Any way to make a dovetail with a router and no table?

[Brian Sommers]

I want to use a router, probably a trim router and a dovetail bit.

How would you do it if you didn't have a router table? You would be holding the router on top.

There's got to be some sort of jig for this?

[Dave Cullen]

Google "dovetail jig". There's lots of them.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Porter-Cable-12-in-Dovetail-Jig-4212/100609458?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-BASE-PLA-D25T-PowerTools%7c&gclid=CMrQu7HcxcsCFYI9gQodnwUGNA&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Bruce Page]

There's also a lot of videos on it.

[J.R. Rutter]

probably a trim router and a dovetail bit.

You can probably get by with that going slow and careful, but it is kind of a big cut with a long bit for a trim router.

[Chris Padilla]

You can probably get by with that going slow and careful, but it is kind of a big cut with a long bit for a trim router.

I think that is a disaster in the making. The question tells me the [OP] doesn't have much ww'ing experience.

Brian, you've already gotten excellent advice...there are TONS of jigs out there for doing exactly what you want. Your next question is bound to be:

Which is the best dovetail jig? LOL :) My first question would be: What is the project...tell us what you want to build and we can go from there.

[Javed Akhtar]

Dovetail jigs for routers always operate without a table, with the router on top. You'll want to re-think using a trim router though - these little routers are handy for trimming and edge routing, but are not really suited to deep joinery cuts. Especially with a long bit.

[Wade Lippman]

Dovetail jigs for routers always operate without a table, with the router on top.

Not true; there are several that work with tables. I have a Leigh and find it much easier than the router on top.


You'll want to re-think using a trim router though - these little routers are handy for trimming and edge routing, but are not really suited to deep joinery cuts. Especially with a long bit.

That's true for sure.

[Javed Akhtar]

Ah, I stand corrected. I'm mostly a hand-cut dovetail guy, so my experience with jigs is somewhat limited.


Not true; there are several that work with tables. I have a Leigh and find it much easier than the router on top.



That's true for sure.

[Brian Sommers]

I'm an extreme newbie. I've been doing this for only two months. I have a Dewalt 618PK. I'll just use that.

I'm seriously contemplating sawing by hand. However one Lie Nelson dovetail saw is almost as much as that jig.

Ill be be making decorative boxes. Small side tables with drawers.

[Davis Young]

Don't worry about the saw. At the College of the Redwoods, the dovetail saw of choice is from Zona (less than $10 from a hobby store) and the folks there have been known to pump out decent pieces of furniture from time to time.

[Brian Sommers]

Now I see that there is a pro version of the jig for another $50... anyone have the comparison of the two?

[lowell holmes]

I'm an extreme newbie. I've been doing this for only two months. I have a Dewalt 618PK. I'll just use that.

I'm seriously contemplating sawing by hand. However one Lie Nelson dovetail saw is almost as much as that jig.

Ill be be making decorative boxes. Small side tables with drawers.

The LN dovetail saw does much more than cut dovetails. The first quality saw I purchased was one. It opened my eyes about what saws could do.

I have a Leigh jig that has not been used for years, more than five. I don't remember the last time I used it.

OBTW, quality saws have a way of multiplying. If you buy one, you will end up with 5 or 6 or 7 . . . . . .

[william watts]

I'm an extreme newbie. I've been doing this for only two months. I have a Dewalt 618PK. I'll just use that.

I'm seriously contemplating sawing by hand. However one Lie Nelson dovetail saw is almost as much as that jig.

Ill be be making decorative boxes. Small side tables with drawers.


Dovetails can be cut fine with a less expensive saw. Good dovetails can be cut with a little practice and you will have a new skill instead of a new router and jig , much better. Practice standard joints first not the fancy ones with tiny pins or those " London style " it really doesn't take a lot of practice. Handcut dovetails are perfect joints for small drawers.
Bill

[Stan Calow]

You can do them on the bandsaw too. Or a mix of power and hand tools.
I have a Peachtree jig for the router (which I prefer), and trim router just will not allow you to extend the bit far enough to cut as deep as you need to.

[Chris Hachet]

Ah, I stand corrected. I'm mostly a hand-cut dovetail guy, so my experience with jigs is somewhat limited.

Hand cut is really not that hard, and is a nice skill to have.

[Chris Hachet]

I'm an extreme newbie. I've been doing this for only two months. I have a Dewalt 618PK. I'll just use that.

I'm seriously contemplating sawing by hand. However one Lie Nelson dovetail saw is almost as much as that jig.

Ill be be making decorative boxes. Small side tables with drawers.

That is a really nice dovetail saw, and the one I use. However, as others have pointed out, a cheap Zona or Japanese saw can work well also.

My advice would be to build a sturdy bench with a simple vice. Does not have to be pretty, just sturdy. Google Bob and Dave's good, fast cheap bench....or the Nicholson woodworking bench popular woodworking recently ran. Both easily do able for a newbie with moderate mechanical skills.

Dovetail issues when cutting by hand I find run into three categories...work holding, marking, and cutting. When you make mistakes, cutting by hand....figure which category your mistake falls into.

You will need a couple of decent cheap chsiels, I myself like the blue Handled Maprles/Irwin chisels for cheapies.

If you are going to spend any $ at all hand cutting dove tails, I would suggest a couple of decent water stones and a honing guide. You will want sharp chisels to pare with.

If you are going to get a dovetail Jig, the Porter Cable 4212 is hard to beat. You will need a router with a 1/2 inch collet to use this jig. Since you are into making boxes, there is an accessory to this jig for cutting smaller dovetails that is quite sweet.

The ability to do both is really helpful, IMHO. I recently built a small bedside table for my teenaged daughter. Being able to dovetail the top rail between the front two legs made the table much sturdier, and cutting dovetails by hand was probably simpler than setting up the jig.

For something like building an 8 drawer dresser or kitchen cabinets, being able to cut a lot of dovetails fast is really nice.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Javed Akhtar]

Hand cut is really not that hard, and is a nice skill to have.

Agree - I did buy a cheap jig on a whim years ago but it has sat untouched. Hand cutting is meditative and enjoyable. Not to start a hand-cut vs. machine-cut war - both options yield very nice results and strong joints.

To the OP: you don't necessarily need the pricey LN saw - for years I was cutting dovetails using a cheap Home Depot backsaw. I now have the Veritas molded-spine dovetail saw, which is still considerably cheaper than the LN. The LN is a very nice saw indeed, but there are lots of other options out there that will give you good results. Just my $0.02.

[Jerry Olexa]

Get a DT jig.....

[Brian Sommers]

I've taken your advice. I ordered the two saw set, the Veritas 20tpi and the crosscut. I do want to learn to do them by hand. So, I'm looking forward to when they get hear and I can begin.

[Chris Padilla]

Excellent, Brian. You ought to head over to the Neander (Hand Tool) section and they can help you further. There are also plenty of videos on YouTube! Good Luck!

[Javed Akhtar]

That's great! Looking forward to seeing the results!

[Kelly Cleveland]

I think even the most inexperienced neanderthal would have better results with hand cut joints.

[Scott Cenicola]

I recently delved into hand cut dovetails. YouTube is your friend, I think this video is one of the best

https://youtu.be/vM4lRyX0pHk

Good luck, it's a lot of fun!

[Chris Hachet]

Get a DT jig.....

Again, I find it really hlepful to do things both ways. There really is a time and a place for each.