Having cut many dovetails, I’ve found a great way to remove the waste between pins using a router and a dovetail bit.

I saw my pins using a sliding crosscut jig at the tablesaw. To remove the waste between the pins, I start with a coping saw, taking care to leave about 1⁄8 in. of wood at the bottom of the waste area. Then I go to my router and use it freehand to clean up the remaining waste between the pins. For this operation, I use a regular dovetail bit in the router instead of a straight bit.

I clamp the workpiece in a vise with a scrap board behind it at the same height as the workpiece to provide support for the router so it doesn’t tip. Using a dovetail bit to clean up the waste makes this step easier to control and reduces errors. Unlike a straight bit, which takes only one slip or tip of the router to cut into the pin, a dovetail bit allows you to work only at the bottom of the waste area and eliminates this danger. This lets you work all the way to the corners without fear. Even if you inadvertently cut slightly into the bottom of a pin, it will not show when the joint is assembled.

Jim Richey

Jim Richey

Gene Dineralter, New London, CT

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