Making a dove tail dado

[Tim Wagner]

If I get a dovetailing bit for my router and cut the dado in a side panel for a drawer, how do I set up and figure out how much to remove from the male part? the tail? obviously I would have to make a cut on both sides and hope I don't remove too much.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Leigh jig makes it simple, or your router table and trial and error, with really small adjustments of the fence. Make a pass on both sides of your test board, which needs to be the same thickness as the good board, and adjust to widen or narrow the tail. Just make sure you don't change the depth between the housing and the tail. Make the joint a little looser than you would a dovetail joint, and make sure you trial fit. Really easy to get jamed up part way into assembly. Great joint in my opinion.

[Don Dorn]

Without changing the bit height, you simply need to start running one through on each side it until it fits, then do all the rest. Like most other good fitting joints, you have to sneak up on it.

[Michael Gibbons]

I'm with Don. Just don't make the female part too wide-like wider than the wood that will fit in it.. I'm assuming you have a router table. A fence with a micro-adjust would be ideal but you can do without it. Start with the bit just barely showing out past the fence then make a cut,test fit. If too tight, slide the fence back a smidge,cut test fit. Make sure to cut both sides before test fitting to insure that the assembly is even. When cutting the female part, set the router up to cut half the thickness, 3/8 deep on 3/4 material, then make sure the bit is 3/8 above the table when you cut the male part. Use scrap material to get the fit just right then use your final material.

[Jim Becker]

I use a table mounted router for the male part of a sliding dovetail and using scrap, "sneak" up on the correct setup. A 5/8" cutter is generally what I'll use for 3/4" material. And do remember to not make it too tight as it will be hard to slide into place with glue applied. Speaking of glue, if you are working with solid stock, you will only want to glue the first few inches toward the front of the piece to insure that you accommodate seasonal wood movement. Leave the rest to float...the dovetail will keep it secure.

[George Bregar]

I use a table mounted router for the male part of a sliding dovetail and using scrap, "sneak" up on the correct setup. A 5/8" cutter is generally what I'll use for 3/4" material. And do remember to not make it too tight as it will be hard to slide into place with glue applied. Speaking of glue, if you are working with solid stock, you will only want to glue the first few inches toward the front of the piece to insure that you accommodate seasonal wood movement. Leave the rest to float...the dovetail will keep it secure. Not sure what joint the OP is describing, but a sliding dovetail joint can be glued along it's length if grain orientation is the same...no issue with movement. In a cross grain situation, glueing just a few inches would be correct, but be sure that the two inches is "downstream" as you slide the joint, if it is at the entry point it will pull the glue.