What router bits do I need to make dovetail joints?

You’ll also need an 8° or 14° dovetail router bit, depending on the joint’s geometry. For through dovetails, a straight-cutting router bit is also required. These bits are often provided with the jig, as are the guide collar or collars required to operate them.

What is the angle of a dovetail bit?

Dovetail bits come in an array of cutting angles—usually 7-14°—and heights (see photo, above), on both 1⁄ 2 ” and 1⁄ 4 ” shanks. Generally speaking, the greater the cutting angle, the stronger the joint.

What angle should a dovetail be?

between 7° and 15°
Any angle between 7° and 15° will work, regardless of the wood. But stay within that range. If you go below 7°, you’ll start to lose the mechanical strength of the dovetail. Go above 15°, and you’ll leave too much short grain at the tips of the tails, which weakens the joinery.

Can I make a homemade dovetail jig?

Dovetail jigs are great woodworking tools that help with creating accurate joints. You can make perfect dovetail joints with just the right jig. If you do a lot of construction work, you will find that a dovetail jig can come in quite handy for these kinds of builds. …

How to make a dovetail joint?

Determine which piece of wood will be the tail board and which will be the pin board. The tail board is designed to withstand more pulling tension.

With your marking knife,trace the edges of your tail board onto the end of the pin board.

Use a chisel to remove the wood in between the pins.

Place your pieces together and admire your work.

How to make dovetail jig?

Make sure the drawer side locks are firm and won’t slip under pressure of the router.

Lock the top piece in first

Install the Porter Cable 7-Degree dovetail router bit into your palm router and set to the height of your wood thickness (verify with your jig settings).

Lock a 3-4″ wide test piece in both top and bottom

What is dovetail joint used for?

A dovetail joint or simply dovetail is a joinery technique most commonly used in woodworking joinery (carpentry) including furniture, cabinets. log buildings and traditional timber framing. Noted for its resistance to being pulled apart ( tensile strength ), the dovetail joint is commonly used to join the sides of a drawer to the front.

What is a sliding dovetail joint?

A sliding dovetail joint. The sliding dovetail is a method of joining two boards at right angles, where the intersection occurs within the field of one of the boards, that is not at the end. This joint provides the interlocking strength of a dovetail. Sliding dovetails are assembled by sliding the tail into the socket.