# H F Dove tail jig?



## stonestacker (Feb 25, 2010)

Just got a harber freight dove tail jig, it has a 1/2 " comb, when i rout the two
sides, the tail is 1/2 in and the pin is 5/8 in, now tell me how a 5/8 in pin
can fit in a 1/2 in tail ? there instruction book leaves alot to be desired!
if any body can shed a little light on this problem it is much appreciated .
Thanks for any and all help Bill


----------



## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Bill

Can't be the HF dovetail jig cut both parts at the same time, but you must use the brass/steel guide..read the manual one more time.. 

If you don't get it pickup the jig below it's a easy jig to use and setup at the same price as the HF one..many of the users of the HF jig have a error lining up the boards right but the jig below makes it easy.
The real key to this jig is to reset the jig so the pins are a bit longer see video//...part two.
http://www.generaltools.com/Newsroom/post/The-EZ-Pro-Dovetail-Jig-Instructional-Videos.aspx
=======
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=34102

http://www.harborfreight.com/manuals/34000-34999/34102.PDF
===



stonestacker said:


> Just got a harber freight dove tail jig, it has a 1/2 " comb, when i rout the two
> sides, the tail is 1/2 in and the pin is 5/8 in, now tell me how a 5/8 in pin
> can fit in a 1/2 in tail ? there instruction book leaves alot to be desired!
> if any body can shed a little light on this problem it is much appreciated .
> Thanks for any and all help Bill


----------



## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

re-reading the manual on it has confirmed the fact I want to get it and try it out the next time I can get my Wife to take leave of Her senses and go to Harbor Freight and spend tons of money on me.  It is a rare happening, but we have been to Harbor Freight 4 times now and half the trips She was not Her normal stingy self (not that I am any less stingy most of the time) Just used to what happened in two trips normally taking 6 months to 2 years to be purchased.


----------



## res1fen4 (Mar 13, 2010)

Hi! Bill the HF manual is not written very well, a better manual for the same jig is from Woodstock international which also sells all of the templates for that jig both dovetail and box, hope this helps.


----------



## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

stonestacker said:


> Just got a harber freight dove tail jig, it has a 1/2 " comb, when i rout the two
> sides, the tail is 1/2 in and the pin is 5/8 in, now tell me how a 5/8 in pin
> can fit in a 1/2 in tail ?


A really big hammer will do it. 

Here's the Woodstock manual.


----------



## Knothead47 (Feb 10, 2010)

Speaking of frequent visits to HF, check some of your magazines and clip the HF coupons for in-store stock items. I saved 20% on some stuff recently. I'm so cheap they have my picture next to the word in the dictionary!


----------



## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

We have multiple 20% off coupons plus coupons for individual items when we go. Just make more than 1 or 2 trips through the store. Slickdeals has a thread with a wiki dedicated to the most recent coupons and ads posted in magazines. Last I checked it was in a lot of magazines, but came down to about 7 basic ads. There are the links to the ad pages of a lot of the magazines so you can print them out and harbor freight will accept the printed versions...or did for my Wife.


----------



## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

stonestacker said:


> Just got a harber freight dove tail jig, it has a 1/2 " comb, when i rout the two
> sides, the tail is 1/2 in and the pin is 5/8 in, now tell me how a 5/8 in pin
> can fit in a 1/2 in tail ? there instruction book leaves alot to be desired!
> if any body can shed a little light on this problem it is much appreciated .
> Thanks for any and all help Bill


hi Bill:

You have the standard multi-branded dovetail jig. At least the one in the catalog looks complete and the price ain't bad.

The shopfox manual (Woodstock) is one of the better ones. BusyBee manual is the best though. Something though, make sure you go down one side of the template and up the other side. The template slot is wider than the guide and you have to use both sides of the guide to get the correct size of pin and tail.

http://busybeetools.com/manuals/CT052.pdf

No matter which manual, they all require experimentation and tweaking. I don't know about the Harbour Freight manual so I would say to follow the BusyBee one.

Thanks I'll adjust my notes accordingly.


----------



## laxknut (Oct 17, 2008)

AxlMyk said:


> A really big hammer will do it.
> 
> Here's the Woodstock manual.





All Harbor Freight tools should come with a big hammer, preferably a sledge.


----------



## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

laxknut said:


> All Harbor Freight tools should come with a big hammer, preferably a sledge.


