A couple weeks ago I made a dovetail template to use when making the box for my wife (I’m halfway through the joinery, by the way). I blogged about it here and even posted it as my first ever project on LumberJocks. I was pretty proud.
Maybe too proud. I thought the folks over at Homestead Heritage (where I learned the template) were a bit narrow-minded when they only offered the 1:7 ratio (in addition to the square). I figured it would be even better to offer the 1:6 and 1:8 as well; after all, the template has four working edges, right?
The first time I tried marking out my tails, I realized a major deficiency: the template will only mark one side of the tail. You have to get a bevel gauge or protractor to mark the other side. No problem, I thought – I’ll just become a pins-first guy. My thinking was that I’d put the template on one edge of the end grain to mark one side of the pin, and then go to the other edge to mark the other side of the pin. Uh-uh. The angle is the same.
So this template is mostly useless (except for the square), and I need to make another one. I made updates to my blog entries and project page, for those who read it in the future. But I felt the need to make the “product recall” notice here as well, for those of you who read it and are planning to make your own. Stick to the original plan! Square on one edge, and both directions of a single ratio (I’ll probably do 1:7 or 1:8 since I mostly work with hardwoods). What goes on the fourth edge? Maybe I won’t even cut a fourth edge, or I’ll add another square.
[This entry was taken from my personal website, Adventures in Woodworking.]
-- Eric at http://adventuresinwoodworking.com
4 comments so far
Karson
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13133 posts in 925 days
posted 280 days ago
Did it get an official recall, or only from you.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com
Eric
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701 posts in 309 days
posted 280 days ago
It only applies to my own template and any template made by someone who followed my modified design. So it’s not going to cause any panic in the woodworking world. At least, let’s hope not. :^)
-- Eric at http://adventuresinwoodworking.com
Tomcat1066
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564 posts in 321 days
posted 280 days ago
Live and learn, right? I actually thought the same thing you did about the template, so don’t sweat it to much. Now, you just need to make more templates. A 1:7, 1:8, and 1:6. That should solve the problems, right? ;)
-- "Give me your poor tools, your tired steel, your huddled masses of rust." Yep, I ripped off the Statue of Liberty. That's how I roll!
RobS
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1126 posts in 831 days
posted 279 days ago
Yes, I thought that was a little different then mine. Mine, actually made in the class, had the 1:7 on both angles and the straight 90’s on the other side. I did not remember making different ratios but thought maybe you just took yous a step further until you mentioned it here..
-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX