Hello,
I'm working on an end table right now and I am going to do half blind on the
front of the drawer and through on the rear. Anyway, I messed around with
some scrap to figure out how to use the jig (just bought it a few weeks ago)
and the scrap came out great (first try on HB and 3rd try on TD). Problem
is, I cut my first HB for the actual drawer yesterday (both tail pieces and
one side of the front for the pins) and they don't fit. The only
adjustments you can make according to the book is the depth of fit (too
shallow or too deep -- you move the template in our out to compensate). But
that's not my problem, when I start to set the tails in the pin sockets
(excuse my misuse of terminology if I've botched that) the tails get crushed
going in (their just a bit too wide). But I've looked through the book and
considered what I can change and I can't think of a thing. I even put the
pieces back in the jig and ran the router over them again to see if there'd
be any new wood cut -- nope, the bit didn't even touch anything. Ugh. I
didn't mess with the fingers once they were set and flipped them over for
the pin side and that worked fine.
Help!! Other than paring the tails down with my chisel (not interested in
that really) I can't think of how to fix this or more importantly what went
wrong. Anyone with experience that can point out my mistake would be
greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike
I'll second that. I got my jig in December and spent the first two
days hating it! But once I got the hang of it, I have learned to love
it and have ploughed through a 7 drawer chest in no time.
The key was to get the depth just right, which unfortunately meant
going through a lot of scrap wood making tiny adjustments each time.
Once I found the magic depth, it helped that I did all my drawers in
one go, never changing the bit depth on the router. Save your
successful test cut for next time - it will help you find the right
depth with that bit.
Last note - make sure you have the proper bit for doing half blind
dovetails. My set didn't come with the right bit, just one for through
dovetails that will not work for 1/2 blind (because of the angle I
think?) Check the manual.
-Marc-
"Bill Rittner" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<ViSZb.10390$iB.6051@lakeread06>...
> The height of your dt bit above the base is the means to adjust the problem
> you are having. Check your manual. It is a very good piece of technical
> writting. Set your bit to cut a little shallower. Make very small
> adjustments.
>
>
> --
> Bill Rittner
> R & B ENTERPRISES
> Manchester, CT
>
> [email protected]
>
> "Don't take this life too seriously.......nobody
> gets out alive" (Unknown)
>
> Remove "no" to reply
> "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Ok, with any jig that is this style, if your tails are being crushed
> during
> > assembly, you are cutting too deep. For looser fitting joints make a
> > shallower cut. Too loose, cut deeper.
> >
> > The problem is that you are cutting too deep and this makes the slots too
> > narrow. If you raise the bit to cut shallower the slots will widen and
> the
> > tails will be narrower. When you get it just right always use this depth
> of
> > cut for "this" bit. If you buy another bit of the same size, start with
> > this depth setting and adjust from there.
> >
> > And by the way... as you know now, you cannot reroute blind dove tails.
> > Once cut, that's it. Work on scraps until the fit is right.
> >
> > "Mike in Idaho" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > Hello,
> > >
> > > I'm working on an end table right now and I am going to do half blind on
> the
> > > front of the drawer and through on the rear. Anyway, I messed around
> with
> > > some scrap to figure out how to use the jig (just bought it a few weeks
> ago)
> > > and the scrap came out great (first try on HB and 3rd try on TD).
> Problem
> > > is, I cut my first HB for the actual drawer yesterday (both tail pieces
> and
> > > one side of the front for the pins) and they don't fit. The only
> > > adjustments you can make according to the book is the depth of fit (too
> > > shallow or too deep -- you move the template in our out to compensate).
> But
> > > that's not my problem, when I start to set the tails in the pin sockets
> > > (excuse my misuse of terminology if I've botched that) the tails get
> crushed
> > > going in (their just a bit too wide). But I've looked through the book
> and
> > > considered what I can change and I can't think of a thing. I even put
> the
> > > pieces back in the jig and ran the router over them again to see if
> there'd
> > > be any new wood cut -- nope, the bit didn't even touch anything. Ugh.
> I
> > > didn't mess with the fingers once they were set and flipped them over
> for
> > > the pin side and that worked fine.
