Help w/ Dovetails on Jointech

[Sam Chambers]

I'm having a real problem when routing half-blind dovetails on my Jointech system. The sockets in my drawer fronts must be made with the board face down on the table. You then rout into the end grain to cut the sockets. Whenever I do this, the router bit grabs the piece and jerks it out of my hand, resulting in a nasty looking cut (not to mention my increased heart rate.)

I'm using a brand new, 1/2" 14-degree bit that I got from Jointech when I bought the system several years ago, and had not used until today.

I've tried slowing my feed rate down to a crawl, but it didn't help. Is my router speed too fast? Too slow? I'm routing into some very dry cherry, if that makes a difference. I really need to get my drawers done this weekend, and I could sure use some help here, gang.

[JayStPeter]

I know what you mean. I think the fence holddown featherboard is not optional in this case. It allows you to use both hands to push the piece into the fence. You'll eventually get used to just controlling the piece while it gets sucked into the bit toward the stop. Once the bit is through the end, you're back in control.

Jay

[Sam Chambers]

Thanks, Jay. I was using a Grr-Ripper to hold the piece down and in toward the fence. Tomorrow I'll try using both Jointech featherboards and see what happens. Thanks for the idea!

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

I've only fiddled with mine a couple times, but I'm not impressed at all with the Clincher thingy as a joinery machine...particularly if I have to clean up the machine cutting with a chisel or utility knife to make it work. For Box joints it appears to work with little fuss, but for dovetails, I'll use a dovetail jig.

I also broke not one, but TWO of the 'Jointech' straight bits that come in the boxed set within seconds of use.

KC

[JayStPeter]

Since you move the fence so much, I just use the fence mounted one when doing the fronts. A table mounted one would have to move for every tail.

KC, I've never used a chisel to clean up anything. You put a small rabbet on the drawer side to make up for the round nose slots. That said, I don't blame you for wanting to use a dedicated DT jig instead. I will buy a nice DT jig eventually as the Jointech doesn't really work well for large drawers anyway. I'm working on hand cut first, the we'll see.
The "free" jointech bits are worth less than they cost. I've had the carbide disinegrate on two of them so far. I expect that box will hit the trash soon. The free set is definitely negative advertising as I'll never buy a bit from Jointech. The Whiteside Incra/Jointech bit set has held up well.

Jay

[John Lucas]

I wouldnt use the holddowns. They will reduce the area that your Gripper will have. I have to ask the very basic: you are coming into the bit from the right arent you. Sorry, I had to ask that. Your cut should be smooth. I like the Gripper but you have to be set it so that all the rubber feet are on the workpiece AND that a stopper is on the back side. I dont know the correct name for a "stopper" but the piece of plastic or wood that is on the back end that positively catches the workpiece and keeps it from kicking back.http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/62689-is2.jpg
This image is from a website but shows the yellow back piece that is a positive catch. If your gripper doesnt have this or it cant catch the board you are routing, you are going to have to keep very positive control of the piece.
Even bad bits will let you cut without jerking out of hand...may burn a bit but not jerk out. SOmething is wrong with setup if that happens. That said, do get a high quality bit...it just makes better DTs.

[Sam Chambers]

Jay & John:

The fence mounted featherboard and Grr-Ripper setup worked fine. I did sometihing a little unorthodox, thoug. I stood the Grr-Ripper on its side and used it to push against the fence. The combination of the downward force of the featherboard, plus 260 pound of yours truly pushing against the fence and slowly advancing the piece gave me positive control. It burned, but no grabbing an no tearout.

I did discover something on the first drawer. The symmetry was off enough that I had to glue a thin piece on to the drawer side and trim it down to fit. I discovered that my router bit that was supposed to be 1/2" wasn't. It was about 0.47", and that was enough to screw with the automatice centering doohicky on the Clincher. Not a big deal, but aggravating.

KC: The only joint made with the Clincher you should have to trim by hand is a through dovetail. Just the nature of the beast. If you're trimming half blind dovetails, something isn't right.

As I said, this was my first attempt at making dovetails with my Clincher. I found the most aggravating part of ths process was getting the bit height set absolutely right. That took forever, mainly because my router (Freud FT2000E) likes to rise up just a bit when I tighten the clamp, and it never seems to go up the same amount. There's a very fine line between too loose and too tight with this jig, but eventually I got it right and am very happy with the results.

[JayStPeter]

I've never had much luck with the autocentering. I use the old fashioned Incra method ... that's take a scrap rout it , flip, repeat until it lines up exactly.
You also have to be real anal about ensuring that everything is square. Fence to table, sled to fence & sled to table.

Jay

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

Maybe I missed something...I just re-read the instructions the other day and thought it mentioned 'trimming' the half-blind also. My bad. :(

[Sam Chambers]

You also have to be real anal about ensuring that everything is square. Fence to table, sled to fence & sled to table.
Yeah, and mine's even worse, since I have the Jointech Saw Train. I also have to make sure my rails are parallel (in both planes), and that both of my extension tables are coplanar with my saw table.

[Andrew Ault]

Sam,

I just read that you had the Grr-Ripper on it's side? That's doesn't sound good to me. And I don't think a feather board would work very well, if I understand what you are doing. As I understand the operation, the stock is advanced along the fence into the bit and a stop on the fence and then backed away from the bit when the cut has been made. And that you are indexing the fence to position the stock for each pin.

To me, one function of a feather board is to help prevent backward movement of stock, so I guess I don't understand the operation as this would make it hard to pull the stock back from the bit after the cut. I would think that the Grr-Ripper by itself used in it's normal handle up position could be used to hold the stock down and against the fence.

As John mentioned, the stock must be feed into the bit so the stock is being pushed into the fence, not away from it - from the right of the bit.

-Andy

[Sam Chambers]

Andy:

As far as the use of the Grr-Ripper, that's what I thought too, and that was what I did at the beginning. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to control the stock and the bit grabbed it as I advanced it into the bit. By turning it on its side, I was able to provide maximum pressure against the fence, while maintaining control of the forward movement of the stock.

You're right that one traditional function of a featherboard is to prevent the board from moving backward. However, the Jointech featherboard is made from HDPE plastic, which is pretty slick stuff, and it wasn't too hard to move the stock back out of the cut. (For that matter, I could have just shut the router off when I reached the end of the cut, then removed the featherboard, if that was a problem.) Iin this application, it's main function was to hold the workpiece firmly down on the table, and it did that very well.

And yes, I was feeding the stock from the correct direction.