correct height, visually check that
the bit won’t engage the template
or any part of the jig. Begin cutting
from left to right, making sure that
the bushing rides the template all
the way to the back of each groove.
DO NOT LIFT THE ROUTER OFF
THE TEMPLATE WHILE THE
MOTOR IS RUNNING. If you do,
the bit will destroy your template.
If the resulting joint is too sloppy,
raise the bit slightly and try again.
Conversely, if the fit is too tight,
lower the bit. Make adjustments in
approximately 1/64" increments, as
a small adjustment can make a lot
of difference.
If the two parts
fit together well, but the tails are
proud, move the fence back the
amount the tails are proud. If the
tails slide too far into the grooves
(also called “sockets”) between the
pins, move the fence forward the
amount they are shy.
If you don’t have an even amount
of pin or tail at the top and bottom
of the drawer, revisit the section
entitled
Locate the Stops
, above.
Sometimes you may want to have a
full pin at the top and a half pin at
the bottom. This is easily
accomplished by visually adjusting
the stops in the manner described
in that section.
Continue milling test pieces
(both left and right) until you
achieve results that are
satisfactory. Only then should you
mill actual workpieces.
Drawer Layout
It is recommended that you keep
track of the parts of each drawer
by numbering and labeling them,
then milling them in the same
order every time you build a
drawer or box. This repetition will
virtually eliminate mistakes, with
practice.
Refer to the drawing above to see
4
how this is done. The parts of the
drawer are laid out in their proper
orientation, then each piece is
labeled on the inside face
(FRONT, BACK, LEFT SIDE,
RIGHT SIDE). You can write
directly on the part with a soft
pencil, or use masking tape.
Mark the faces next: each face
should have a notation that says
which way is up.
Finally, mark the corners with
designated number, 1 through 4.
For example, the left side of the
drawer in the illustration meets the
front at corner #1, so each part is
so labeled.
If you can develop a habit of
marking the drawers in exactly the
same fashion every time, errors
will be few and far between.
1
3
3
1
2 2
4 4
FR
ONT
BA
CK
LEFT
RIGHT
Y
our jig can help you mill three variations of the
half-blind dovetail.
Offset Dovetails (top drawing) can be used when
there is no separate drawer face to attach to the
drawer front. They give you an integrated overlay:
that is, part of the drawer front overlays the face
frame of the chest or cabinet. To mill the joint, just
add 3/4" to the length of the front. The part thick-
ness should be a minimum 7/8" thick, and the rab-
bet on each end should be milled before inserting
the piece in the dovetail jig. Move the backstop
3/8" back, and test your setup on scrap.
Rabbeted Dovetails (middle drawing) add a lip to
the top, bottom and sides of the drawer front. They
are milled in the same fashion as the offset dovetail
(above), except that you must reset the right and
left stops for the drawer front. Note: You’ll need to
shim the horizontal/top arm of the “L-shaped” stop
3/8" so that the offset is 1/8" instead of the
standard 1/2", then proceed.
Box or Finger Joints
(lower drawing) can be
milled by securing both parts in the jig vertically.
One piece of stock must be lined up with the top
stops, while the other is lined up with the front
stops: this means that the front board is 1/2" to the
left of the back one. Set the router bit depth (a 1/2"
straight bit) to the exact thickness of the stock. You
can use a stock bit or a 1/2" bearing-guided bit. If
using a bearing-guided bit, shim the template so it
is high enough that the bit won’t cut it.
Some other joints you can make with
your Rockler 12" dovetail jig
© 2002 Copyright Rockler Woodworking and Hardware
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1
4
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