On page 30 of print issue 295 there’s reference to a downloadable PDF of dovetail template used by Chris Gochnour for his contemporary end table. Nice work by the way. As a digital subscriber I followed the link and all I got was a PDF reprint of the article. I’m specifically interested in getting a good sense of how to accurately construct and size his sliding dovetail template. Am I missing something or can someone point me to it?
Thanks in advance,
Carl
Replies
My guess is that it is to be published when they are able to get around to it.
It's quite simple. The battens on the top capture the router base. The two on the bottom capture the table top between them.
Set your router to the correct depth of the dovetail. Cut the dovetail into the two lower battens of the jig. Layout the positions of the dovetails on your top, line up the cuts in the jig to your layout lines in the top. Clamp the two together and cut your grooves, the table top will support the router through the cut (if too close to the end to fully support the router base, a batten the same thickness can be attached to the bottom of the jig). The slots in the pics were cut with a jig like this.
Cut the rails to fit on your router table.
Nice work. And simple, elegant jig. I was particularly interested in doing my dovetail dados working with a bushing but it’s a lot more work with setup than your jig. Plus yours is sized to the router base and the pre-cut makes for accurate alignment. It is limited to the width of the particular bit you’re using unlike the template in the article. I might make yours but make the far bottom batten positionable with slots and bolts to make it adjustable to the width of the work piece. Did you rout the corresponding dovetails on the shelf ends while holding them vertically on the table against the fence? If so, how did you control the shelves? A much higher auxiliary fence? Featherboards?
I use a jig pretty much identical to the picture above. I take my router from my router table, WITH the baseplate attached, and size the jig to fit the baseplate.
When the dovetails are all cut on the case sides, I put the router back in the router table. Voila! I can cut the male ends of the sliding dovetails without changing the bit height, because it was already set for the female ends. I just need to adjust the fence to get the right fit.
That’s an elegant approach.
" Did you rout the corresponding dovetails on the shelf ends while holding them vertically on the table against the fence?"
Yes. Only the blades fore and aft are dovetailed on that piece so I did not need a feather board or a tall fence to control the workpiece. The web frame sits in a shallow dado between the dovetails. Also cutting across the grain generates little force, unlike along the grain which I believe will be the case with your cleats.
Using the same router in your table to cut both male and female to avoid dialing in the depth twice is a good idea. My table doesn't allow this so unfortunately, it wasn't an option for me.
This inspired and reminded me that I have an exact width dado jig that I use with a bushing. I used a larger bushing and a .75” dovetail bit and after several test cuts for alignment it worked perfectly. I’ll set the depth on the router table for the mating piece. This will be used for mounting a leg to the bottom of a demi-lune entry table.
That's my fault it isn't published yet. I'll have it up today or tomorrow.
Thanks, Ben. I understand. We’re all busy. And having been involved in web content I know how challenging it is to keep them updated.
Sometimes it's worse when people get the work done months ago. John Tetreault is always really on top of it and bI forget something exists by time I need to get it posted!
It's up now!
https://www.finewoodworking.com/2022/02/16/online-extras-from-fww-issue-295
It gets worse as you get older. Thanks.
Incidentally,when I am doing two sided projects,I try to cut any groves across the parts prior to ripping the two sides apart.In that way they are perfectly alined when you go to assemble the piece. Of course avoid the following gaffs .Jig not perpendicular to pieces;when assembling parts are reversed;board cup or insufficient pressure cause groove depth to vary;(ADD OTHERS)
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