Thread: Q: Simple jig to help cut sliding dovetail breadboard ends?

I thought you could just use the guide supplied with most routers for the table edge, with a bit of care.
The pin could be made using a fence on a router table if you have one.
Failing that you could make a guide of MDF by clamping strips on the top and under side of the table and using an insert guide* on the router to follow the tracks, the size of the guide* would determine the width of the tail being cut.
*I meant to say guide bush but couldn't think of what it was called when posting.

I thought * was the cue to laugh?:confused:

Neat buttocks Rusty

There was a Fine Woodworking article a while ago that showed sliding dovetail ends where the male DTs were screwed on, and the female ends fitted after. That way, the male parts can be cut on the TS or whatever, and test-fitted into the female parts. Easier that jigging a router onto the end of a dining table. I believe the author was Christian Becksvoort: you could do a search.

Was that the Greene and Greene table??

Yeah thanks Zenwood/Iain. Was looking for something to simplify running the router along sideways on the edge of a close to a 2 and a half meter table top. I'll search the FWW article.

Not so sure I like the idea of screwing on a strip of wood for the male section of the joint, seems to defeat the purpose/integrity of the joint but I'll have a look - might solve my problem.

BTW if anyone has a pic of theirs and how they've done it post it here or in the Woodwork Pics - could use some inspiration....

I've just gone through my back issues of FWW and don't think it was the Greene & Greene side table (FWW #171), this uses a single stopped groove (not dovetailed) with an ebony end cap i.e. Greene and Greene signature.

I'll keep searching.
Cheers.

Here's the joint (obtained from http://www.chbecksvoort.com/tbeckdiff.html):



The FWW article explained its construction in detail.

Might be one of the ones listed here:

http://www.chbecksvoort.com/fwwarticles.html

Zenwood,

Thanks mate, that's one tricky looking peice of construction dovetails and sliding dovetail. I'm honing in on the Becksvoort articles in the back issues so shouldn't be long, I've noticed he's written a few about breadboard ends but I'm yet to locate the sliding dovetail one.

Sorry Brett, I gave you a bit of a red herring. The reference may not have been FWW, but the book "In the Shaker Style" Taunton Press, 2001, pp. 114-119. The pics show the essence of the technique: the male dovetail strip (made by Becksvoort using a router table) is screwed on and then chopped into separate sections (to reduce friction and limit movement, I think). Becksvoort is applying a moulding to a case, so uses glue only on the front 2 inches: for your table you'd only apply glue to the middle (though it would spread out during installation, which may be why most table breadboards are joined with straight tenons).

I think the FWW article was Cherry Chest of Drawers by Michael Pekovich in #170 where he refers to an earlier Becksvoort article and is used to secure moulding to the chest of drawers

Thanks for the extra info, thought I was going nuts looking but did find a lot of other info on the subject so wasn't lost.

Brett - I'm coming in late, but here's my jig I use for sliding d'tails. It came from a very old FWW - I've been using it quite happily for 20 yrs. It takes a few minutes to make and a few minutes to master. You hand-hold the router and run it over the end of the board, which is clamped flat, overhanging the bench a bit. The trick is to adjust the fence and sneak up on the tail size. Remember to cut both sides after each small adjustment. Once you have it right, it takes only two passes to cut the next tail (as long as your stock has been accurately thicknessed to the same dimension!).
The other trick is to do a 'climb-cut' by passing the router the 'wrong' way over the stock. If you go the 'natural' way, you will most likely end up with a scabby shoulder, which rather ruins the look of the job. You have to hold the router firmly to stop it skating, but it's not a big deal, as the bit is only cutting a small amount of wood, (most sliding d'tails are less than 6mm deep) so it's not hard to control.
Cheers,