> > >
> > > Help!! Other than paring the tails down with my chisel (not interested
> in
> > > that really) I can't think of how to fix this or more importantly what
> went
> > > wrong. Anyone with experience that can point out my mistake would be
> > > greatly appreciated.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Mike
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
Ok, with any jig that is this style, if your tails are being crushed during
assembly, you are cutting too deep. For looser fitting joints make a
shallower cut. Too loose, cut deeper.
The problem is that you are cutting too deep and this makes the slots too
narrow. If you raise the bit to cut shallower the slots will widen and the
tails will be narrower. When you get it just right always use this depth of
cut for "this" bit. If you buy another bit of the same size, start with
this depth setting and adjust from there.
And by the way... as you know now, you cannot reroute blind dove tails.
Once cut, that's it. Work on scraps until the fit is right.
"Mike in Idaho" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello,
>
> I'm working on an end table right now and I am going to do half blind on
the
> front of the drawer and through on the rear. Anyway, I messed around with
> some scrap to figure out how to use the jig (just bought it a few weeks
ago)
> and the scrap came out great (first try on HB and 3rd try on TD). Problem
> is, I cut my first HB for the actual drawer yesterday (both tail pieces
and
> one side of the front for the pins) and they don't fit. The only
> adjustments you can make according to the book is the depth of fit (too
> shallow or too deep -- you move the template in our out to compensate).
But
> that's not my problem, when I start to set the tails in the pin sockets
> (excuse my misuse of terminology if I've botched that) the tails get
crushed
> going in (their just a bit too wide). But I've looked through the book
and
> considered what I can change and I can't think of a thing. I even put the
> pieces back in the jig and ran the router over them again to see if
there'd
> be any new wood cut -- nope, the bit didn't even touch anything. Ugh. I
> didn't mess with the fingers once they were set and flipped them over for
> the pin side and that worked fine.
>
> Help!! Other than paring the tails down with my chisel (not interested in
> that really) I can't think of how to fix this or more importantly what
went
> wrong. Anyone with experience that can point out my mistake would be
> greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Mike
>
>
The height of your dt bit above the base is the means to adjust the problem
you are having. Check your manual. It is a very good piece of technical
writting. Set your bit to cut a little shallower. Make very small
adjustments.
--
Bill Rittner
R & B ENTERPRISES
Manchester, CT
[email protected]
"Don't take this life too seriously.......nobody
gets out alive" (Unknown)
Remove "no" to reply
"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ok, with any jig that is this style, if your tails are being crushed
during
> assembly, you are cutting too deep. For looser fitting joints make a
> shallower cut. Too loose, cut deeper.
>
> The problem is that you are cutting too deep and this makes the slots too
> narrow. If you raise the bit to cut shallower the slots will widen and
the
> tails will be narrower. When you get it just right always use this depth
of
> cut for "this" bit. If you buy another bit of the same size, start with
> this depth setting and adjust from there.
>
> And by the way... as you know now, you cannot reroute blind dove tails.
> Once cut, that's it. Work on scraps until the fit is right.
>
> "Mike in Idaho" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Hello,
> >
> > I'm working on an end table right now and I am going to do half blind on
> the
> > front of the drawer and through on the rear. Anyway, I messed around
with
> > some scrap to figure out how to use the jig (just bought it a few weeks
> ago)
> > and the scrap came out great (first try on HB and 3rd try on TD).
Problem
> > is, I cut my first HB for the actual drawer yesterday (both tail pieces
> and
> > one side of the front for the pins) and they don't fit. The only
> > adjustments you can make according to the book is the depth of fit (too
> > shallow or too deep -- you move the template in our out to compensate).
> But
> > that's not my problem, when I start to set the tails in the pin sockets
> > (excuse my misuse of terminology if I've botched that) the tails get
> crushed
> > going in (their just a bit too wide). But I've looked through the book
> and
> > considered what I can change and I can't think of a thing. I even put
the
> > pieces back in the jig and ran the router over them again to see if
> there'd
> > be any new wood cut -- nope, the bit didn't even touch anything. Ugh.
I
> > didn't mess with the fingers once they were set and flipped them over
for
> > the pin side and that worked fine.
> >
> > Help!! Other than paring the tails down with my chisel (not interested
in
> > that really) I can't think of how to fix this or more importantly what
> went
> > wrong. Anyone with experience that can point out my mistake would be
> > greatly appreciated.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Mike
> >
> >
>
>