
pieces, you need to make sure
they are within the thickness
range of the SZO-14 (10mm to
14mm) or the SZO-20 (14mm
to 25mm). Be sure the front
and back pieces are the SAME
thickness and the side pieces
are the SAME thickness. The
front/back can be a different
thickness than the sides.
Make your cuts
Now you are ready to cut. For
strength you want the male
fan shape tails to be cut on the
sides of the drawer and the
female recesses to be cut in the
front and back work pieces.
Once you get the hang of
through dovetails don’t be
afraid of experimenting by
reversing these to get a
different look to your joints.
In the traditional trough
dovetail the characteristic fan
or tail shape shows only from
the side of the drawer. From
the front it looks like a simple
box joint. If you reverse these
and put the male fan shaped
tails on the front and back
work pieces, the characteristic
dovetail shape will show from
the front and back. From the
sides it will look like a simple
box joint.
You will always cut the male
fan shaped tail pieces held
vertically under the front
clamp bar with the OUTSIDE
face pointing out away from
the VS-600.
Work pieces set to cut the
male fan shapes in the “tail
board”
The female recesses cut with
the angled template will
always be held vertically
under the front clamp bar with
the OUTSIDE face pointing
out away from the VS-600. In
all cases the top edge of the
drawer components will be
against the side stops as you
make your cuts. The order or
sequence does not matter.
Work pieces set to cut the
female recesses in the “pin
board”.
Cut the Male Fan Shaped
Tails (normally in the
pieces that will be the
sides of your drawer) –
I am in the habit of cutting the
male fan shaped tail pieces
first. To do so, mount the
straight fingered template
SZO-14-S or SZO-20-S on the
VS-600. It is self aligning and
needs no adjustment. Lower it
down and align the side stops
to the opening in the template
just as you did before with the
half blind templates. Be sure
to turn the SZO-14 or SZO-20
side stop fingers inwards
towards the center of the VS-
600 ON BOTH SIDES of the
template. Mount the correct
guide bushing and the correct
dovetail shaped cutter in the
router.
Place scrap pieces that are at
least 5mm THICKER than the
pieces which will have the
25