Planning Dovetails

Re: Planning Dovetails

roger lance

You actually summarized it very well. I have an older PC Omnijig and the spacing for 1/2" half blind dovetails was ideally based on a piece of wood that was stepped at 7/8" intervals (7/8", 1 3/4", 2 5/8", 3 1/2", etc etc). So with a jig of set spacing, you are designing furniture based on the drawer out. But on a variable spaced jig, you can design furniture from the carcass in to the drawer. It is best to have proper spacing of dovetails to avoid some unusual outcome to your drawer. But if you can hand cut dovetails, then the design and size of drawers is totally up to you.

Re: Planning Dovetails

Jack Guzman from Maine

Don,there are jigs that create variable dovetails but they are expensive. That right there is the main reason I learned to cut dovetails by hand. Once I learned,my biggest surprise was how simple it is. The only reason I can see for using a jig for dovetailing is if you are in a hurry and/or need to cut alot of same pieces.---Jack

Re: Planning Dovetails

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

When I used a jig I made the dovetail at the top of the drawer full sized and let the bottom come out however it came out. The drawers used metal side mounts (Accuride). There are so many dovetails in one of these jig cut drawers that a partial on the bottom is irrelevant to the strength of the drawer. Who's to know?

bottom line, make drawers what ever height works best.

Re: Planning Dovetails

Dave Bair

You don't have to let the jig define your drawer dimensions. It's possible to use a fixed-spacing jig to match any drawer depth you desire. Center either the drawer front or side in the gig and offset the other piece the amount specified by the maker (mine's xx/32" but I have a gauge cut to the correct dimension through trial and error). You can also choose to not cut that final dovetail if it will be weak; you may have to use a chisel to cut the now-larger corresponding part or reposition the part in the jig and use your router to mill it away.

Re: Planning Dovetails

Don Emmerling

Thanks Dave for responding. I know I could go off the manufacturers script of what is dictated by the placement of the template spacing for the jig. However, my desire was to take advantage of the jig efficiency, if possible. I could just space the dovetails in my own design but I never know just how good I will be cutting my own. It is tempting to just go with a width of stock that fits neatly in the jigs pattern and be done with it, however that seems like the tail wagging the dog. If I could just get better with my own dovetail cutting, with the same surety that I can get with the jig, it would not be a problem. I will probably just go with a bit of both.

Re: Planning Dovetails

Tom

You only get better, which I think you could expect to happen quickly, if you practice. So you need to chuck the jig. The main problem with hand cuts, is that they take longer on repetitive pieces. Can't help you there. My point being that you should improve rapidly if you set yourself the goal. People who take courses normally learn to cut clean joints in short order, and the same is true with home practice, if one sticks with it. It only takes a few hours to learn. Just so long as you aren't cutitng yourself short with the thought that this is something that needs decades of practice. No it needs a few hours real practice, taken now.