shaper cutter for rabbeted dovetail

[David Scheckman]

I've been looking for a shaper cutter, preferably an insert cutter, that will cut a rabbet with a 14 degree shoulder. (Could probably be anything between 10 and 20 degrees.) I've not been able to find anything that comes close. I'm experimenting with changing my drawer box construction from routed dovetails to a screwed rabbeted dovetail. I can swing a big 1 1/4" cutter on an SCMI 110 shaper. Looking to find a shaper rather then router solution to drawer box construction. I'm not interested in lock miter. Any suggestions on cutters welcome.
Thanks,
David

[Peter Quinn]

I don't think a shaper is capable of creating a sliding dovetail, wrong rotation. You could probably set up to do the pins on the backs and front of the sides, but I see no way a shaper can do the tails. It has to come through the work, try to draw what you are asking for, I may be confused but think it's impossible.

[Bill Adamsen]

Are you thinking a drawer like this? Would require a cutter with a point (not a tilting rabbet).

[Mark Bolton]

I will echo Peter's reply. If your thinking of running a dovetail (sliding/or single) instead of a dado you cant do it on a shaper. As peter mentioned, either draw, or envision, the cut. Its not physically possible. For single sided you'd have to plow the dado with router or TS and then route the dovetail.

[David Scheckman]

I wasn't thinking sliding dovetail, although its one of my favorite ways to join wood. We used to use it a lot for traditional 4 piece drawer construction but have moved to 5 piece for all but the most custom casework. I was referring to a rabbeted or 1/2 dovetail rather then full housed dovetail. See photos below. I think with the right cutter this would be a piece of cake on the shaper.


300495300496

[David Kumm]

Couldn't you just have inserts made and get what you want? Dave

[David Scheckman]

What kind of inset head would work? I was hoping for a head with a stock carbide cutter. I thought an adjustable bevel head might work but it wouldn't be quite right and it looks like they might not be sharpened on top so only for putting a bevel on an edge not for rabbeting.

[Mark Bolton]

Makes more sense. I was thinking housed. Perhaps Magic Molder and http://magicmolder.com/products/profiles/n005.html ?

[David Kumm]

I would discuss with tooling people like Schmidt or Woodworker Tool Works. 60 degree corrugated HSS or similar on a steel head. Use with a feeder. I would not want to feed by hand. Dave

[Peter Quinn]

Check the Freeborne catalogue. Page 20, door edge details, door back cutter PC 17-184 would do something very much like what you want, though you would have to run reverse rotation and feed left to right or pay the 20% premium and order it in reverse rotation. My dealer sells these for around $160. They also have another above it that makes a deeper projection. I haven't found another stock cuter that really does what you are asking. I'd consider just using a drawer lock cutter, stronger than a rabbit/dovetail which is basically a butt joint, and takes pretty much the same set up time minus any pinning you would have to do for the rabbit joint. I guess if you put brass pins in like in the picture its a pretty substantial joint, but otherwise what is the purpose? Are people fooled into thinking they have dovetail drawers by this? Simply aesthetic? I guess clamping would be a bit easier with the dovetail as it forces the two pieces together rather than allowing them to wander.

[David Scheckman]

My thinking, as compared to 1/2 blind dovetails with omnijig which is what I do now and have done many hundreds of :
Faster
Plenty strong, screwed and glued, no clamping, dovetail pulls corner together when screwed, adds glue surface and is oriented to counteract forces of drawer pull.
Little glue clean up time, less, almost no sanding
With accurate machining will align easier then simple rabbet, will draw together when screwed
Shaper rather then router, more pleasant for me, better dust collection
I've always been a dovetail guy, sliding, through, half blind and lots of hand cut dovetails of many kinds. I'm focusing these days on refining my procedures for both efficiency (within my shop setup and resources) and to some extent my comfort. I'm not sold on the rabbeted dovetail for drawer boxes but want to try it for a few projects. I find the lock miter unappealing, just my personal prejudice .

[Vince Shriver]

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