Help with lee valley dovetail guide

[Tom Gattiker]

Anyone using this DT guide successfully?

I am referring to the jig. It clamps on the board to guide the saw (& has a magnet). It is Item number 05T02.01 and/or 05T02.02.The product name is actually "dovetail saw guide" but it is not the thing that you use just to trace layout lines.

The instructions are not clear as to where you should position the guide with respect to the hashmarks on the work piece. Cover the line? Just touching the line, but not covering it? Split the line? Is this the same for the pin board and the tail board. Also which side of the board to you attach the jig to when cutting the pins (inside face or outside face).

For the pin board the instr say place the guide "right on the mark". Does this mean split the mark?

Note, instead of laying out the DT's and pins as with hand cut dovetails, the instructions for this jig instruct you to make hash marks simultaneously accross both boards. Since the procedure is (I think) unique to this jig, I would really like to hear from someone who is actually using the jig.

Thanks.

[Donnie Raines]

Tom, are you referring to the guide that allows you to trace the correct angle for the dovetail -or- is this a "jig" that you allow the saw to ride on that gives you the correct angle?

DonnieR

[Tom Gattiker]

Donnie
I am referring to the jig. It clamps on the board to guide the saw (& has a magnet). It is Item number 05T02.01 and/or 05T02.02.The product name is actually "dovetail saw guide" but it is not the thing that you use just to trace layout lines.

Thanks for pointing out the confusion

Tom

[Mark Singer]

Tom,
It shouln't matter because you will still scribe the "tails " from the "pins" so if your scribing is accurate it will transfer to the mating piece. The jig is designed to hold the blade at the proper angle and that will help the fit if your careful. For general wood working you cut on the "waste side of the scribed line, so the blade thickness is within the waste. That is a key principle to all well fitting joinery and is the case here once you transfer the scribed pins or tails whichever you cut first. I cut the pins first but it is preference. When you chop the waste do one side to about half way then flip the board and do the other. Hold the chisel a bit out of vertical to "undercut" this will insure that the surface of the joint is tight with a slight glue void internally. Once you use the jig...try it without...I am not sure it helps that much