For hitting your self on the head for buying it?  I've been lucky so far and only disliked the corner clamps I got from them. Happy with the dust collector for the price and satisfied for now with the plunge router (only 1/4") and no problems with a lot of other stuff I have bought going back to the *alidade* transit I got back last fall to help do the fencing since an actual modern tool to do it was out of the budget after buying all the fence panels and we work way to slow to have a rental be of use (sometimes it was one pole a night unless dad helped and then it might be two because of all of the rocks in our backyard's so-called soil)


----------



## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

DerekO said:


> For hitting your self on the head for buying it?  I've been lucky so far and only disliked the corner clamps I got from them. Happy with the dust collector for the price and satisfied for now with the plunge router (only 1/4") and no problems with a lot of other stuff I have bought going back to the *alidade* transit I got back last fall to help do the fencing since an actual modern tool to do it was out of the budget after buying all the fence panels and we work way to slow to have a rental be of use (sometimes it was one pole a night unless dad helped and then it might be two because of all of the rocks in our backyard's so-called soil)


Hold on Derek and Bill:

This dovetail jig works well when it is finally setup. It is the setup that is the agony. I've written an entire treatise on the pain involved in setting up this particular dovetail jig. I fully expect that there is some similar pain involved in every jig. However, sledge hammer pain is not conducive to fine woodworking or routing. I would recommend a more temperate approach ;-)


----------



## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

I do plan on buying that HF jig the next time I can get my Wife to go there...that and hoping for a larger air compressor and maybe the 1/2" plunge router depending upon what coupons and discounts are available at the time. 

Might be some other router bought instead if She finds a good deal somewhere, don't care right now as long as it is 1/2" and plunge. 

There is a 20% off coupon that is valid until the end of the year floating around out there now and some others good until either May or June I think.

I keep the sledge hammer outside...there is a rubber mallet inside used for woodworking problems


----------



## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

The hammer comment was meant to get mismatched dovetails to fit. Not to destroy a tool with. I have a HF dovetail jig, and it works well.


----------



## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

My mention was for banging the head with when a wall isn't near by.


----------



## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Derek

I know you said that you want to get the HF dovetail jig I would suggest you get the one below.. I have the HF dovetail jig and it's is a PITA to setup and use  both jigs are about the same in price but the EZ dovetail is easy to set and use, the big error in the HF jig is the hard part to get the parts of the box to line up after you have used the bit on them..

The EZ Pro Dovetail Jig Instructional Videos

HD for 40.oo bucks the norm.but I do suggest getting a longer dovetail bit.
Just a note ,,no hammer needed for the EZ dovetail jig.

Long dovetail bits
http://cgi.ebay.com/2-pc-Dovetail-R...ViewItemQQptZRouters_Bits?hash=item20af9ff1bf

http://cgi.ebay.com/16-pc-1-4-Shank...ViewItemQQptZRouters_Bits?hash=item1e5aeb661d


=========




DerekO said:


> I do plan on buying that HF jig the next time I can get my Wife to go there...that and hoping for a larger air compressor and maybe the 1/2" plunge router depending upon what coupons and discounts are available at the time.
> 
> Might be some other router bought instead if She finds a good deal somewhere, don't care right now as long as it is 1/2" and plunge.
> 
> ...


----------



## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

bobj3 said:


> Hi Derek
> 
> I know you said that you want to get the HF dovetail jig I would suggest you get the one below.. I have the HF dovetail jig and it's is a PITA to setup and use  both jigs are about the same in price but the EZ dovetail is easy to set and use, the big error in the HF jig is the hard part to get the parts of the box to line up after you have used the bit on them..
> 
> ...


I think that is the same one sold at Menards and Home Depot. At least I think I remember seeing General in the description at one of the two stores. I keep forgetting about it at those two stores as buying during huge sales or with % off coupons was programmed into me as a kid.

I will pass the bit links onto She who actually buys things. She was looking at some 35-66bit sets off and on yesterday (probably cause I sent the links :lol and if the one seller relists a 1/4" set is probably going to buy one. Forget which seller, looked at too many different ones and so many of the sellers look to be selling the same bit sets.


----------



## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

DerekO said:


> I think that is the same one sold at Menards and Home Depot.


Derek:

Send me a PM and I'll send you a copy of my notes on dovetail jigs.


----------



## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

bobj3 said:


> I know you said that you want to get the HF dovetail jig I would suggest you get the one below.. I have the HF dovetail jig and it's is a PITA to setup and use  both jigs are about the same in price but the EZ dovetail is easy to set and use, the big error in the HF jig is the hard part to get the parts of the box to line up after you have used the bit on them..
> 
> The EZ Pro Dovetail Jig Instructional Videos


If you're going to go the "EZ" route, then you might as well get Richard Stottmann's dovetail template master. 

The HF is no better or worse than any other. At least it comes relatively complete. BTW, the HF freight one is the generic dovetail jig that everyone sells. If the other's were so good, then they would be the defacto standard.


----------

