Replies

1. 
   CharlieD | May 03, 2005 07:42am | #1

   You shouldn't need plywood on both sides; I'd place a 1/4" backer on the back side and that ought to fix it , with you thickness at around 3/4".

   Charlie

   I tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut
1. 
   captjas | May 03, 2005 08:43pm | #2

   CharlieD,

    

   I tried the 1/4 inch plywood sandwich but still received tearout.  Do you  have to use cabinet grade plywood .  I making the draws at 1/2 thicknest..

2. 
   Rich14 | May 03, 2005 09:01pm | #3

   Smitty,

   " I tried to cut some dovetails in plywood without success"

   Yup. Now you know why plywood isn't used to make dovetail joints. Sorry. Fact of life.

   You can cut them in plywood, but the results will be very poor. The problem you encountered is hardly the worst part. The ply does not have the structual integrity needed to stay together and pieces much larger than just tearout on the cut line will fall out of the joint structure.

   Rich

1. 
   Cheatah | May 04, 2005 12:03am | #4

   Smitty:

   I could not agree more with you. When I first got my Leigh D4, I tried making dovetails in every stock imaginable. I learned two things qucikly:

   1. Plywood is a crappy material for dovetails

   2. MDF is even worse

   It was fun playing around...but great dovetails where meant to be used on great wood. Even pine stinks for dovetails IMHO.

    

   "Pool or a pond......a pond would be good for you."Thank you,

   The Great Marko

1. 
   DarrylM | May 04, 2005 04:15am | #6

   just got my D4 set up this past weekend. I like the results so far! Have you got that MMT attachment? I'm interested in getting that as well...

1. 
   Cheatah | May 04, 2005 05:07pm | #9

   I am not familiar with the MMT attachement. I am guessing that it is for mortise and tenons? Let me know....sounds interesting.

    

    

    

   "Pool or pond.......a pond would be good for you."Thank you,

   The Great Marko

3. 
   TimLoupe | May 04, 2005 03:20am | #5

   Smitty,

      I dont have a Leigh jig, but I have cut alot of dovetail drawers ,in baltic birch plywood ,with my Porter Cable Jig with pretty good results . Try a climb cut , feed the router slow ,and hang on to the router. I also find it helpfull to wax the jig and the bottom of the router so it glides more smoothly.

   Tim 

1. 
   2x4 | May 04, 2005 06:37am | #7

   Tim ..I recently tried the wax and was surprised how much it helped, it seems to lessen the chatter. I also glued 300 grit sandpaper to the clamping  surfaces to prevent the wood moving. I have the older model with knobs to turn rather than cams that are  on the newer ones.

   Brian

2. 
   WillGeorge | May 04, 2005 01:33pm | #8

   Plywood and MDF

   I have cut hundreds of dovetails on my router table using plywood and MDF..

   I just use a hunk of pine that has been surfaced or scrap baltic birch plywood as a backer.

   I can't say I never get any tearout.. but it is rare.. But then again I don't use Big Box ply either...