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Many months ago, I
made a carrier board with a guide that fits into this router table's miter slot. It works
very well on short lengths like this to edge joint even wood with a curve. Beth is
using it now to clamp one of the pieces to be edged. She is using her fingers to set the
board just over the edge of the carrier board. The carrier board was trimmed with this
router bit, so she knows exactly where the new cut will be.
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Making the cut is easy,
fast and safe.
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The freshly jointed boards
are as smooth and tight as you can get.
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With the good side against
the fence, Beth rips the boards to final width.
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She has set the Incra
2000 miter gauge in the track and is marking where her crosscuts should be.
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After making one cut
on each of the boards to make them square, Beth has placed a stop block in position so
that all pieces will be matching lengths.
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Beth has used some CA
glue to "tack" the joint together. Since the Kehoe Jig can be used with butt or
mitered pieces, I thought that we would try the butt first — just to see how it would
look. It certainly is easier.
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Beth holds the Kehoe
Jig in position. She centers it on the joint and sees that she will be able to fit 3
dovetails on the 5 1/2" width stock,
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Beth has installed a
dovetail bit with a 5/8" bearing and has adjusted the router depth of cut so that the
bearing is firmly against the jig's plastic fingers. Any dovetail bit can be used. I
selected one that would be long enough to be proportionate to the 3/4" wood. It looks
slender like an 8o or 9o angle. It doesn't matter. When we cut the
keys, we will tilt the blade to the angle that matches the cut.
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The Kehoe Jig comes with a
bar that fastens to the jig and serves to hold the jig in place. I opted to use a number
of clamps to hold the jig and the boards in place.
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I get to make the first
cut. I have rested the router plate on the Kehoe Jig and simply guide the router down the
fingers and then back up. Even on this angle, it is an easy cut to make. The slot is
slightly wider at the entry point than at the bottom, so I routed down the right side and
then up the left. This slight difference gives the cut a one degree slot. Placing a one
degree wedge in the slot allows you to tighten the key by tapping it in place — which
pulls the joint together .
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What an easy way to make a
dovetail joint — in appearance anyway. I have placed a couple of keys I had made from
cocobola but they were at 14o. I will measure the angle and make new ones for
next time. I also will break apart this joint and miter the ends and then add the keys.
That should look snazzy. That's next time.
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