I am thinking about a project that will need a sliding dovetail joint, so today I was fooling around on the router table and thought I would try one out of some scrap pine.
I used a 1/2" straight bit to cut a groove to start the slot so the dovetail bit didn't have to hog out all that wood.
Then I used the dovetail bit set at the same depth (maybe a hair deeper) to shape the sides of the groove.
Then, without moving the bit at all, so as to maintain the same depth, I made a series of passes on the other piece to "sneak up" on a good tight fit.
When the pieces finally slid together, the joint was, to say the least, total crap!
I am hoping that somebody can tell me if there is a better procedure or I just have to try, try again until things come out better.
The depths seem to be off even though I never touched the bit set-up between the slot and the tail piece machining. I only adjusted the fence.
I tried to blow off the sawdust between passes, but there could have been some in the way at some point. Another question, should I have a small rabet at the bottom of my router table fence to give stray sawdust a place to go?
Any suggestions will be most welcome. This joint may not be a focal point of this next project, but it will not be hidden either.
Brian
I used a 1/2" straight bit to cut a groove to start the slot so the dovetail bit didn't have to hog out all that wood.
Then I used the dovetail bit set at the same depth (maybe a hair deeper) to shape the sides of the groove.
Then, without moving the bit at all, so as to maintain the same depth, I made a series of passes on the other piece to "sneak up" on a good tight fit.
When the pieces finally slid together, the joint was, to say the least, total crap!
I am hoping that somebody can tell me if there is a better procedure or I just have to try, try again until things come out better.
The depths seem to be off even though I never touched the bit set-up between the slot and the tail piece machining. I only adjusted the fence.
I tried to blow off the sawdust between passes, but there could have been some in the way at some point. Another question, should I have a small rabet at the bottom of my router table fence to give stray sawdust a place to go?
Any suggestions will be most welcome. This joint may not be a focal point of this next project, but it will not be hidden either.
Brian