# Porter cable dovetail jig help



## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

When using Porter Cable Dove Tail jig the pins are to tight. Internet search suggested sliding template forward to reduce pin size. After initially cutting the first pin side and then readjusting for fit I cut the 2nd side. It was to tight so I readjusted the template even more than for the first side. It worked but I am wondering why the difficulty and is this common to this jig Thanks for your input


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

*update*

Spent the afternoon sitting and thinkin and then tryin. What I found out 
1 Dove tail bit was set to deep, The bit depth needs to be even with bottom of board 

2 move template away from operator to loosen

I sure made a lotta sawdust figuring it out


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

It's the journey, not the destination...

Think of all the dovetailers you just helped out by posting...

Thanks for sharing...


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I have a similar jig, and the instructions were so arcane that I never really tried it and bought the Sommerfeld Katy Jig, which I find much easier to understand.


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## Bushwhacker (Jun 16, 2009)

I have the same one and it sat for several months before I even opened the box. I have not gotten past the half blinds yet. 
And like you Bill, I have made a lot of saw dust but I finally think I have it.
By the way, I screwed a piece of 3/4 ply wood to the bottom of it to allow easier clamping to the edge of my bench.


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## Quillman (Aug 16, 2010)

They are not straight forward. There are always some missing details.
Moreover, many of them do not hold the work pieces very well.
But, to be sure, if your material prep is sloppy (cupped, twisted, unequal thickness and widths e.g.) you'll have problems.
Maybe, before you ever start, you create 20-30 short, narrow clamp-able billets and spend the afternoon testing. That way you'll learn all about what they left out of their manuals.


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## schnewj (Nov 18, 2013)

Actually, all of the instructions are there. However, it is just so frustrating to tweak the jig and get it right. They are like Mercury outboard motors, adjust one thing and you have to tweak several others. Once you hit the right combination (adjustments) they work OK. Pat is right...trial and error with a lot of test pieces...

Then switch form solid wood to plywood and you get to start all over, again!

Not my favorite tool!


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## jody495 (Sep 11, 2011)

I also have one. I have been so frustrated with it that I haven't even looked at it in years. Now with everyone's advice here maybe I'll dig it out and try again.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

jaody said:


> I also have one. I have been so frustrated with it that I haven't even looked at it in years. Now with everyone's advice here maybe I'll dig it out and try again.


do like I did and re-gift it...
as did the next 4 recipients...


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Anyone want my Rockler dovetail jig with dust collection?


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

DesertRatTom said:


> Anyone want my Rockler dovetail jig with dust collection?


no thank you...


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

*Thats the process*



Quillman said:


> They are not straight forward. There are always some missing details.
> Moreover, many of them do not hold the work pieces very well.
> But, to be sure, if your material prep is sloppy (cupped, twisted, unequal thickness and widths e.g.) you'll have problems.
> Maybe, before you ever start, you create 20-30 short, narrow clamp-able billets and spend the afternoon testing. That way you'll learn all about what they left out of their manuals.


My SOP includes _*Plan to fail Its part of the learning curve. *_


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Stick486 said:


> no thank you...


 @Stick486 Thought not.:wink:


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## rookie1178 (Jan 3, 2015)

DesertRatTom said:


> Anyone want my Rockler dovetail jig with dust collection?


I'll take it


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## jvik (Aug 8, 2011)

I work in a woodworking store, and one of the things I do is teach router classes. I've had many people come into the store with these sorts of frustrations, and I've been able to get most of them over their technical problems. But one thing I've noticed is that some of these people are looking for a quick easy solution for making a small number of joints - a single box or drawer. The rockler/ porter cable/etc jigs aren't optimal for this because of the setup and testing time. It's not that hard to learn the hand cut dovetails - that's what I do for a single box or drawer. Now if I had a whole chest or kitchen of drawers to do ...


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## Oberon_1 (Nov 14, 2015)

Which jig would you recommend for smaller work or one time drawer (except cutting them by hand?)


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Leigh and Sommerfeld both have small (12 inch) jigs that you use on a table. Much easier to use and both have video instructions available. Watch the videos on youtube before you choose.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

rookie1178 said:


> I'll take it


I'm afraid the shipping will be more than it's worth. It was a poor choice on my part.


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## Bushwhacker (Jun 16, 2009)

That's what I did with mine. I cut several short pieces of scrap and practiced until I got one side perfect.
My wife took it and said she is going to keep it due to all the work I had to do just to get the one side right.
I thought it was me until I read all of these post on the Rockler.
Must be why there are so many of them on EBAY.


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

I finished the drawers on my grill center. Yes pics will follow when porch is finished this week. When making my kitchen, I used a lock miter for doing drawers. I acquired the Porter Cable jig about half way through the kitchen. (It was on sale with a free PC690). The grill center was my first project with the dovetail jig. With any dovetail jig. I have no basis to compare this jig to any other. I can offer a review of this jig only.

I found the Porter Cable jig to be a useful jig for anyone wanting to make half blind dovetails in a small shop production setting. I found it to be to fussy to do good repeatable thru dovetails. The instructions were a bit confusing. There are very necessary details that are mentioned in the overview but are skipped over in the specific joint instructions. I probably reread them 6 times or more before getting the details down. The templates are accurate and well made. There is no dust control, plan on a clean up after use. It is durable 

I would not recommend this jig for anyone not doing lots of cabinet drawers. I re-saw my own material for making drawers. I have a consistent 1/2' thickness set by my planer for my shop. It is easy to achieve repeatability. But the effort to dial this jig in makes it unsuitable for doing occasional dovetails.

This jig has been on the market for a long time. Its longevity indicated that it will work. The plethora of dovetails on the market indicates this jig does not nail it for all shops and woodworkers.


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