# Katie Jig Dovetails-simple, clean



## Jukebox (Feb 14, 2011)

Hi - Jukebox here. 
- My preference in woodworking is cabinetry altho I do all the other usual stuff.
- When I am not woodworking I do model railroading - HO scale.
-Dovetail joinery incented me to join Router Forum.
-Thanks for the invite.
-I am retired and my passion is finding good/used woodworking tools - save my bucks for buying rough sawn woods. Old tools are my preference altho I like finding a good tool with some advantages that the older ones didn't have, ie, DeWalt surface planer. 
- I am spoiled in that I built my wood shop building and it is a guy's dream "man-cave": tons of woodworking quality toys (mostly used) ~ no more Craftsman or Black n Decker stuff or other so-so names in tools. 
-Long ago, I was one of the first kids on the block with a decent dovetail system, it was the Porter-Cable 24" Omni-Jig. Great for making tall cedar chests. Set up was hit and miss but I eventually got the hang of it..........took some doin' ! !
-Recently I found the Katie Jig from Sommerfeld Tools. Mark S. not only sells this sys but he also produced a no-nonsense Dovetail DVD to go along with it - $10 bucks. 
-My router table is a "Bench Dog" steel router table attached to the left of the blade of my table saw. Tremendous tool - this table is machined perfectly. For a lift mechanism, I went with the Woodpecker. Yep - really cool toys.
-Katie Jig for dovetails - simply orient your work piece onto this jig and slide it over and around your router bit............life doesn't get any funner than this. Dovetails are a snap to make. I wish I had found this system much sooner.
-Highly recommend you borrow or buy Mark Sommerfeld's DVD and see for yourself how easy dovetails can be. If you do nothing else, buy his DVD and then use the infomration to base your decisions on........it's practical info if your shopping for a dovetail system whether hand-held routing or gliding a jig on your router table.
-No, I don't sell these things but since I found out how well they work, I encourage others to view the DVD and make your own decision on which one you'd like to have for your shop.

Jukebox


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Jukebox

I will 2nd your post 
Most don't know how easy they can put in dovetails with the right dovetail jig, I made my own copy of the Katie jg for the wider jobs..

see my uploads for pictures and text how to make one ..easy stuff..and at a very low cost.
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Jukebox said:


> Hi - Jukebox here.
> - My preference in woodworking is cabinetry altho I do all the other usual stuff.
> - When I am not woodworking I do model railroading - HO scale.
> -Dovetail joinery incented me to join Router Forum.
> ...


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## Kelly Rittgers (Aug 6, 2010)

BJ, do you like the Katie or the General. I thought you were promoting the General. Or apples to oranges? Is one better than the other.

Thanks for the tip on that DVD. This is a reasonable price for a DVD like that.

KR


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi KR

Well it comes down to the bottom line, the General is only 50.oo and the Katie is 240.oo or so, the General is for the Blind type dovetails the norm..
But I do like the Katie the best it's so easy to use out of All the dovetail jgs that I have and I have used/tried out many of them,,,I think I have too many of them 

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Kelly Rittgers said:


> BJ, do you like the Katie or the General. I thought you were promoting the General. Or apples to oranges? Is one better than the other.
> 
> Thanks for the tip on that DVD. This is a reasonable price for a DVD like that.
> 
> KR


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

G’day 

Welcome to the router forum. 

Thank you for joining us


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## woodie4one (Apr 6, 2011)

Regarding the Katie Jig. Is there a difference between the Sommerfeld offering and the katiejig website offering? I assume that boxjoint fingers have to be purchased for the joint, correct?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

If you want to put in box joints you will need to buy the fingers for it..
" difference between " = well yes and no , the Katie web site has the smaller fixture and Marc will not have it listed, I don't recall the Katie web site listing the Blind dovetail finger template nor the bits for it..

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woodie4one said:


> Regarding the Katie Jig. Is there a difference between the Sommerfeld offering and the katiejig website offering? I assume that boxjoint fingers have to be purchased for the joint, correct?


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## volunteers (Mar 4, 2011)

as for Katie Jig, I dont' know how good it is, but it is way too expensive.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi will

It's great,how about $14.90,not so expensive and you can use it to make you own Katie jig,very easy. 

==



volunteers said:


> as for Katie Jig, I dont' know how good it is, but it is way too expensive.


