# Dovetail template



## techo (Apr 9, 2010)

Hi guys,

I would like to find out, is it possible to make a dovetail template or do you have to buy a ready made one. It is a bit difficult and expensive to acquire one in my country if the latter is true. 

I have seen site that shows you how to make the jig but not the template.

thanx


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

Hi Anthony

In principle, I would say yes. You'd need to take a piece of material, say 10mm or 3/8" MDF and rout the first slot on it. Then take another piece and cut it to fit reasonably well in the slot. Then fix the new piece the correct distance from the first slot. This is your jig. 

By cutting a slot the same size in the material you have to the dimensions necessary for the dovetail jig master, then dropping the protruding bit in your jig into the slot you've just routed, you can rout the second slot, using the jig you have made to guide the router bit. Just keep repeating the process, dropping the protruding piece into the last slot you've routed. That way you will have all your slots exactly the same distance apart.

The dimensions of it all will depend on the information in the site you have found.

HTH

Peter


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

Hello Anthony! Welcome to Router Forums. Glad that You have joined. I have another way for them to be cut! You may want to try this also. You will be using the table saw to cut dovetails Machine Cut Through Dovetails I know, It sounds to good, There are others who cut then on a band saw, I haven't found that one.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Anthony

See zip file below

TEMPLATE MAKER 1.1

Template Maker was produced by Thomas Giammo for Crestline
Enterprises.

Version 1.1 is being distributed as unsupported "freeware" for
beta testing - as was its predecessor, Version 1.0. All those
who send in comments within the indicated period relative to
their experience with the product, however, will be "registered"
as users of the first "shareware" version. When it is released,
they will receive a free copy of the new version.

Although reasonable care was taken in the production of this
software, it has not as yet been subjected to the level of field
testing usually associated with a commercial product. Thus, the
user must assume all liability for the use of this product. 

INSTALLATION:

The installation is a benign one - no DOS or WINDOWS files are
altered or created.

If you have a previous version of TEMPLATE MAKER installed, it is
best to delete the program group and the directory associated
with that copy (See "Uninstallation", below). Version 1.1 will
install itself in a different directory and program group, but
the presence of two similar set-up will at best be confusing. If
you are not installing from a floppy disk, the five files that
make up the TEMPLATE MAKER Version 1.1 package (install.exe,
winstall.inf, tmkr0011.exe, dovetail.hlp, and this readme.txt
file) should first be placed in some single directory, which need
not be the one they will ultimately reside in. Then install.exe
should be executed - either via the WINDOWS "File/Run" menu item
or by double clicking on the install.exe item in a FileManager
display screen. Respond to the installation prompts as
appropriate.

Install.exe places the required programs into the chosen
directory and creates a program group in PROGMAN. It leaves the
original files and directory intact.


HELP FILES

TEMPLATE MAKER's Help File contains detailed information
regarding the use of the program and of the templates it
produces. Users are urged to consult the Help File and print out
relevant topics to serve as an instruction manual for particular
operations.


REGISTRATION:

This version is freeware, so no registration and/or fee is
necessary. If you report your experience with the product to me
before 1 August 1995, you will received continued support for
this version and be given the opportunity to register the first
shareware version at a substantial discount


CONTACT:

Thomas Giammo
CrestLine Enterprises
13720 Bridgewater Drive
Silver Spring MD 20905
USA

or

[email protected]

or

CompuServe: 71053,3676



DIFFERENCES IN VERSION 1.1:

This version defends itself better against the few printer
drivers that refuse to furnish meaningful printer resolution
information in response to a standard Windows GetDeviceCaps call. 
If the driver's response does not pass some elementary checks,
the program attempts to estimate the printer's resolutions from
information fetched from the driver concerning the extent of the
page's printable area in pixels. If that fails, the program
attempts to gracefully give up without crashing. In that case,
the user should reenter the program and manually set the printer
resolutions as described below.

The extended default printer resolution capability is
supplemented by a new set of features designed to permit the user
to override information furnished by the printer driver and
define the printer resolutions directly. Two options are
offered: 1) explicitly input the resolutions, as specified by
the printer manufacturer's documentation, in dots per inch; or 
2) input the measured dimensions of a test
rectangle that can be printed on request by the program. This
feature permits the user to obtain the extreme accuracy needed to
print usable templates, even in the face of deviations of the
particular printer from its published specifications.

The time taken to print the template sheet has been drastically
reduced. The price paid for this speed is the loss of the fancy
shading in the full scale picture of the dovetail joint and in
the template labels. A simple line drawing of the joint is now
produced and the template labels are printed in "regular" fonts.

Menu items have been added to permit user to choose printer setup
and fonts. A direct entry into the "Search" mode of the Help
file has also been added to the menu.

The Help file has been revised to reflect the new features. 

========


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Popular Woodworking - $19.99 Dovetail Jig

decent article on how to make your custom DT jig


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## techo (Apr 9, 2010)

Hi again,

I downloaded the software and printed but I am a bit lost after that. One thing is I am new to woodworking, I started to do some of my own work around the house and found myself liking it. I bought a small router (1~3/4 HP Skil 1/4" collet) and started to work with it and now I would like to do some drawers with dovetail cuts. So guys go easy on me.

thx


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Anthony

What country are you in ?, that will help to help you, the software is just for print out templates..to help setup the dovetail job..

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Anthony Mootra said:


> Hi again,
> 
> I downloaded the software and printed but I am a bit lost after that. One thing is I am new to woodworking, I started to do some of my own work around the house and found myself liking it. I bought a small router (1~3/4 HP Skil 1/4" collet) and started to work with it and now I would like to do some drawers with dovetail cuts. So guys go easy on me.
> 
> thx


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## techo (Apr 9, 2010)

Hi I am from Trinidad West Indies (Caribbean)


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Anthony

Thanks for the feed back 
MLCS will ship to you, all you need to order is the template and make you own..

Pins & Tails Through Dovetail Templates

Through Dovetail Template Set


Pins and Tails, Half-Blind, Box Joint Dovetail Jigs

==



Anthony Mootra said:


> Hi I am from Trinidad West Indies (Caribbean)


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## techo (Apr 9, 2010)

Thank for that, however what I was asking if it was possible to make that template...


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi 

Well yes and no , if you have a CNC machine yes, if not no, they must be right on the button. below you will see a tool that you can order to make your own..

YouTube - DoveTail TemplateMaster (1 of 4) from Stots.com

http://www.stots.com/product/dttm.htm
http://www.stots.com/purchase.htm
====



Anthony Mootra said:


> Thank for that, however what I was asking if it was possible to make that template...


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