Normanj
24th June 2009, 08:18 PM
I have a Gifkins Dovetail Jig and plan to make an occasional table by jointing boards to make three panels to be joined with dovetails to create an inverted U shape (there is a stretcher for rigidity and other details, but this is the essential part). The jointed boards will form panels too large to fit the Gifkins jig directly, and for these situations the instructions suggest dovetailing the boards first and then jointing the boards to form panels (I'll be using biscuit joints).
Has anyone any experience of doing this and are there any tips for ensuring the dovetailed boards will join accurately ? A related question is whether its best to glue up the individual U pieces before jointing them or try and glue everything up together. I can see that jointing the U pieces may be tricky, but so too will trying to simultaneously glue 4 sets of dovetails and three panels at the same time, especially when the stretcher will be dovetailed to the two uprights also.
The alternative I have thought about is to make the panels first and then route the dovetails in two stages. I can see that I would need some other jig to ensure the two sets of tails and pins aligned simultaneously but haven't figured out how this might be done. Presumably the instructions recommend the first way for a reason.
Has anyone any experience of doing this and are there any tips for ensuring the dovetailed boards will join accurately ? A related question is whether its best to glue up the individual U pieces before jointing them or try and glue everything up together. I can see that jointing the U pieces may be tricky, but so too will trying to simultaneously glue 4 sets of dovetails and three panels at the same time, especially when the stretcher will be dovetailed to the two uprights also.
The alternative I have thought about is to make the panels first and then route the dovetails in two stages. I can see that I would need some other jig to ensure the two sets of tails and pins aligned simultaneously but haven't figured out how this might be done. Presumably the instructions recommend the first way for a reason.