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## volunteers (Mar 4, 2011)

Hi Bob,
What is the $14.9 thing you talked about? I don't understand your pictures. Any link for that? 
Any details to build my own katie jig? That's interesting. Thanks



bobj3 said:


> Hi will
> 
> It's great,how about $14.90,not so expensive and you can use it to make you own Katie jig,very easy.
> 
> ==


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

Hi Will

If you look at Bob's pic the forks are all wooden. What he is talking about is buying just a single fork from Katie or Sommerfield and using it as a master to create as many forks as you need. The price is for a single fork.
The beauty of the Katie jig is that apart from being able to generate variable spacing, through using home made spacers between the forks, just like, say, a Leigh jig, you can use the Katie either on a router table or with a hand held router.

Cheers

Peter


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Will 

This may help
Router Forums - View Single Post - Any suggestion for a Dovetail Jig?
You can see how to make your own in my uploads.

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volunteers said:


> Hi Bob,
> What is the $14.9 thing you talked about? I don't understand your pictures. Any link for that?
> Any details to build my own katie jig? That's interesting. Thanks


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## volunteers (Mar 4, 2011)

Hi Bob
You also recommended EZ Pro Dovetail Jig from General Tools. So how to compare these two, EZ Pro ($39.9) and Katie jig (made by yourself with $14.9)?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Will

Well the General is for Blind dovetails the norm but it can be use the same way as the Katie jig but the fingers can't be moved..and it's a bit tricky to use it the same way as the Katie..and you need to use the same router bits in the Gen'l. as the Katie if you want to use it the same way..sometimes you will want to use a blind dovetail but I'm sure why, most of the time you will put a nice front board on the drawer or use lap face board on the front side, easy stuff with the Katie jig.

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volunteers said:


> Hi Bob
> You also recommended EZ Pro Dovetail Jig from General Tools. So how to compare these two, EZ Pro ($39.9) and Katie jig (made by yourself with $14.9)?


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## KenBee (Jan 1, 2011)

I was in my local Harbor Freight store yesterday and ran across a dovetail jig for $40.00. It is the very same jig manufactured by Woodstock International, the Manufactures of the Shop Fox line of tools. I learned this after I returned home to research the HF jig.
I read many negative reviews as well as several positive reviews. Most of the negative reviews had to do with the lack of a less than optimal instruction manual and probably a lack of patience with the learning curve. I also learned you can download a very precise manual in PDF form off the Woodstock site which I did and it seems simple enough to set up and use.

The are several different size aluminum templates available for the jig to include 1/4 and 1/2 inch box joint templates as well as a sliding dovetail template. It is built in such away as to route both the vertical and horizontal cuts at the same time which I am sure is nothing unusual, but to a beginning woodworker is interesting.

I am going to see if I can find the different templates locally and if so I am going to buy the jig today and see what it is all about. Good, bad or indifferent.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

templates

Grizzly.com® -- Search Results

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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Ken Bee said:


> The are several different size aluminum templates available for the jig to include 1/4 and 1/2 inch box joint templates as well as a sliding dovetail template. It is built in such away as to route both the vertical and horizontal cuts at the same time which I am sure is nothing unusual, but to a beginning woodworker is interesting


The process of routing the horizontal & vertical cuts at the same time is for half-blind dovetails (my preferred joint for drawer construction). Not through- dovetails. For through dovetails you change the template & the bit for different sides of the joint. The half-blind joints are a lot faster for drawer construction as you do not have to reset the jig once setup. Make sure you can get templates for the type of joint you are wanting to use it for.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

bobj3 said:


> HI Will
> 
> Well the General is for Blind dovetails the norm but it can be use the same way as the Katie jig but the fingers can't be moved..and it's a bit tricky to use it the same way as the Katie..and you need to use the same router bits in the Gen'l. as the Katie if you want to use it the same way..sometimes you will want to use a blind dovetail but I'm sure why, most of the time you will put a nice front board on the drawer or use lap face board on the front side, easy stuff with the Katie jig.
> 
> =======


Half-blind dovetail joints is the preferred joint over the through-dovetail with cabinetmakers, furniture makers for drawer construction even when used with a false front. It has to do with aesthetics & practicality. But if someone is building for themselves then they can certainly use any method that appeals to them.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi James

True but it's very hard to hide the drawer guides with the normal blind dovetail joints and it's so easy with that add on front to the drawers..
It's true you can rabbit the front of the drawer but it's a extra step that's not need by adding the simple add on front to the drawer.

