MLCS Pins & Tails Dovetail Jig

[fiasco]

Got a flier from MLCS listing a Pins & Tails dovetail jig set introductory priced at $60 (lists it's retail at $149).

Is this a decent half blind dovetail jig?

I'd like to do my cabinet drawers w/ dovetails.

[mdurg]

I'm a newbie at all this and will be making my first drawers soon. I was just going to rabbet the edges or dowel them to save money but decided to go for it and do dovetails. I ordered a dovetail jig from Rockler. I think it was $75. I should be getting it Monday.

I also saw your other post about drawer materials. I was wondering that myself. Here at work we have a (packaging) cutting die shop and there is a ton of baltic birch scrap that I could use. Lowes has poplar in 1/2" thickness and that's what I think I'll use for my current project. I'll take home some birch ply scraps for "test material"

I have a question on drawers about routing the groove (or dado) for the bottom. Do you start and stop short of the edges to keep that groove "invisible"? Does the groove mess up the dovetail joint? I know it must not, but I'm having a hard time picturing whats going in the corners having never made this.

[tlt]

I have a question on drawers about routing the groove (or dado) for the bottom. Do you start and stop short of the edges to keep that groove "invisible"? Does the groove mess up the dovetail joint? I know it must not, but I'm having a hard time picturing whats going in the corners having never made this.

For half-blind dovetails, route the dado so that the tail (side pieces) covers the groove on the drawer front when they are assembled. In other words, the groove should be through one of the routed slots on the drawer front...is this making any sense? I wish I had a picture, it's a lot easier to understand.

[Stan]

Not sure how well this describes the method I use, but maybe it will help

[mdurg]

Thanks for the replies, they helped. I got the Rockler jig last night. For $75 I guess it's not bad. The metal parts are heavier duty than I expected. Not sure how accurate or long lasting the plastic template will be. It's also a little hard to get everything set "just so." When you pull down the clamp lever it tends to move the template, so I'm trying to account for that. A better design would be to have the clamping mechanism separate from the template.

I saw in another post about someone making drawers out of birch plywood. How did they do that? I have scraps of birch plywood (good stuff used for cutting dieboards) to practice on and the router just destroys it. The tails not so bad, but the pin's out layer gets peeled right off.

[Lee4847]

Tear out

First pass should be a "climb cut" (right to left) that just cuts the outer edge say maybe 1/16 to 1/8 into the material. After that pass I go in and rough out most of the material. The third pass I carefully go around each pin to make sure I have a clean cut. The first climb cut is the key to not spliting out plywood.

Hope this helps.. I made a lot of kindling for the fireplace at first!

Lee

[Stan]

I saw in another post about someone making drawers out of birch plywood. How did they do that? I have scraps of birch plywood (good stuff used for cutting dieboards) to practice on and the router just destroys it. The tails not so bad, but the pin's out layer gets peeled right off.

mdurg,
If you are using a 1/4" shank bit, and have the capability to go to a 1/2" shank bit -- that may help reduce the tear-out by reducing bit chatter.
Also, if there is any vertical flex in the template, try to keep the same even pressure on the router base. If there is flex and you add downward pressure on the router as you change directions -- that can cause the bit to grab and tear the plys. (on my HF dovetail jig -- I use 4 additional clamps just to keep the template from flexing on me).
As for the climb-cut to also help reduce tear-out, that is definitely an option, just be careful performing that climb-cut. Just a light cut, and be sure and have a good hold on the router.

[fiasco]

The Pins and Tails jig is difficult to use too. The template is solid metal but the 2 clamps are secured by two knobs each and after a couple boards your pretty sick of those knobs.