I bought a HF half blind dovetail fixture. It came with 5 router bits. Two each 1/2" dovetail and 1/4" straight (one each HSS and Carbide) and a 1/2" straight.
What are the straight bits for? I thought at first they were to make box joints, but that's not possible because the template guide would cause the wood to be thicker than the spaces. So what are they for?
Some people recommend you first use a straight bit to remove the majority of the wood for the pins and tails, then finish with the dovetail.. Chris
Maybe to hog out the wood first before you run the dovetail bits so you get a cleaner/easier cut?
it is probably for the through dovetail template which you may not have purchased.
Straight bits are for making the pins on through dovetails. They're not needed for making half-blind dovetails. As others have suggested, they could be used to hog out most of the waste before using the dovetail cutter to finish up, but that seems like a lot of extra work, particularly in setting the depth. There's no need to do that unless your router is so seriously underpowered that it bogs down when using the dovetail bit; even so, the proper solution to that problem is to get a better router.
-- Regards, Doug Miller
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