# Making your own dovetail jig templates



## Moptop (Sep 3, 2005)

This is my first time posting on this forum and first off I want to say hello to all.
Secondly, I have a question about dovetail jig templates..... I recently built the dovetailing jig from the plans offered by "Woodsmith" magazine and it works great! It is setup for cutting H/B DT's using a 7/16" guide bushing and a 1/2" bit. What I want to know is where can I find info on how to know which size bits work with which size bushings and required finger spacing so I can make template combs to cut other size joints or maybe do throught dovetails. I haven't been able to find anything on the web to even give me a starting place. I'm only an occasional woodworker and it's hard for me to justify buying a pricy jig that I might only use once or twice. 
This jig works perfectly for me and it would be a shame if I couldn't expand on it's versitiliy more. 

Any info that would help would be greatly apprecated!

Thanks again. Dominick


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## Visteonguy (Aug 6, 2005)

Hi Dominick,,, gee, for a part time woodworker,, you sure did a first class job on that dove tail jig,,, I just started a subscription to wood smith magazine and I seen that jig plan in the free "jigs book that came with the subscription.

I was thinking maybe you could stop by a woodworking store if theres one near you and sneak in there with a calipers or tape measure and measure up the set of combs that would come with their dove tail cutting jigs,, or even look at some of the better catalogs and maybe glean the information you want from that.
But having one in your hands would be the best way ,, I would guess,,

But I just wanted to say ,,, "Nice job on that jig".


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## Moptop (Sep 3, 2005)

Terry, thanks for the cudo's on the jig! 

Oh, I guess occasional isn't a very good description.... I just don't get as much time in the garage as I would like sometimes but I'm sure that's true for most of us! As far as "sneaking in", I have, I looked a quite a few, but they all use a different combination of bit & bushing sizes which doesn't help much and catalogs don't give very much info or have good enough pictures to use as a guide. I would like to be able to use the bits & bushings I already have. I'm sure I could come up with something that would work after LOTS of trial N error tries but I'd rather go off of plans of measurements that I know will work the first time. I took me 4 or 5 tries to get the spacing correct on the one I just built and I used my machinist calipers too. I did send a msg to the people at "Woodsmith" inquiring about additional template plans but have not got a reply yet. I'll let you know when I do.

Thanks again cudo's and for responding. Talk to you soon I hope!


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