# I flunked dovetail making today. Why?



## jaguar1201 (Feb 4, 2015)

Today I decided to practice and teach myself how to make dovetail joints, because I have an upcoming cabinet making project in mind. Specifically, I was trying to make a rabbeted dovetail according to my Sears dovetail making kit and its manual. So after two tries, I decided that I must be setting something up wrongly because the depth of the slots in the "front" of the drawer are very shallow compared to the "pins" on the drawer side member that insert into them. I set the depth cams on the fixture as deep as possible on the second try, but the outcome was similar to the first try. These are 1/2" dovetails being cut into 3/4" thick scrap pine wood boards (for practice). What am I missing?
Rick


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

It sounds like the bit height is wrong.


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## dick in ia (Jul 23, 2007)

a picture would help. we could better see the relationship of the boards with each other or in the jig


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## jaguar1201 (Feb 4, 2015)

*I will try to get photos and scan the fixture kit guide*

I will see about getting photos tomorrow, as it is almost midnight here now, and I will scan the Sears manual. However, to clarify the problem, it is not the bit depth height that I am talking about, but rather the distance of the router travel before the guide bushing has gone as far as the space between the template plate fingers allows and the travel ceases. This travel into the drawer front board isn't deep enough to allow the pins of the side board to enter to the proper depth. Minor depth adjustments can be made by the depth adjustment tabs, but this is woefully insufficent to reach the travel needed. I think the spaces between the template fingers needs to be about 0.25" deeper at least. The trial boards are 0.75" thick and per the manual the top board has been rabbet cut 0.375" all the way around.
Rick


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Probably a really silly question, but are you positive the template guide is the correct one?


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

Are the sockets on the back of the drawer deep enough for the tails to fit in? The sockets on the front are not deep enough? Drawer fronts are rabbeted on most jigs by removing the drawer side from the jig and sliding the drawer front out until the "front reveal" extends beyond the fingers


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Since the front is offset the template guide needs to be further back to allow the bit to travel further by mounting the angle bracket behind the spacer washers. Likely to only get about 1/8 inch out of that. To get the additional 1/4 to achieve the .375 offset you will need to move your drawer front board forward 1/4 inch. Might need to space out your side board also if you want to cut them at the same time or cut them independently.

Believe the jig only allows 1/8" offset...I would add 1/4" spacer under the side board...

Nick

EDIT...make sure the spacers behind/front of angle brackets mounting the template guide are 3/8 and not 1/8...


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## jaguar1201 (Feb 4, 2015)

*Rabbeted dovetails are easy, but not W/O THE RABBET*

Thank you Bill,Nick, Dan and Dick for your feedback and help. Today I solved the dual problems with my set-up and was able to cut the rabbeted dovetail joint in my practice boards. I still have refinements to make, but the basic process is now understood. Essentially, problem number one was the bit height, as you suggested, because the bit slid down into the collet during tightening it. 
But the second more major problem was the poor Sears instruction manual, which I tend to follow line by line. The manual was very specific about rabbet cutting all the four sides of the drawer front, but never mentioned that a rabbet cut is also required on the side board. Vola, this deepened the distance that the pins entered the slots in the drawer front to make a nice fit.
Lesson #1 is now passed.
Rick


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

We all go through the learning curve and hit the guard rails


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