You dont need a $2000 CNC to cut perfect dovetails

I spent 3 years avoiding dovetails because my hand-cut ones looked like garbage. Bought a cheap 60 dollar jig from a pawn shop and dialed it in over a weekend. Has anyone else found a solid jig that doesnt break the bank?

2 comments

2 Comments

jenkins.reese23d ago

My Sears Craftsman jig from 1988 (found at a garage sale for 15 bucks) actually cuts tighter joints than my buddy's fancy Leigh model. The secret is swapping the stock bushings for 1/2 inch router bits instead of the tiny 1/4 inch ones they expect you to use. A little setup time and some cheap bits beat a thousand dollar machine any day, especially when you peen the pins with a hammer for that old-school look.

gavin69223d ago

Start by calling out that old school peening trick you mentioned. How exactly do you peen the pins without splitting the wood on thinner stock like 1/2 inch walnut? I tried it once with a ball peen hammer and cracked three test pieces before giving up. Did you grind the pins down first with a file or just go straight to hammering?