Dovetail advice needed for a newbie

[Dick Snyder]

I was experimenting with the dovetail jig I got from Rockler today. I made a few cuts in some scrap wood until everything fit well and both sides of the wood (pin and dovetail) were flush. However, I see about a 1/32" space between the sloped sides of the pins and the cut out for the dovetail. I don't know how to make that fit tighter. If I raise the router bit, I will eliminate the 1/32" space but I will leave a space where the flat end of the pin touches the flat bottom of the dovetail. If you can't picture what I am talking about I will post this same message in alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking along with a somewhat fuzzy picture of the dovetails I did (I had to get close to get the picture.

Thanks. I have to make 6 drawers for dresser I am making so I want to get this right.

Dick Snyder

[D. J. Dorn]

I know what you are saying but belive it or not, the answer is to raise the bit, but not excessively. Also, make sure that your board doesn't twist under the torque of the router and that the edge of the pin board is even with edge of the tail board over the entire width of the board, and take it slow. Also, move from the router right to the left very lightly and then actually rout from left to right - this way, you won't have chip out. The space you think you will create won't be there if the boards as described above are even. Once you have the right height so that it fights tightly, make a template before you remove the router bit. Clamp a board in the front of the jig and rout out a small area deep enough for your guide bushing to fit, then move the router into the board with the base at the top and the bottom of the bit will start cutting into the board. Once done, use the template to return to that bit height every time. Clear as mud?

Don

[Dick Snyder]

You were right Don. Thanks. Thanks also for the tips about avoiding chipout and making the template. It was mud in the beginning but after about 3 test cuts I cleared the mud from my brain and I figured out that raising the bit didn't mean raise it up into the plate but raise it's height so it will cut a little deeper.