Ok, I’m lost. Bought this cheap harbor fright dovetail jig to make the box and boxes for the tube tester. What size dovetail bits do I use. Apparently, it’s not a 1/2” 15* bit. Wood thickness is 1/2”. Watched several youtube vids but still clueless to what size bits.
The bit typically used on 1/2” 1/2 blind dovetail jigs is a 1/2” 14º bit.
Freud makes an extra long one (to clear the template) just for this, pn#22-124.
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Top of page 3 under “specifications”
Router Requirements:
1/4" Collet, 7" max Base,
7/16" Template Guide (sold separately)
Router Dovetail Bit:
Ø1/4" Shank, Ø1/2" x14° (sold separately)
Page 7 shows the bit depth setup.
I’m pretty sure most router bit sets include one of these dovetail bits.
The 7/16" guide from this set may work depending on your router setup.
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Have a 1/4” shaft, 1/2” 15* dovetail bit. Using a similar router guideplate guide set. Found an .stl file for a dewalt base that the templates guides can mount. Dovetail jig manual says 9/16” stickout router base to bit tip. No way can the stickout be set to 9/16” using the 1/4” guide in the router template guide kit. Tried the next size up router guide, 5/16”, but the stickout on the guide itself is longer than the dovetail jig guideplate on the jig is thick, causing the tip of the router guide to hit the wood and prevent the router from following the dovetail jig.
Only 1* difference sounds my current bit should work. Guess I could modify the larger 5/16” router guide by grinding down the protrusion(circled) till it clears the dovetail jig guideplate. That also might get the bit to router dept down to 9/16” as the manual suggests.
The 1/4” router guide is the only piece that has a protrusion the same or shorter than the thickness of the dovetail jig allowing the router to cleanly follow it. All other sizes stick out further than the dovetail jig is thick. Maybe my router guide template set is made for dovetail jigs with thicker dovetail guides?
Protrusion on the router guide is longer than the dovetail jig guide and sticks out into the work piece preventing the router from following the guide.
Manual says to use 7/16" guide so I’m a bit confused there. I think the guide collar should basically fit between the template cutout “teeth” with little to no side-to-side play?
If the collared section is too long, grinding it down just enough to clear the wood I imagine should be fine. For “universal fit” they probably intentionally make the collar long as material can always be removed to fit your specific router plate install depth and guide thickness.
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The play really has nothing to do with the fitting of the pieces as long as all the slots are equal.
I didn’t even know you needed a bushing to use a dovetail jig. My impression was that the bit shaft would ride the jig dims, but the non centering may allow for cutting to breach adjacent dovetail cuts. If you use a pattern bit instead, this becomes a box joint, and no longer has the problem.
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Grind down the length of the 7/16” OD template guide, that is the one you need to use.
Cut it down with a dremel. Works now along with the printed router base plate.
Never got a good clean fit of the wood pieces. About the harbor freight jig; 1) the template bows up way too much. Cannot clamp the wood light enough to keep the template from bowing or the wood slips. At times I could push down on the router, the template would settle down, and the bit would cut deeper into the wood. No way I could keep that cut the same every time. 2) It will not hold 1/2” thick wood.
Should have went with the porter-cable jig but it was another $100.
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