement relative to a speck of saw dust or similar.

Also passing pieces through on both sides keeps the cut central but does take off twice as much!!

good luck

Bob

Bob

Yes Im doing the both sides thing - good point about the fixing one end, stupidly I was trying to move both ends and I suspect this just introduced a whole load of errors and lack of predictability.

Miles

 

[miles_hot]

Miles,

I have a pdf and doc file which may be of help. I could PM them?

Dave

Yes please

 

[Sportique]

Miles,

I can't find a way to add files to a PM - so if you need them please PM me with your email address.

Dave

 

[big soft moose]

I should have mentioned when i brought the router bits over - Ive got one of those dovetail router jigs, which you'd be welcome to borrow. - probably easier than using a router table.

 

[Jacob]

Sounds like you are doing it freehand "sneaking up" on it etc.
Personally I'd set it out and mark it up (to match the router cutter angle exactly) and work to the marks. If it doesn't work you just have to work out why, on a few samples of scrap wood.

 

[miles_hot]

Sounds like you are doing it freehand "sneaking up" on it etc.
Personally I'd set it out and mark it up (to match the router cutter angle exactly) and work to the marks. If it doesn't work you just have to work out why, on a few samples of scrap wood.

That's the thing - how do I mark it out? I've never found it easy to gauge where the router will actually cut etc - it seems too easy to introduce parallax between the centre or the router and the actual wood.

So far I've had some success with the sneaking method (thanks Bob) - I aim to post some pictures tomorrow when part two is done. It remains to be seen if this all works out

Miles

 

[miles_hot]

I should have mentioned when i brought the router bits over - Ive got one of those dovetail router jigs, which you'd be welcome to borrow. - probably easier than using a router table.

Does it do sliding Dovetails - I thought it was to make boxes etc?

Miles

 

[Steve Maskery]

I've recently finished helping my friend Tim to make a Shaker table with feet that are fitted with SDs. We cut the sockets first, then cut the SD on the router table, moving the fence just 0.1mm at a time and testing for fit. The tiniest change makes a big difference, so you need very precise control of your cuts. Indeed, we found that you could get a difference just by pressing the workpiece harder against the fence, it's that sensitive.

I suggest that you treat every SD as a separate job. Don't assume that just because one joint fits the others will automatically do so. Any tiny variation in thickness of your workpieces will affect the fit.

It's a challenging joint.

S