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Now the
"through dovetails." I must say that I had real trepidation about making these
on this jig. For one, I didn't know how a single dovetail bit could cut both tails and
pins. After all, the jigs I have experience with used a dovetail bit and a straight bit.
Reading the instructions, at first, didn't help. "Whittling" as the last
step seemed to defeat the purpose of such a precision jig. Maybe this jig really isn't
meant for this joint.
I was very wrong. It is as easy to make through dovetails as it is any of the
other joints...and as accurate. And the "whittling" required is to remove a very
small protrusion...no skill required. Happily I stand corrected.
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Again, I start by looking through the
template pages. This time I note the stock thickness for the "through"
dovetails. Here I find a template for the 1/2-inch stock I am using and one that uses a
dovetail bit I have.
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Setting the router depth is the same as for blind
dovetails. You set first by the "approx. depth of cut" listed in the template.
Then cut the tests and put them together and adjust accordingly. This adjustment is unique
to this method but will quickly be easy to repeat. It does make for very exact joints.
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The sides get tails cut exactly the
same way as for half-blind dovetails.
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The end board pins are cut in three
steps: the first step is to cut the pins exactly like the sides (tails) were cut but using
the "B" settings.
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Now to the second cut. You set
the Incra Stop so that the dovetail cutter just cuts to the baseline of the earlier cuts.
Then you use the holddown pad and make the "B" cuts with the end piece flat on
the table, as shown.
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The third cut is simply to
remove a tiny nib that is left from the first two cuts. I used a chip carving knife to
remove it in one simple stroke. Absolutely no carving skill is required. A chisel or
utility knife could be as easily used.
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The final box with four very tight
through dovetails. As I said at teh outset, I was very skeptical about doing this
joint with only the one bit...and the carving step caused me to wonder—but not
now. I frankly don't quite understand how it does it using only the dovetail bit, but
it does—and that is good enough for me.
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So here is that first picture again. Three strong,
accurate and beautiful joints. For any one about to use the Incra Jig, I strongly
recommending taking on the task in the exact same order I did them. There are a lot of
steps. No one step is difficult. Leave any one step out and you will have trouble. The
instructions are well written and clearly illustrated. Follow them and you will have
success.
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That is the end of this section. There
are two things I have to do with the Incra Jig:
1) Get to work and make the drawers for the 18 drawer mini-chest. Bethany has
promised to help and she wants to learn the Incra Jig methods so I will photograph her
learning; and
2) Use this great jig to make wide joints, such as a blanket chest. There are
several things for me to work out but I plan to make it work and to use an even different
joint variation—stay tuned.
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