Question for Akeda owners

[Paul Ziegler]

I just purchased this dovetail jig and have a question about the width restrictions of the workpieces. The manual suggests that the width should be in increments of 1/8" to match the 1/8" spacing provided on the guide rail. However, if I wanted to work in 1/16" work piece resolution, couldn't I used a 1/32" spacer between the work piece and the side rail to aid in positioning?

For example, suppose I wanted to make a drawer that is 3 15/16" wide instead of one that is 4" wide. The difference of 1/16" should be divided equally between the top and bottom of the drawer (or left and right of the drawer as you view it in the jig). Thus, the need for a 1/32" spacer. That would make each of the half pins slightly smaller(by 1/32") but I have no problem with that. Has anyone used this approach or am I missing something obvious? Or is there a better way to handle pieces that aren't exact increments of 1/8"? Thanks.

[Jim Becker]

Try it, Paul. I could be wrong, however, but I believe that the Akeda really does expect things in 1/8" increments relative to drawer sizes to "keep things simple". I think I remember that from a demo way back when it was originally introduced to the world at shows and prior to the factory fire that caused a pause in availability...a few years ago, in other words.

[Mark Valsi]

Paul,

I'm interested in Jim's suggestion.

Give it a try and let us know the test results.

GOOD LUCK

mark

[CPeter James]

You can make them any width you want, just remember that you have lefts and rights and cut them on opposite sides of the jig. The 1/16" will be lost or added to either the top or bottom, you choice, that is you can make it 3/16 rather that 1/8. This is what is do when I make drawers that have the fronts a half inch taller than the sides.

CPeter

http://members.localnet.com/~cpjvkj/drawers.jpg

[Paul Ziegler]

I guess I was proposing that the 1/16" difference be split equally between the top and bottom of the drawer (as opposed to CPeter's method of placing the entire difference at one end or the other). My reason for doing this would be to maintain the symmetry of the layout. That is why I think it would work with a 1/32" spacer between the drawer edge and side rail to evenly distribute the "missing" or "extra" 1/16" (depending on whether you are a glass half empty or glass half full person).

I'll give it a try this weekend and report back.

[Allen Bookout]

Paul,

Did you try out the spacer idea. If so how did it work and what did you use for a spacer. I have run into the same problem and thought that I was OK because the width was 2 5/8 inches but cannot center the two dovetails that I was going to use. One half of 2 and 5/8 is 1 and 5/16 so I suppose that is the important thing (1/16th instead of 1/8th). I wish that they had listed the exact size measurements that would work however it would not have mattered in this case. The sides and front and back are just too narrow to leave more space either at the top or bottom to look good I feel.

The only thing that I can think of for a spacer is a 1/16th inch thick piece of aluminum. Bend it ninety degrees and attach it with some double sided tape maybe. One for the top and one for the bottom. Any better ideas?

I have not used the jig before so I was just going to try it out to see how it worked. You experienced Akeda user will not believe how dumb I was (dumb and dumber I feel like). The unit is shipped with the clamp bar screwed all the way in. I kept putting in the wood and clamping it to the front of the unit. The tail guides would not reach over the 3/4 in think wood and the dovetail bit would not slide along the front. It caused me a lot of emotional distress and I did a lot of proclaiming, to put it mildly, that I was going to throw it in the trash before I FINALLY figured out that I needed to move the clamp bar to the front and then clamp toward the back.

I now see that they have a video and I would have ordered it had I known at the time. Would have saved some growing pains I suppose.

If anyone has fabricated a spacer that works I would like to have your input. Also if it made the outside edges too small or if it was OK.

Thanks!

Allen

[Allen Bookout]

See above post as to where I am now.

I was trying to come up with a good idea for a 1/16" spacer and just happened to measure the thickness of my double sided tape and it was exactly 1/16 of an inch. I did not peel off the double sided covering but just stuck it to the frame peice that you push the board up against. It worked to perfection. The first photo is of the jig with the tape installed. I think that I got the tape from Woodcraft if you have a hard time finding the correct thickness. The second photo shows the symmetry of the dovetail created with the spacer installed. The pencil mark is exactly in the center of the board.

So Paul, It looks to me that for sure your problem will be solved by using a 1/32nd spacer as you suggested.

Click on thumbnail to enlarge.

[Paul Ziegler]

Sorry for not posting the results of my spacer test earlier. The idea worked fine, as Allen has also proven (and with pictures, no less). I used a 1/32" scrap of wood as the spacer. It might be nice to have something that could be applied without requiring 3 hands. I was thinking a piece of think metal stock that I could bend into an L that would stay in position while I clamp the board in place. At any rate, the 1/8" "limitation" of the Akeda jig has been overcome.

[Jim Becker]

Allan and Paul, thanks for testing this theory. That gives you a way to properly center your dovetail arrangement on the boards, even when they are not in exact 1/8" increments. Question...this doesn't alter the dovetail sizing, however...does it? Don't the fingers still click in on the 1/8" marks? (I'm just curious about this)

[Allen Bookout]

...this doesn't alter the dovetail sizing, however...does it? Don't the fingers still click in on the 1/8" marks? (I'm just curious about this)

Jim,

That is correct. You can alter the size but only in 1/8" increments. No way around that one I do not believe.

Looks like your D4 still has it beat on that account as well as total width.

Allen

[Jim Becker]

Looks like your D4 still has it beat on that account as well as total width.
It's not a competition, at least for me. I just like to fully understand how something like this works so that when I open my trap to answer a question in the future, I can be accurate. Paul's and your testing with this shims is really good information...and the first time that I have seen that someone actually tried to address the "uneven" stock size/height issue. I find that much more important than minute variation in dovetail size as it's critical to proportion/symmetry. Drawers and other components will never always be in even sizes when mathematical proportion comes into play...and the human eye is pretty amazing in picking out something that is out-of-kilter in that respect.