Many of the high end cabinets have drawer guides..


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jlord said:


> Half-blind dovetail joints is the preferred joint over the through-dovetail with cabinetmakers, furniture makers for drawer construction even when used with a false front. It has to do with aesthetics & practicality. But if someone is building for themselves then they can certainly use any method that appeals to them.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

bobj3 said:


> Hi James
> 
> True but it's very hard to hide the drawer guides with the normal blind dovetail joints and it's so easy with that add on front to the drawers..
> 
> =====


Hi Bob,
That's were the lipped front comes in. Especially for a flush mount drawer where the front of the drawer box is also the outside surface of the drawer front. I use a false front as you described for overlay fronts but still machine for half-blind dovetails. For a flushmount drawer & side mount slides I will make a lipped front. For undermount slides such as the Blum softclose there is no need as the slides do not show but is still a good idea so you can fine tune your reveal.


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## KenBee (Jan 1, 2011)

bobj3 said:


> templates
> 
> Grizzly.com® -- Search Results
> 
> ==========


Thanks for the lead Bob. I was trying to find a dealer with all the templates and bits so I didn't have to order from 3 or 4 different places. This particular jig seems to carry more than a couple of different trade names and is exactly the same jig in all cases.


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## KenBee (Jan 1, 2011)

jlord said:


> The process of routing the horizontal & vertical cuts at the same time is for half-blind dovetails (my preferred joint for drawer construction). Not through- dovetails. For through dovetails you change the template & the bit for different sides of the joint. The half-blind joints are a lot faster for drawer construction as you do not have to reset the jig once setup. Make sure you can get templates for the type of joint you are wanting to use it for.


Once again I am confused. Are you saying the 1/2" template is different for half blind and through dovetails or can you use the same 1/2" template for both styles of dovetail and just reposition the same template for each type of dovetail?

I haven't purchased the jig yet so I am still trying to get a handle on its operation before I waste my money. It comes with a 1/2" inch dovetail template and I had hoped that was all I needed for 1/2" dovetails no matter the type. 

Any info will be greatly appreciated.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

To make half-blind dovetails you use a dovetail bit. The template has straight slots not tapered. You machine both sides of the joint for each corner at the same time as a pair.

For through-dovetails you machine each side of the joint separately. One side of the joint will use a straight bit & the template will have tapered fingers. The other side of the joint will have straight fingers & you would use a dovetail bit. I have the PC jig & my through-dovetail template has each of these on each side so I have to turn the template around & switch bits for each side of the joint. 

Look at page 15 (link below, also PC link below my signature) to see the PC template. It all depends on what type of joints you want out of this jig. 

I didn't see any templates for through-dovetails so I don't know if this jig has them available just not listed.

http://www.portercable.com/jigs/dovetail/DovetailJigManual.pdf


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

Ken Bee said:


> Once again I am confused. Are you saying the 1/2" template is different for half blind and through dovetails or can you use the same 1/2" template for both styles of dovetail and just reposition the same template for each type of dovetail?
> 
> I haven't purchased the jig yet so I am still trying to get a handle on its operation before I waste my money. It comes with a 1/2" inch dovetail template and I had hoped that was all I needed for 1/2" dovetails no matter the type.
> 
> Any info will be greatly appreciated.


If you think about the difference in geometry of the two types of dovetails, Ken, you'll quickly realize why different templates are required. For half-blind DTs, a template with straight fingers is used, and both sides of the joint are cut at the same time with a dovetail bit, with the stock turned "inside-out" on the jig. The same template can be used for the tails of through dovetails, and for box joints, depending on the bit being used. The tails of through dovetails are cut with the dovetail bit, with the bit depth set to the thickness of the stock. The pins of through dovetails, however, are cut with a straight bit using a template with angled fingers. The angle of the fingers is the same as the angle on the dovetail bit for which the jig is designed. That's what makes the two pieces fit together.


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## KenBee (Jan 1, 2011)

Thanks for the info guys. I am really not stupid as it may seem, but I am new to woodworking and the different concepts it employees so my ignorance comes into play quite often. 

