e z dovetail jig (General)

[Bill Clark De]

Ok so I'm a bottom feeder and do not have a top of the line dovetail jig.... (mine was lost in a shop fire several years ago.. Now i have an e-z dovetailing jig from general $39.00... Supposedly
this has and will make really adequate dovetails ...however that ain't happening here...
i have watched the attached videos for learning the methods... Not too informative ... I 've also posted to another web site asking for guidance got some --also got some misinformation ...
What i need or would like to get is some measurements on bit height and settings on the pockets...(I'm currently concentrating on 1/2 blind dovetails...
Also i'm using a router table with the jig -not sure if that changes the measurements...
for 3/4 inch boards i've used 7/8 bit setting and 1 1/4 soccket setting which worked very well... but the 1/2 inch settings just aren't working ...i need some figures to allow me to sneak up on the final settings perhaps there is a formulae i need to know... any help is appreciated ..I'm close to sending this machine to the great re cycling place in the dump
Thanks

[Jim Rimmer]

The bit should be set using the mating board. For instance, when cutting the pins put your tail board against the pin board and mark a line equal to the width of the tail board. The set your bit depth to just slightly over that line (this allows to DT to be slightly proud and can be planed or sanded smooth). This should allow for the thickness of the router base plate and the jig. Reverse the process when marking the tail board.

You said you're using a router table with the jig. I'm not familiar with the jig but would think the router should be hand held. Crude drawing but maybe it will help.
211066

[Bill Clark De]

let me try your drawing set up
thank you

[Rich Engelhardt]

I'm curious - did you get this to work?

I need to make a few dovetails & don't ant to sink a lot into a jig if I can avoid it.

[Dell Littlefield]

Rich, I have used the Stots jig and am satisfied with it. It takes a bit of fiddling to set up but I use it on the router table and get acceptable through dovetails with it. Half blind tails can be faked with a (false) front. Best features are: 1. CHEAP! 2. Using the template to make the jig allows a klutz like me to screw up and damage only the jig.