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Author Topic: Small dovetail jig  (Read 7307 times)

a3nige

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Small dovetail jig
« on: March 05, 2014, 07:29:06 pm »

Hi,
Does anyone know of a small dovetailing jig? All the ones I have seen are too big. Maybe something with a 5mm finger width. I think I am looking for snake oil with this one but you never know.
Thanks
Nige
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grendel

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2014, 08:00:00 pm »

I wonder if they do a small one for dremel sized machines - hmm seems like dremel may have made one, but cant see any for sale.
Grendel
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a3nige

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2014, 08:35:47 am »

Thanks
Will look into that.
Nige
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RAAArtyGunner

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2014, 09:55:06 pm »

Finger jointing is equally effective on small sizes.

Dovetails are really designed to withstand constant loads such as drawer fronts and heavy lifting such as tool chests and as such are not available in small sized jigs, could be wrong.

However it is possible to make them without a jig.
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derekwarner

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #4 on: October 20, 2014, 11:23:37 pm »

 :o........ "However it is possible to make them without a jig"....yes we did didn't we   <*< <*< ....one dovetail [both male & female sections] from 2" x 1" timber in 1st year at high school {-) .....or about 52 years ago.......Derek
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Derek Warner

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RAAArtyGunner

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2014, 02:21:21 am »

:o........ "However it is possible to make them without a jig"....yes we did didn't we   <*< <*< ....one dovetail [both male & female sections] from 2" x 1" timber in 1st year at high school {-) .....or about 52 years ago.......Derek

Derek,

That was a large one, did you have enough timber, 6"x3/4" to make a drawer end and drawer fronts with hidden dovetail, looks like I have a few years on you :-)) :-)) :-))
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derekwarner

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2014, 04:09:41 am »

 {-)...  RAAArtyGunner.........I didn't realise they had wood chisels that small in your day  {-) {-) {-)  ...Derek
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Derek Warner

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RAAArtyGunner

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2014, 05:05:17 am »

Have still got a Sandvik, 1/4" bevel edged firmer  O0 O0
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dougal99

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #8 on: October 21, 2014, 10:52:18 am »

Two hidden mitred dovetails in my A level practical exam  <*< <*< <*<   no jigs there.


Even the tutor was annoyed and he set the exam for the rest of the country!
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RAAArtyGunner

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #9 on: October 21, 2014, 11:34:20 am »

How does that song go , Those were the days my friend.....................

In Oz we styled ourselves on UK, England in those days.
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hammer

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #10 on: October 21, 2014, 04:28:30 pm »

My grandfather worked in a Victorian joinery sweat shop. Had to make a four panel  door in eight hours, all by hand. If not the sack, down the road, or as is said to day made redundant.
A trick he taut me to cut two sets of dovetails at once, with very little marking out..  After squaring the ends of the timbers, draw a line all around the thickness of the timber from the ends. Place the four timbers in the vice with the two outer pieces level with the thickness marks on the two inner, which are also level with each other. You could have drawn the tails on the inner pair. But I do as the old boys did and guess. Take a tennon saw ( a thin blade is wanted) lightly mark the top corner of the tail across the top, before cutting down dip the saw down to mark the outer pieces then cut down at the angle of the tail stopping as the outer pieces are just marked. When all tails are cut remove from the vice, cut the waste away with a copeing saw. Use the marks on the ends of the outer pieces to cut down for the fingers, removing the waste as before. All this done by eye, this is why the joints on the backs of old drawers are often uneven.  Now you know why I am the Hammer.   
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derekwarner

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #11 on: October 21, 2014, 09:24:22 pm »

Nice to hear from you hammer  :-)) ...I think all of our grandfathers were probably more competent constructors than their grandsons....even when the latter have a myriad of power tools to assist  <*< ....

Only thing with your description of your grandpa... was he had to make the four panel door before lunch...as he probably worked a 12 or 16 hour day...& yes six days a week >:-o..........Derek
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RAAArtyGunner

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #12 on: October 22, 2014, 02:39:44 am »

By the same token you were required to fit and hang 8 doors in a day, the day being 8 hours, if not, next please.

Also, it was required that whoever constructed the door opening also hung the door therein, so if you stuffed up the frame then you had the problem of fitting the door and need to still maintain your 8 doors hung in a day.

Ah the good old days, this generation have it so easy.

I still use hand tools the majority of the time.
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tigertiger

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #13 on: October 22, 2014, 05:50:59 am »

Unless doing multiples of the same job, hand tools are often faster once you have mastered the basic task and tools. That takes time in itself.
By the time you have set up a tool and any jigs, the job can be done and dusted.

My favorite tool in this respect, the bench hook (mine was made from scraps in about 10 mins)  :-)
If you only have one or two cross cuts to make, it isn't even worth turning the table saw on, let along getting out the cross cut sled (on of my most used jigs).
You don't even need a vice  ;)
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hammer

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #14 on: October 22, 2014, 09:42:20 am »

My record for hanging doors ( with a power planer ) 48 next day 48 and then 96 latches ( power drill but on battery screw driver ). Next day up to the next floor of the block of flats ,  until the 10th floor.  As I said the name is Hammer
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RAAArtyGunner

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #15 on: October 23, 2014, 03:57:29 am »

I hope that you finished off the screws with at least one twist with a screwdriver and all the slots were vertical  %) %)  O0 O0
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hammer

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #16 on: October 23, 2014, 09:37:05 am »

Grandfather was called Gaffer by one and all. Taut me quite a few tricks hanging doors. One thing he taut me was if you are fast you have to be better as well.  As the foreman , Clark of Works and otter tradesman will want to know what corners have been cut. So yes all slots vertical, before we went to Philips screws.   
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RAAArtyGunner

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Re: Small dovetail jig
« Reply #17 on: October 23, 2014, 10:30:22 am »

Now we are going back, even in Oz we had Clerk of works but then all things English were in vogue in OZ back then, even the best  tools were English made with Sweden for saws and chisels.

Back on track a dovetail saw fits our hobby admirably.
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