I guess I should just buy the jig, read the destruction manual [sic] and through trial and error see if I can get a handle on how to route dovetails. I have a ton of 1/2 & 3/4 inch MDF lying around in my way so maybe before I use all of that I will have figured out how to use the jig. Yes I am sure MDF won't make a good dovetail due to tear out, but to practice on it should work fine. Better than wasting my expensive wood supply for practice.

Thanks again.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Ken

MDF works well for boxes I have many.many.many of them with it..just need to use a thin backer board ( 1/8" ) most of the time..

As you know once it's glued up it's a very strong joint.  the tear out comes in to play on the way out of the pass the norm..so to say try not to back the bit out just stop the router and lift the stock off the bit..

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Ken Bee said:


> Thanks for the info guys. I am really not stupid as it may seem, but I am new to woodworking and the different concepts it employees so my ignorance comes into play quite often.
> 
> I guess I should just buy the jig, read the destruction manual [sic] and through trial and error see if I can get a handle on how to route dovetails. I have a ton of 1/2 & 3/4 inch MDF lying around in my way so maybe before I use all of that I will have figured out how to use the jig. Yes I am sure MDF won't make a good dovetail due to tear out, but to practice on it should work fine. Better than wasting my expensive wood supply for practice.
> 
> Thanks again.


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

Has Marc Sommerfeld stopped selling the Katie Jig? I've just been looking on their website and couldn't find it.

Cheers

Peter


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

istracpsboss said:


> Has Marc Sommerfeld stopped selling the Katie Jig? I've just been looking on their website and couldn't find it.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Peter


Hi Peter. 
I found it on his site on sale.
http://www.sommerfeldtools.com/New-Katie-Jig-w_Bars/productinfo/SOKJ/
Jigs and Guides-Sommerfeld's Tools For Wood


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

New Katie Jig w/Bars-Sommerfeld's Tools For Wood
Organic Half-Blind Dovetail Katie Jig Plate-Sommerfeld's Tools For Wood
Katie Jig Forks-Sommerfeld's Tools For Wood

http://www.sommerfeldtools.com/ShowAdditionalImg.asp?number=SOKJHB

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istracpsboss said:


> Has Marc Sommerfeld stopped selling the Katie Jig? I've just been looking on their website and couldn't find it.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Peter


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

Thanks guys. I'd tried both 'Jigs' and 'Katie' in the search box and got a nil return for both.

A cursory search hadn't turned it up either.

Cheers

Peter


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Peter

The new web site SUCKS, I can't find many things without the cat.numbers, and sometimes I can't find them with the cat.numbers..


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istracpsboss said:


> Thanks guys. I'd tried both 'Jigs' and 'Katie' in the search box and got a nil return for both.
> 
> A cursory search hadn't turned it up either.
> 
> ...


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

bobj3 said:


> Hi Peter
> 
> The new web site SUCKS, I can't find many things without the cat.numbers, and sometimes I can't find them with the cat.numbers..
> 
> ...


I agree Bob. Not the easiest site to find things.


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

Thanks ! I had felt pretty stupid when you turned it up and I couldn't. At least I am not alone ! With no obvious initial link to any jigs and then no return on Katie in his search box, if I hadn't asked here, I would have assumed he no longer sold them and looked elsewhere. 

A website that works like that is a liability rather than an asset for him. There is something radically wrong with how his search strings are set up. He should be asking for his money back from whoever did it for him.

Cheers

Peter
(Who actually has a qualification in Oracle 8 but has forgotten most of it !)


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## sfleck (Jun 3, 2011)

*Awesome Idea*

That is an awesome idea Bobj,

I was wondering it you have more plans to these pictures so that I might be able to replicate something like that? Not for sure if I could do it with the pictures that you posted..........Never the less, great idea, I had been looking for something like that for years, ended up purchasing the 25$ dovetail jig from Harbor Freight (because I am beyond ridiculously poor). No way could I ever justify buying a dovetail jig beyond 40 or 50 bucks. If you have any additional info on how you built this it would be much appreciated. If you have already posted something, apologies in advance.




bobj3 said:


> Hi will
> 
> It's great,how about $14.90,not so expensive and you can use it to make you own Katie jig,very easy.
> 
> ==


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