New Product:  "The Accurate Guide" for Precise Dados and Sliding Dovetails

The hardest thing about starting a new product review is finding space in the shop — Yikes!!!    But Beth and I did a quick shuffling of projects and I will try to start this new product's review. It is the "Accurate Guide" from Accurate Woodworking Tools.   It is designed  to allow you to do the most accurate dados and sliding dovetails — so that is what I want to see.  To Beth, dados are brand new to her, so I decided to let her follow the instructions.
	The product is so new that it has models for most, popular routers. In my case, I decided I wanted to set it up for the Bosch 1613EVS. This is probably the router I have done the most manual dado work.    Beth is attaching the two fence posts that came with this model.
She now slides the jig onto the router.
	I explained to Beth that one way to cut dados is to use the router and a straight bit. I also explained that wood can be in so many different thicknesses, it is almost impossible to find a bit that will give a tight dado.    For an example, I showed Beth a piece of 3/4" stock and a 3/4" router bit. To her, it looked "real close."
To see just how close this bit would be, I had Beth set up the clamp to be a fence.
	Beth has installed the 3/4" straight cutter and has set the plunge depth to 3/8". She carefully keeps the router against the fence and makes the cut. The jig is riding against the fence but is not affecting the cut.
It's a nice dado, but it is about a thousandth too tight. After a few minutes of trying, Beth decides that we have to do something else. I explained that normally, I would just move the fence a "skosh" and try again. I also told her that all to often, the resulting dado was a bit too much and the fit sloppy.
	Beth has just installed the recommended bit for this jig. It is a down spiral 1/2" cutter. I personally would have thought an up-spiral would be better in that it would remove the sawdust from the dado as it goes. Maybe their thought is to have a down spiral so that the groove edges will be more crisp.
She has moved the fence to a clear area and makes the first pass with the "Accurate Guide" held against the fence. She gets a nice 1/2" dado that has good edges.
	This is an illustration from the Accurate Woodworking Tools website. It shows you how the Accurate Guide works. When you cut your shelf material, you cut off an inch or so extra to serve as guides.
Beth puts in place one of the scraps from this board. The two sides to the jig are pressured together by a small rubber band. Once in place, she tightens two knurled knobs to lock the jig.