Dovetail Jig
Alan Rothenbush
I'm a VERY part time woodworker, and pretty part time machinist.
I always seem to be making small boxes for tools, and I like the boxes
to be strong, as the tools are sometimes heavy. To that end, I use one
of the cheapo dovetail jigs (that cut both pieces at once). I have
twiddled and tweaked this jig to the point where it doesn't turn out half
bad work, so long as the stock is 1/2" thick. Thinner or thicker stock
would require another HUGE investment of tweaking time.
I'd like something better, but I just don't use it enough to justify
a Leigh or Incra or anything else like that. ( Woodworking is sorta
hobby number four or five, with the first ones being expensive and me
just a nine-to-fiver )
Now, on some TV show or other, I saw a father and son team doing magical
things with a router.
The thing that impressed me most was the construction of some wooden
boxes using a form of joinery ROUGHLY similar to dovetails, only
the pins were kinda rounded figure eights.
This VERY simple looking jig turned out fabulous boxes.
Any idea what I'm talking about ? And if so, comments ?
Many thanks in advance.
Alan
--
Alan Rothenbush | The Spartans do not ask the number of the
Academic Computing Services | enemy, only where they are.
Simon Fraser University |
Burnaby, B.C., Canada | Agix of Sparta
Monte Engel
"kid" is Rick, their last name is Rosendahl [sp?]. They are Canadian, from
Ellie, Manitoba, about 150 miles north of where I live. It is a PBS show
and you should be able to find it by going to pbs.org
Alan Rothenbush <be...@sfu.ca> wrote in message
news:slrn8p3e6...@sauron.ucs.sfu.ca...
William Nordman
called loose because the tenon is a seperate piece, not cut out of the
end of the connecting piece as a normal mortice and tenon. The figure 8
piece is the loose tenon. It can be purchased in lengths and cut to the
length you want to use. A jig guides your drill or router to cut
overlapping holes in both pieces in the correct location. It's kinda
like a series of overlapping dowels. A spline is kinda like a loose
tenon only used lengthwise instead of on the end of a piece. A biscuit
is kinda like a loose tenon. A nail or screw is like a loose tenon and
clamp combined. If you are a neander you could cut the loose tenons
(Square ones.) and the mortices by hand. But then you have to cut one
tenon and 2 mortices for each connection instead of one each. If you
cut a rail too short to get a tenon on the end you use a loose tenon to
hide your mistake. I feel a good woodworker can hide his mistakes
without detrimental harm to the look and function. A woodworker that
doesn't make mistakes or discards every one and starts the piece over is
anal and will never get anything finished. Or else wind up with
miniture furniture as he cuts the mistakes off the end and starts over
many times. "I cut this twice and it's still too short!"
I'm tired now. $.03
White Horse
Rose
Alan Rothenbush wrote:
>
> I'm a VERY part time woodworker, and pretty part time machinist.
>
> I always seem to be making small boxes for tools, and I like the boxes
> to be strong, as the tools are sometimes heavy. To that end, I use one
> of the cheapo dovetail jigs (that cut both pieces at once). I have
> twiddled and tweaked this jig to the point where it doesn't turn out half
> bad work, so long as the stock is 1/2" thick. Thinner or thicker stock
> would require another HUGE investment of tweaking time.
>
> I'd like something better, but I just don't use it enough to justify
> a Leigh or Incra or anything else like that. ( Woodworking is sorta
> hobby number four or five, with the first ones being expensive and me
> just a nine-to-fiver )
>
> Now, on some TV show or other, I saw a father and son team doing magical
> things with a router.
>
> The thing that impressed me most was the construction of some wooden
> boxes using a form of joinery ROUGHLY similar to dovetails, only
> the pins were kinda rounded figure eights.
>
> This VERY simple looking jig turned out fabulous boxes.
>
Pete
a dovetail or a heart shaped jig that is similar to the dovetail jig. I have
the dovetail type and it's a no brainer to use and does a very nice job. I
also have their miter, raised panel jigs, and table. I really like them. The
only gripe I have is they are very pricey. They have an 800 number and offer
a free catalog.
"White Horse" <ros...@flash.net> wrote in message
news:3992A123...@flash.net...
Alan Rothenbush
>I agree with Rose. You can see it at the Router Work Shops site. They have
>a dovetail or a heart shaped jig that is similar to the dovetail jig. I have
>the dovetail type and it's a no brainer to use and does a very nice job. I
>also have their miter, raised panel jigs, and table. I really like them. The
>only gripe I have is they are very pricey. They have an 800 number and offer
>a free catalog.
Many thanks to all who responded.
