# Incra fence



## Artbonnet (Mar 19, 2014)

I am in the process of making a couple of drawers with my Incra fence using 3/4" wood. Before I start making test cuts, etc any thoughts, suggestions, do/don'ts, etc I should consider before I actual get going, especially concerning "depth of cut".
I am relatively new at this. 

Thanks


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## Big Steve (Feb 12, 2012)

Are you asking about suggestions on the Incra fence or on making drawers?


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Hi Art, the only suggestion I can make is to read the manual carefully, set up the jig as shown and make a test cut on 3/4" scrap of the timber you are going to use in the drawers.

The manual should show how to fine tune to fix any error?

Be very careful in the final dimension of the drawer parts...cut all pieces to size at the same time so that the saw blade does not move or have to be re-set...


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## al m (Dec 13, 2012)

One thing to keep in mind if you are using dovetails for the drawer boxes is "Lower to loosen,heighten to tighten"


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

Remember, if you are cutting dovetails, a dovetail bit will only work on one thickness of material. The bit should be just the height of the thickness of the materilal. Check your book for a suggested starting height. 

I have found that if your material is very hard and the dovetails are very tight, that when cutting the pins that after each cut it will help by advancing the fence forward slightly, maybe .005", and making another pass, then dial the fence back by .010" and make another pass this widens the cut by .010". After the final pass, move the fence forward .005" to get it back to he starting point before making the next cut. This will allow the pins and tails to fit together much easier. 

The time spent making test cuts is time well spent. My suggestion of the .005" setting may not be correct for your application, but you get the concept of the widening the cuts for the pins just a bit to allow the tails to be inserted with less effort, the glue will tighten everytheing up if the fit is just a smidgen loose. Also, take time to get the that senter cut setting as close as you can. Also, be certain that that the width of your material exactly matches that of the illustration in the book for the template that you have chosen.

The Incra jig is a great jig, but you must use it as it is designed to be used.


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Jerry Bowen said:


> Remember, if you are cutting dovetails, a dovetail bit will only work on one thickness of material.
> ...
> The Incra jig is a great jig, but you must use it as it is designed to be used.


No... That is a rule of thumb.

The user manual is invaluable. So is the template library reference manual. I'm not saying that you shouldn't read the manuals. What I am saying is do not be afraid to vary from it and try new things. It is more flexible and can be used outside and beyond what the book says. The books are guides.

Only requirement would be that the dovetail neck and depth are consistent between the keys and tails... and that they are aligned from one to another. The templates and the indexing of that system help to keep that consistency.

Best I can offer on that is to play with scrap and get creative. You can get a nice visual pattern going by skipping so many keys (ie have 2 keys, skip 2-3), as long as you have matching tails.

In playing and practicing that way, you can get an eye for having to do things and how to adjust when things do need to cheat one way or another. It's one of those things that the more you do it, you get a rhythm and get some confidence with it, it gets easier. The system is just a tool. Make it an extension of you. It may seem intimidating when you first look at it, but like any tool, once you learn to use it in a way that is best for how you work, then you can exploit how you can use it.

Don't limit yourself, but keep common sense and safety in mind.


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

MAFoElffen said:


> No... That is a rule of thumb.
> 
> The user manual is invaluable. So is the template library reference manual. I'm not saying that you shouldn't read the manuals. What I am saying is do not be afraid to vary from it and try new things. It is more flexible and can be used outside and beyond what the book says. The books are guides.
> 
> ...


Mike, are you saying that the thickness of the material that the dovetails are cut in can vary to some degree???? I only went by what the demo DVD said about it. I do understand the rest of your point about skipping cuts etc. for ecorative work, but the issue of the bit only working on one thickiness must be another error in the demo DVD as was pointed out by another member earlier in regard to the centering of the center cut which, in my mind, was never resolved, but so what, who cares as long as what ever mothod or thought is being used works for the user, it is not worth talking about. It was a point that I just could not communicate to anybody, a weakness on my part at the time I guess.

Jerry


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## al m (Dec 13, 2012)

i believe that Mike is saying with a little thought and inginuity you can can expand the usefullness of the incra beyond the provided instructions and templates.I for instance have cut dovetails in 5/8 material although a template for that is not provided in the standard library.Once you understand the concept it is all just simple math and most anying can be done with the basic fractional rule although the templates provide quick referance at a glance


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

al m said:


> i believe that Mike is saying with a little thought and inginuity you can can expand the usefullness of the incra beyond the provided instructions and templates.I for instance have cut dovetails in 5/8 material although a template for that is not provided in the standard library.Once you understand the concept it is all just simple math and most anying can be done with the basic fractional rule although the templates provide quick referance at a glance




Al, while I agree with you, the point of it all is that the DVD demo makes a statement that is not correct, no big deal I guess, just pointing it out for the H of if.

