When I needed to cut dovetails for a 6-ft. cabinet, I found it difficult to reach the ends of the long boards without climbing a ladder. But this jig let me cut the tails with a jigsaw while the piece sat flat on the bench.

The jig consists of a 1/2-in. plywood base, a glued-on spacer the same thickness as the board you’re dovetailing, and two 1/2-in. guides screwed to the spacer at the dovetail angle. After gluing the spacer to the base, cut through it with the jigsaw, referencing off the guides. Then align one of those kerfs with one of the layout marks. Clamp the jig in place, press the saw against the guide, and cut the side of the tail up to the depth line. Slide the workpiece to the next layout line and repeat until you’ve cut one side on all the tails. Now go back and repeat the steps, cutting the other side of each tail.

I used Bosch Xtra-clean jigsaw blades (No. T308B) and chopped out the waste with a chisel.

Jim Richey

Jim Richey

Jim Richey

Dennis Spector, Redding, CA

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