Removing waste before using dovetail jig

[opalko]

Posting again..

I'm curious how you know where to remove the waste before using the jig. I have Leigh D4- do you have to set the piece in the jig first, mark the areas to be cut by tracing the template fingers, or what? You'd have to make an allowance for the guide bushing, so how do you know where to cut on the bandsaw???

Cheers

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One thing that's not stressed enough when people talk about using dovetail > jigs is how much it helps to hog out the waste by other means before you > start cutting wood with the router. Sometimes I'll take a piece to the > bandsaw and rough out the cut to remove waste. Other times I'll take a > straight bit and clear out the middle of the area that the dovetail bit will > finish out. The more contemplative types might use a coping saw. A lot of > people don't know that it's the chips that carry the heat away from the bit, > and if you drive it right into hard wood the bits tend to burn or dull > quickly because the router's cutting wood in a confined space and the heat > can't escape as easily. So make it easy for the router bits and the wood > will appreciate it. > Tom Dacon

[marc rosen]

Hey Tom, There is no real need to cut out the waste prior to routing. A router of the proper size and a sharp bit will do the job. If you are having difficulty removing all of the waste during the router steps, I think that your router is improperly sized for the job (too small of a motor for example) or your bit is worn. I've been using my D4R for more than a year (and before that, a 20 year old Craftsman template) and have never felt the need to remove the excess material. I'm using either a PC 690 or an equaivalent( can't recall the model numbers) DeWalt fixed based routers. I think they are 1&3/4 hp. I have tried another PC that was 2+hp but this was one of those older models that had a "funky" speed controller and it bogged down in the heavier sections. No offense meant here, but I think your approach is a waste of time and could lead to less than optimal joints when the project is done. On the other hand, I often will make kerfs with a table saw and/or straight bits when I am making sliding dovetails. I do this regardless of making the sliders on my D4R, my table mounted router, or if I am using a freehand, guided router. =20 Marc