Laminate trimmer rather than full size router for Dovetail jigs????

[chris del]

I was wondering if anyone used a Laminate trimmer rather than a full size router for use with their dovetail jig? Enough power???

[pat warner]

Only for the smallest of cutters.

Routers (http://www.patwarner.com)

[Greg Koch]

chris...I had the same thought. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=38681

Greg

[Jim Becker]

I'm with Pat. Dovetailing is actually pretty intense work for the router as a "lot" of material needs to be removed all at once...you can't do a stepped cut. (This is exactly why it's easy to snap off a 1/4" shank dovetail cutter if you get too, umm...exuberant...when you are cutting with them)

For small boxes and little cutters, the trim router may be a good choice, but a regular fixed-base 10-12 amp router is my recommendation for dovetailing.

[tod evans]

i`ll jump in on the full sized router bandwagon and i perfer a "d" handle for freehand work...02 tod

[Kent Fitzgerald]

In addition to what others have said, trimmers seldom have any provision for dust collection.

Personally, my solution is to make dovetails on the router table, using an Incra jig.