I hope you can help me with a project problem. I am using my new Akeda DC
to make a wall hanging shelf with 1/2" poplar stock (final project will be
3/4" cherry).
Through dovetails will join the four corners and a sliding dovetail will be
the joint for the one shelf.
In my test piece, I have cut the through dovetails but I am having trouble
with the sliding dovetail. After fixing some sloppy setup measurements, the
shoulders (depth if cut) are okay but, the socket is a consistent, almost,
1/16" wider than the pin from top to bottom.
I am using the 11 degree bit set at a depth of 13/16" (9/16"+1/4"-- I have
ribbed guide rails and I want the joint to be 1/4" deep). I change nothing
on the router between each cut. The shelf is registered against two tail
guides with the housing joint template installed for the cut. I used the
front guide rail as the fence. The socket is cut with the boards in the
horizontal position. All cutters and the guide bushing are from Akeda. My
PC 690 does not appear to have bad bearings, the cutter and the guide
bushing are tight.
What am I missing?
Some tips maybe:
http://www.dewalt.com/us/articles/article.asp?Site=woodworking&ID=511
*********************
On Feb 16, 11:44 am, "gb" <[email protected]> wrote:
> I hope you can help me with a project problem. I am using my new Akeda DC
> to make a wall hanging shelf with 1/2" poplar stock (final project will be
> 3/4" cherry).
> Through dovetails will join the four corners and a sliding dovetail will be
> the joint for the one shelf.
>
> In my test piece, I have cut the through dovetails but I am having trouble
> with the sliding dovetail. After fixing some sloppy setup measurements, the
> shoulders (depth if cut) are okay but, the socket is a consistent, almost,
> 1/16" wider than the pin from top to bottom.
>
> I am using the 11 degree bit set at a depth of 13/16" (9/16"+1/4"-- I have
> ribbed guide rails and I want the joint to be 1/4" deep). I change nothing
> on the router between each cut. The shelf is registered against two tail
> guides with the housing joint template installed for the cut. I used the
> front guide rail as the fence. The socket is cut with the boards in the
> horizontal position. All cutters and the guide bushing are from Akeda. My
> PC 690 does not appear to have bad bearings, the cutter and the guide
> bushing are tight.
>
> What am I missing?
gb wrote:
>
> I hope you can help me with a project problem. I am using my new Akeda DC
> to make a wall hanging shelf with 1/2" poplar stock (final project will be
> 3/4" cherry).
> Through dovetails will join the four corners and a sliding dovetail will be
> the joint for the one shelf.
>
> In my test piece, I have cut the through dovetails but I am having trouble
> with the sliding dovetail. After fixing some sloppy setup measurements, the
> shoulders (depth if cut) are okay but, the socket is a consistent, almost,
> 1/16" wider than the pin from top to bottom.
>
> I am using the 11 degree bit set at a depth of 13/16" (9/16"+1/4"-- I have
> ribbed guide rails and I want the joint to be 1/4" deep). I change nothing
> on the router between each cut. The shelf is registered against two tail
> guides with the housing joint template installed for the cut. I used the
> front guide rail as the fence. The socket is cut with the boards in the
> horizontal position. All cutters and the guide bushing are from Akeda. My
> PC 690 does not appear to have bad bearings, the cutter and the guide
> bushing are tight.
>
> What am I missing?
The only things I can think of are
- that the bit is slipping a little during the socket cut
so the depth of cut on the male part of the joint is
slightly deeper. The effect is to double the error
-------|/ \|----- DOC of male dovetail part
-----|/ \|---- DOC of socket
/ \
+---------------+
- the plastic guide is in upside down and while the guide
may be against the front "fence", it's the shank of the
bit that's riding against the plastic guide on the other
side
Correct installation of plastic guide. Note: Traps the
brass guide on the router between the front fence and
the plastic guide.
BIT
Fence Guide Guide Plastic insert
-----+|| | | ||+-----------
| || | | |||
| | | +
| | | \-------------
Plastic insert put in upside down. Note that the brass guide
still rides against the front fence, but it's the shank of the
bit that's riding against the plastic insert. The slop between
the two could account for your results - the male part of the
joint being narrower than the socket
-----+ || | | ||
| || | | || +--------
| | | /
| | | +
| | | |_______________
Haven't used the AKEDA for this application yet but it's an
interesting problem.
BTW - you'll find that sliding dovetails stick as you insert the
male part due to all the friction surface area. If you saw out
some of the male part to leave only 2 or 3 3/4" to 1" male
dovetails parts ever couple of inches you keep most of the
pull together strenghth of the joint without having to dead blow
hammer things together.
Also, if you bevel the edge of the non showing remaining
male dovetail edges just a tad it makes assembly a bit easier.
I've done sliding dovetails - but using a router table and fence.
On the JoinTech fence set up you can move the fence in 0.001
increments so you can cut either the socket a tad wider or the
male part of the dovetail a tad narrower to make assembly
easier.
charlie b