Use Stots Template for half-blind dovetails

[Jerome Hanby]

Please forgive this question if I've missed something obvious. I just got my Stots Template Master and haven't had time to make my first template yet. Stots method of making a half-blind dovetail is to make a through dovetail then gluing a thin panel onto the front of the drawer to hide the dovetails.

I was wondering, if I just reduced the router bit height so that it was less than the thickness of the boards, wouldn't that give me shorter pins and tail sockets that didn't go through the "front" of the board?

I must be missing something. I'm sure someone would have posted about this someplace on the www. I'm mostly curious about what I'm overlooking.

[Jamie Buxton]

You could do what you say for the operation when you use a dovetail bit. However, for the other operation, where you use the straight bit, there's no easy way to prevent the bit from cutting all the way through the drawer front.

[Jerome Hanby]

There's the part I was missing, I wasn't considering having to switch to the straight bit. Guess I can quit being a cheapskate and buy a rig for half blinds.

Thanks for the insight!

[Jerome Hanby]

Still been thinking about this, here is my second idea. Still using the Stots jig.

Use only the tail jig. Setup boards the standard orientation for a half blind jig. Align the left side of the pin board (the one lying horizontal) 1/2" to the left of the pin board (the vertical board). Align the inner most recess on the tail jig so that it is 5/8" from the joint formed by the pin board - tail board junction. Cut both boards at once using the 1/2" dovetail with a 5/8" guide bearing.

If my math and observations are correct, wont this give me pins and sockets of the same uniform size with a starting socket that has a half socket spacing with a square edge to the left, something very similar to the right of the last socket (exact size would depend on the board width) and pins that match up?

I based this on a 1/2" thick pin board and a 3/4" socket board.

[Matt Benton]

Jerome,

I've been working on the same thing, only I've been making the templates from scratch. I really need to invest in Stots...

Anyway, this shows the jig I built. It is designed for 3/4" fronts and 1/2" sides, and cuts both boards at the same time on the router table. I had to incrementally adjust the template pin widths until I got what I needed.

The only problem is that the template pins are not the exact same width, so the tails and pins don't line up perfectly, but with the Stots you should be able to fix that.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=62007

[Jerome Hanby]

If mine works, I'll post some pictures and the dimensions. I'm thinking it's going to be a little too simple to allow much in the way of changing setups, so I'm planning to lock into half inch sides and three quarter fronts.