Jerry


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## al m (Dec 13, 2012)

Sorry Jerry,did not mean to step on your toes but honestly the point of this post is to anwser Arts questions.To that I stand by my original reply that is relevent to his remark about "depth of cut"
I should not have strayed and came between you and Mike,just happen to agree strongly with him and believe people should use there minds and not be limited by instructions etc.
The ability to improvise and think outside the box is what seperates the craftsman from a hobbiest.
With forums like this we can share what has been learned with others and collectively expand far beyond what the manufactures of a paticular device ever intended.


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

al m said:


> Sorry Jerry,did not mean to step on your toes but honestly the point of this post is to anwser Arts questions.To that I stand by my original reply that is relevent to his remark about "depth of cut"
> I should not have strayed and came between you and Mike,just happen to agree strongly with him and believe people should use there minds and not be limited by instructions etc.
> The ability to improvise and think outside the box is what seperates the craftsman from a hobbiest.
> With forums like this we can share what has been learned with others and collectively expand far beyond what the manufactures of a paticular device ever intended.


Al, I sure didn't think that you stepped on my toes. You are sure right that the thread has to do with helping Art and we should not get off of that point. Mike is just so well versed on tools and woodworking compared to me. When he points out issues as he did in his post I just point out where his understanding differs from what I believed was true and why my thinking was wrong, in this case the reason was due to my watching the DVD demo and had believed what was said there. I'm glad that we have guys like Mike to give us the straight scoop on some of this stuff. Don't worry about hurring my feelings, I know that I have a tendency to sound like I am easilty offended, I need to do a better job with communication. I do come back a little caustic from time to time, will try to work on that.

Jerry


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## al m (Dec 13, 2012)

Problem with thse type of discusions is the inability to read someone's body and tone etc.
I believe everyone has something of value to say and we can all benifit from each other.
Bought my incra used ,never seen the dvd but will say i really enjoy using it,it is a great system,so Art,Jerry,Mike and all who have a incra,enjoy


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

It's time for "True Confession" on my part. I was wrong and I admit my error. The Incra DVD demo is saying, in reference to through dovetaisl, as Mike pointed out, that you adjust the height of the dovetail bit to match the thickness of the material selected. There is only one height setting that is correct for a peticular thickness of material. I had misunderstood and made an erroneous statement. As I think about it, I may have gotten one part of the instructions mixed up with the instructions for a different dovetail demo. I need to go back and have a look, someplace there was something said about planning the board down to match the height of the bit. Again, I'm sorry for my mistake.

Jerry


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

I just went back and looked at the video again, and by golly they do say to plane the material down to match the thickness of the cutter as I had originally thought that I heard them say. What's going on here? Mike can you explain this to me, do you know what I'm referring to in the demo?

Jerry


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

Should have said height of the bit, not the thickness of the bit, caught it to late to edit it. 

Jerry


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Jerry Bowen said:


> ...Jerry


Al was "spot on" on variations. And that we need to share with others on what we learn from that.

On what the _Incra Demo_ introduces as concepts try to present something new to an audience that will try to process and interpret what was presented... Didn't we just finish with another thread, were we figured out that the Incra Demo video was wrong? Another way of looking at that, is that maybe parts of it where not wrong, just not _complete_. So, on the demo not being an abridged gospel, that would not be a surprise, right? The precedence has been set.

I love it when someone tells me something cannot be done, not machined... (I love a good challenge!) nor how I learned to do something in the absence of someone telling me it was not possible to do it. Things are possible with imagination and common sense. You have shared that yourself in your own learning, practice and explorations. I have commended you with that.

I am passionate about Woodworking and love to share that passion with others.

EDIT-- A Demo Video introducing something, would be very long if it showed everything about it, so most of the time those are summarized.


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

MAFoElffen said:


> Al was "spot on" on variations. And that we need to share with others on what we learn from that.
> 
> On what the _Incra Demo_ introduces as concepts try to present something new to an audience that will try to process and interpret what was presented... Didn't we just finish with another thread, were we figured out that the Incra Demo video was wrong? Another way of looking at that, is that maybe parts of it where not wrong, just not _complete_. So, on the demo not being an abridged gospel, that would not be a surprise, right? The precedence has been set.
> 
> ...



Mike,
I think that the issue might be that I am not convinced that the DVD demo is incorrect, just not complete in some places. 
Jerry


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Jerry Bowen said:


> Mike,
> I think that the issue might be that I am not convinced that the DVD demo is incorrect, just not complete in some places.
> Jerry


That is why I said:


> _Another way of looking at that, is that maybe parts of it were not wrong, just not complete._


See? We are saying the same thing... Like I said in my edit, if they showed all that you could do with that system, it would be many DVD's of material. They had to summarize it as a Demo. Hey, idea... Video Subscriptions... Wait? The Router Workshop already did that format... LOL.


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