Cutting dovetails in thick stock with router

[Aaron Liebling]

I generally like to cut my dovetails by hand, but for a nightstand project, I'd like to do half blind dovetails on the router with my incra ls position. Until now, I've only used it with comparatively thin stock (1/2"-5/8") with which it did a beautiful job. For this project, the stock is 1" thick.

The bit height with be 3/4" and that seems like an awfully big cut to be taking in one go. Unfortunately, I don't think there's any way to take smaller cuts for dovetails, is there?

Any advice on cutting such large dovetails on a router table? Don't do it?


Thanks!

[Jamie Buxton]

Can you remove waste with a straight bit? You can make deeper and deeper cuts with the straight bit, so you're not removing much material with each pass. When you get most of the waste out of there, you can switch to the dovetail bit.

[Aaron Liebling]

Great idea Jamie. I can and will. It will give me more confidence in doing the cuts

[Bill Dufour]

I use a 1/4 carbide endmill to hog out most of the waste. For that deep leave one in a spare router a fraction shallow. Use another in a different router and cut 1/3 of the depth per pass.
The used endmills are much cheaper then a official wood cutting version and for this a resharp diameter is close enough. Get two flute and /or aluminum cutting solid carbide spiral upcut.
Note: Most endmills are upcut and clockwise but be careful CCW are not uncommon.
No double ended!
Bill D.