First dovetail...Feedback needed

**delbs** · 25th January 2013, 11:27 PM

Hey everyone, so thanks to a very generous father in law i was given a new sherwood dovetail jig the other day. Since there was only a 2 page manual included in it i gave it a shot at setting up the jig to cut my first dovetail.

Now, just fyi i havent read anything on dovetails in the past so this is my first attempt just by figuring it out myself. The joints dont seem to be deep enough to make a strong joint, im nearly there but just need some slight adjustment.

Any feedback would be much appreciated on how people setup their dovetail jigs. The only thing that came with the jig itself is the dovetail bit with a bearing on it that acts as the bushing to roll in and out of the metal jig. Also to make the outside ends join up do i have the top piece of wood offset by a cm or so? Or how do i calculate how much the top piece needs to be offset by to get the dovetails to match up for a flush finish?

Have read a few reviews that the sherwood is harder to setup compared to the gifkins or leigh but hey i cant complain when it was free

this is the first of many many dovetails to come so ill keep posting my progress

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Oh and i just realised i have posted this in the wrong area would the admins mind moving this to the Router jig section, Thanks!

**ExKellick** · 26th January 2013, 01:14 AM

Just to be facetious. Toss the jig and start doing them by hand

You can actually get pretty fast with a bit of practice and well set up tools. The Dovetail book is awesome and has many tips and tricks to get accurate and fast.

**specialist** · 26th January 2013, 01:07 PM

It's been so long since I have done one of those that I can't really remember which way to adjust the bit, but I think that you need to make the cut deeper slightly to close up the gaps, or it could be the other way. It won't need to be much. I would try it out and see what you end up with. You will never get a perfect cut the first time anyway, so don't be discouraged. Your seem to be on the right track.

Robert

**delbs** · 26th January 2013, 04:03 PM

I will try another joint this afternoon once i lower the bit to make a deeper cut.

**climbout** · 26th January 2013, 06:46 PM

Just reading through the manual for my new Incra Jig. Their instructions are to measure the gap in a loose joint & cut the next one that much deeper. I.e. if the first cut was 10mm deep & results in a 2mm gap, you should make the next cut 12mm deep.

This may or may not work with your jig.

**delbs** · 26th January 2013, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by climbout

Just reading through the manual for my new Incra Jig. Their instructions are to measure the gap in a loose joint & cut the next one that much deeper. I.e. if the first cut was 10mm deep & results in a 2mm gap, you should make the next cut 12mm deep.

This may or may not work with your jig.

thanks for the feedback, i will give it a shot and see how it turns out

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