A dovetail joint is used to join the corners of boxes, drawers and cabinets. Dovetails are both strong and decorative, but cutting them by hand is difficult. A dovetailing machine comes in handy, saving you time and frustration. A special dovetail machine can guide a router to make perfect dovetail cuts in wood. Here's how to use it to create a dovetail joint: Materials:
Wooden work pieces
Pencil
Dovetail machine
Router
Dovetail router bit
Template guide for router
Wood glue
- Line up the pieces of wood as they will look in the final assembly. Clearly mark each piece of wood to indicate the top, the bottom, the front and the back. This will prevent confusion when you're fitting the pieces together.
- Load the first piece of wood underneath the dovetail machine with its front facing up (figure A). Only about 1" of the wood should protrude beyond the crevices of the dovetail machine. Pull the lever on the dovetail machine to secure the wood.
- Attach the dovetail bit to the router. Attach a template guide to the base of the router, surrounding the dovetail bit (figure B).
- Use the router to cut inside the crevices of the dovetail machine (figure C). Make sure the template guide makes contact with the templates on the machine.
- Repeat steps 2 through 4 for the second piece of wood, feeding it into the dovetail machine with its bottom side facing up.
- Apply a small amount of wood glue inside the joints, and join the two pieces of wood. If the dovetail cuts do not permit a perfect fit, use a small chisel or sandpaper to remove debris or wood from the crevices.
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