Set up the Jig
When cutting full through dovetails you will be cutting to a depth of
slightly more than the thickness of the material you are working with, so
you will need to cut a clamping shim approximately 10" wide x 7" deep
that’s 1/4" thicker than your stock. An easy way to get this extra thick-
ness is to first cut the shim from your stock material, and then cut a sec-
ond shim piece from 1/4" thick masonite or other 1/4" material (Fig. 15).
Now simply stack the two shims to get the thickness you need. The
shim should be flush with the back edge of the jig body (Fig. 15).
To correctly space the dovetails on the width of your stock, hold your
work piece vertically in the jig as shown in (Fig. 16). Adjust left side stop
(#11) side to side until the fingers on the template are equally spaced on
both edges of your stock.
Then remove the stock and template and use a small square to make
sure the vertical leg of the stop (#11) is square with the top of the jig
body as shown in Figure 18. Tighten all three screws on the L-shaped
stop (#11) and reinstall template.
Cutting the Tail Pieces
You will be using the half blind or tail piece template first. The first step
is to cut a scrap piece the same size as your stock to verify the outer
tails on both ends are the same width. If needed, readjust the L-shaped
stops (#11) to equalize the outer tails (Fig. 16).
Lock the first tail piece vertically (inside face out, marked “T”) in the jig,
flush against the left side stop and tight against the template. Check the
position of the template to verify the fingers extend beyond the face of
the work piece. For 1/2" material, set the back edge of the tail template
to the “B” setting and for 3/4" stock use the “E” setting (Fig. 17). Install
the 7/16" guide bushing provided with your original half blind dovetail jig
on your router.
Now install the 1/2" x 8° dovetail bit provided with the jig.
Next, set the depth of cut to equal the thickness of the stock for the
pin piece. The easiest way to do this is to scribe a line on the tail piece
using the pin piece as a guide (Fig. 19). Set the depth of cut on the
dovetail bit so it will just cut through the scribe line (Fig. 20). This setting
will allow your tails and pins to protrude slightly so they can be easily
planed or sanded flush after assembly. If a dust collector is installed you
will need to do this setting by turning your router upside down and using
the stock you are working with and one of the templates as a guide to
set the depth of cut.
Figure 16
Figure 18
Figure 19
6
Shim
Masonite
Box or
drawer
material
Flush with
back edge
of jig body
Flush with
back edge
of jig body
Figure C Inset
Figure 15
Figure 20
Figure 17
