PC Dovetail Jig Question

[onedash]

Ok. Just spent about an hour doing tests on MDF. Trying to do half blind dovetails. I'd rather do rabbited half blind dovetails but those look harder yet.

First it wouldn't go in. so I raised the bit a little and that just made smaller dovetails I think.
So It said to move the jig???? Am I blind or are there reference marks somewhere??
I put a mark on the brass wheel that holds the template/w knob.
Ended up going farther from the jig about 3 turns and in about 2. Nothing seems to work.

When I got it I made a test cut for through dovetails and they wern't perfect but way better than this.

I thought the manual was pretty good but Maybe I'm missing something.

So bottom line is I can't get the drawer side to go all the way into the drawer front.What should I try next?

Thanks

[russd]

The new issue of Wood Magazine April/May 2006 - Issue 169 has an article on setting up dove tail jigs on page 30.

[Brian G]

So bottom line is I can't get the drawer side to go all the way into the drawer front.What should I try next?

I don't have the PC dovetail jig, so I don't know the parts that are adjustable. You need to make the sockets deeper.

This means that the jig template needs to be positioned further back (i.e., move the template away from you) by the same distance that the drawer side sticks out from the drawer front.

[jhart]

Rockler has a new dovetail setup jig for $14.95. Picked it up 2 days ago and it really works slick. Can be used with virtually any router (but basically set up for the PC's)

After a few minutes of figuring out the steps for my DeWalt 618, I was making perfect half blind dovetails. I don't have the through dovetail plate yet.

The dovetail jig I'm using is the Rockler, but it looks like it could be used on the PC and HF Dovetail units.

Model number is # 27308

[jAngiel]

I haven't tried my pc 4212 yet but if I remember correctly the manual that came with it is suppose to stink. They say the one you download from pc (2 actually, a basic one and an advanced one) has a lot more information in it. Can't verify for myself yet but that is what I read.

[onedash]

I think I have them almost perfect after about a bazillion test cuts.
The side is flush with the side of the drawer front. But there is a tiny gap in the dovetail.
And Im not sure how I missed it but the template was very slanted. I checked it at the beginning so im not sure what went wrong. But its almost exactly on the line on the template and the depth is almost where I started. What I noticed after about 15 cuts was a tiny mistake had big problems. (missed a small piece so it would go in) Not sure how many that happened on and MDF is hopefully worse to do this on than Oak.
Im so sick of it now Im taking a break.
And what I really want is rabbited half blind dovetail but I also want to use a portion of the panel cutter to shape the front of the drawer. So im guessing i would have to use shorter Dovetails????
I know I could just make the drawer fram and attach the drawer front to it which is what I might end up doing. It would be way easier.
I making them out of poplar. And I got some dry erase hardboard for the bottoms. Then any leftovers might turn into an easel or something. Maybe that white won't look right int he bottom of the drawer. I'll have to see.

[MBG]

Go here for the on-line manuals:

http://www.porter-cable.com/jigs/

For some reason I had really no problem with half-blind DT's out of the box. I did put a piece of wood on the right side of the jig to keep the template straight.

Mike

[JimD]

For rabbetted half blind dados on the PC jig, I think you will have to cut the drawer front separate from the drawer side. The drawer front must stick out into the area where the drawer side would be. You will probably also need to put a backer piece in when you cut the drawer side. Otherwise, it should be the same as a flush half blind.

Jim

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Rockler has a new dovetail setup jig for $14.95. Picked it up 2 days ago and it really works slick. Can be used with virtually any router (but basically set up for the PC's)

After a few minutes of figuring out the steps for my DeWalt 618, I was making perfect half blind dovetails. I don't have the through dovetail plate yet.

The dovetail jig I'm using is the Rockler, but it looks like it could be used on the PC and HF Dovetail units.

Model number is # 27308

Cool. I asked that question when the set up jig came out and no one really knew anything about it. It appears the HF and Rockler are pretty much identical so it should work for all. So how exactly does it work?

[JimD]

The Rockler jig is interesting but you can do the same things with a couple pieces of scrap. My height guage is a piece of 3/4 plywood about 3 inches square with a notch cut out and a fine threaded drywall screw coming down. You have to get the setup right once and then adjust the jig and keep it for the next time you need to do the setup. The other function of this Rockler jig can be done by cutting a pice of scrap (mine is 1/2 BB plywood) the width given in the Woodstock chart for the router and drawer side material you are using and then tacking on a narrow piece of 1/8 inch thick hardboard scrap. The 1/8 scrap gives you the amount that the finger guide should be back from the drawer side and the BB sets the stop back the right amount.

My other setup jig is a small piece of plywood scrap with lines on one face that are 1/2 the dovetail spacing from the edge and then at intervals of the dovetail spacing across the board (for a 1/2 template guide, they would be 1/4, 3/4, 1 1/4, 1 3/4, etc) On the edge of the scrap, there is a line at 1/2 from the edge for a 1/2 template guide. To use, you put the scrap in the dovetail jig where a drawer front would go and line up the pencil lines with the openings in the template guide. Clamp it down and adjust the side stop to the edge of the scrap. Set the side stop for the drawer side using the pencil line on the edge of the scrap.

My three pieces of scrap cost a lot less than $15. The Rockler jig is OK too, however, but it does not help with the side stops.

Jim

[Stormbringer]

Maybe this will help somebody

Click the image to enlarge

Greg