Are there any good online tutorials for using a dovetail jig?

I second that I just got my new 12 inch Leigh jig and although I’ve read the directions I’m still apprehensive about using it without seeing it used. Maybe MLCS has something. I’ll check around.

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

Well I guess I will third this one. I have a HF jig and so far have been able to start many a campfire with the results. In theory, I know what to do but in doing the hands on, well, I might as well be using my feet.

-- Never board, always knotty, lots of growth rings

Pretty sure it won’t help with dissimilar jigs / templates, but MLCS has a good tutorial / video on their website for using the Pins & Tails dovetail template set…

One thing they don’t go into, that I wish they would is proper bit speed for those of us with variable speed routers…

-- Trying to follow the example of the master.

I have the best tutorial for you on how to use a dovetail jig -it is called experience. I am not trying to be funny or smart. I read up on my porter-cable tutorial and it is a good place to start but you really will not learn much until you actually use the jig. The reason for that is the tutorial will probably fail to underline, emphasize or shout out to you that you have to try different depth of cut adjustments to get a proper fit. One time I tried the half blind dovetails they would not fit into the sockets so I was hammering away and splitting the boards. I made another adjustment and this time they were too loose. You really should get some cheap wood and experiment with the settings until you can run the boards through the jig and get a perfectly matched set of boards that fit together with light pressure. You should resort to the manual to orientate yourself with the tool but experience is the final chapter of any tutorial – good luck.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4926234_use-dovetail-jig.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art
Here, try this website. It should help you get to the point where you understand it better. But also, practice, practice, practice. Like Tomas said, there is no better teacher than experience, but you have to learn to crawl before you can walk. Every jig is different too. They are tools, so they have their own traits that you have got to learn. Kind of like compensating for that drift you have on your band saw.

-- Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy-May all your dovetails fit tight and right the first time

I need more than help with a jig, I need an ‘Idiot’s Guide to Dovetails’! I don’t know pins from tails – from one side, I see pins but from the other side, the pins look like tails. I’m so confused! Box joints are so much simpler – everything looks the same!

JimC

I just purchased a 12 in dovetail jig from a friend because he has a 18 and 24 inch. I have the owners manual and i played with it for about 5 hours. I got pretty good however i have a ways to go before i fill comfortable to start makin stuff out of hard wood. I basicly practice with 3/4 pine there was a little splintering but looked pretty good. I agree with the above coments read your owner manual to understand the basics. Then cut you some blocks of wood and practice.

-- Monty Q, Columbia, South Carolina.

I have a couple stories on dovetails at the links below. The second, about aligning the guide collar, should be mandatory reading for anyone with a dovetail jig as that one router tune-up cures many problems that get blamed on the dovetail jig.
The other point I can make is to take your time and follow the instructions, step-by-step on some test wood. Experience really is a big part of using a dovetail jig but poor instructions can push the learning curve way more vertical and more time consumming. One of the things I love about the Leigh jigs are the super instructions with full-on graphics and well-written text.

http://www.newwoodworker.com/dovetails.html

http://www.newwoodworker.com/cntrguidecolr.html

-- Tom Hintz, www.newwoodworker.com

Mate, every jig has its own differences. Whatever jig you have, go to their websit. All the good manufacturers have videos and downloadable user guides available to owners. I have recently bought a leigh having cut all dovetails by hand for near 40 years and found it invaluable. But as they say practice and setup are the key. Take care, take time and get it right, then you will enjoy the experience.

-- I cut the damned thing twice and its still too short

I have a Bosch 24” jig. I have gotten good results with it, but all the test cuts and height readjustments are really irritating, to the point that I cut them by hand now. This is ok for me, but I’m making very few thing that require dovetails.

It is revealing to hear others complain about their jigs though, because I didn’t know others were also unhappy with their experience. I think BeeJay is right. If you keep at it long enough you will learn to avoid the glitches and get the necessary experiences to adjust it correctly.

When cutting dovetails for appearance’s sake, I would go for hand cut ones every time providing the total number was not overwhelming. This is because the thick shank on the dovetail bits create very wide cuts and in my opinion they don’t give the graceful look that many are shooting for. However, I wouldn’t hesitate to use the jig where durability and/or speed is the main issue.

-- Mike, American in Norway

There is a good podcast over at www.woodworkingonline.com

Heck, lots of good podcasts…

-- Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

YouTube seems to have a number of different how-to vids. Maybe one of them will get you started….

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=using+a+dovetail+jig&search_type=&aq=0&oq=using+a+dovetail

-- -- Neil

Fine Woodworking has a great online sight… but you have to get with a Subscription…

If you get it, look at this… The guy reviews 12 dovetail Jigs…

http://www.finewoodworking.com/subscription/joinery-videos/index.asp

-- Have Fun! Joe Lyddon - Alta Loma, CA USA - Home: http://www.WoodworkStuff.net ... My Small Gallery: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showgallery.php?ppuser=1389&cat=500"

MLCS Demo… is VERY GOOD…

“Easy Set-Up and instruction video for Through Dovetail Templates”
(just down a little from the top of page… in the center…)

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/dovetailjig.html#dovetail_video_anchor

I have the jig… all of very good quality… The video is a Must Watch…

I agree, there should be some talk on Bit Speed for us using ‘variable speed’ routers.

-- Have Fun! Joe Lyddon - Alta Loma, CA USA - Home: http://www.WoodworkStuff.net ... My Small Gallery: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showgallery.php?ppuser=1389&cat=500"