I found the site and had a look. Yes, the stuff is kinda pricey. I'll have
to think about it for a while - the ease of use as opposed to the cost as
opposed to how often I'd use it as opposed to getting the purchase past
my wife. <G>
I also have another idea; looking at the "video" of the Keller jig, it occurs
to me that I could likely fabricate a similar jig myself. ( I have a small
CNC milling machine ) Shouldn't be TOO much work figuring out the shapes and
angles ...
Thanks again.
Tall-Corn
be...@sfu.ca wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Aug 2000 15:05:46 GMT, Pete <Pe...@xyz.com> wrote:
> >I agree with Rose. You can see it at the Router Work Shops site.
They have
> >a dovetail or a heart shaped jig that is similar to the dovetail
jig. I have
> >the dovetail type and it's a no brainer to use and does a very nice
job. I
> >also have their miter, raised panel jigs, and table. I really like
them. The
> >only gripe I have is they are very pricey. They have an 800 number
and offer
> >a free catalog.
>
> Many thanks to all who responded.
>
> I found the site and had a look. Yes, the stuff is kinda pricey.
I'll have
> to think about it for a while - the ease of use as opposed to the
cost as
> opposed to how often I'd use it as opposed to getting the purchase
past
> my wife. <G>
>
> I also have another idea; looking at the "video" of the Keller jig,
it occurs
> to me that I could likely fabricate a similar jig myself. ( I have a
small
> CNC milling machine ) Shouldn't be TOO much work figuring out the
shapes and
> angles ...
>
> Thanks again.
>
> Alan
>
> --
>
> Alan Rothenbush | The Spartans do not ask the number of
the
> Academic Computing Services | enemy, only where they are.
> Simon Fraser University |
> Burnaby, B.C., Canada | Agix of
Sparta
>
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Mary Shafer
> The thing that impressed me most was the construction of some wooden
> boxes using a form of joinery ROUGHLY similar to dovetails, only the
> pins were kinda rounded figure eights.
In the Daniel Green art supplies catalog, fasteners similar to these
are called Thumbnail (r) fasteners and are used for assembling their
wood and gilded frames. The pins look more like dumbbells than
rounded figure eights, but it's obviously the same technique.
You can probably see the Thumbnail (r) fasteners on their site at
www.danielsmith.com, and you may be able to do a google search for
more general information and sources, but it's going to be complicated
by the use of the term "thumbnail" to refer to small images. I'm not
good enough at searching to figure out how to limit searches, but
someone else here is sure to be.
--
Mary Shafer
sha...@orville.dfrc.nasa.gov Of course I don't speak for NASA
Senior Handling Qualities Research Engineer
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA
For non-aerospace mail, use sha...@spdcc.com please
Mary Shafer
> Alan Rothenbush wrote:
>
> > The thing that impressed me most was the construction of some wooden
> > boxes using a form of joinery ROUGHLY similar to dovetails, only the
> > pins were kinda rounded figure eights.
>
> In the Daniel Green art supplies catalog, fasteners similar to these
> are called Thumbnail (r) fasteners and are used for assembling their
> wood and gilded frames. The pins look more like dumbbells than
> rounded figure eights, but it's obviously the same technique.
My mistake--I misread your posting. These are splines, not dovetails.
They're still very clever, but not at all what you're interested in.
Bob Oswin
Perhaps you could make two.
Bob
Fred the Redshirt
"Monte Engel" <rch...@stellarnet.com> wrote:
> I didn't see that episode, but the show is called The Router
Workshop. The
> "kid" is Rick, their last name is Rosendahl [sp?]. They are
Canadian, from
> Ellie, Manitoba, about 150 miles north of where I live. It is a PBS
show
> and you should be able to find it by going to pbs.org
>
What _is_ that knobbly thing on top of the father's head?
--
Fred the Redshirt
Fallacies do the most damage when they are used in a well-intended
but ill-conceived effort to defend objective truth.
Leon
"Fred the Redshirt" <fredf...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:8oghjf$a9d$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
Rob Stokes
Ahhhh crap, Pepsi all over the keyboard.....
Rob
--
Check out our web site:
http://www.randc.bizhosting.com
Leon <lcb1...@swbell.net> wrote in message
news:R6Uq5.870$dE.2...@nnrp3.sbc.net...
D. J. Dorn
fairly straight forward but I admit that getting the fingers right would be
time consuming. They call for them to be made from high densisty plastic
and I think that stuff would machine fairly easily.
Don
Bob Oswin <id...@telusplanet.net> wrote in message
news:8POq5.153$xW3....@news1.telusplanet.net...