Dovetail jigs come in different forms, but essentially a jig is a device which holds timber in a vertical position so that each joint can be cut with a router.
There are two forms of box making jigs on the market…
[1] the jig with a template attached to the underside of a jig body. The timber is clamped to the side of the body. The wood worker then takes the jig to the table-mounted router to clean out the negative spaces. Dovetail templates will use specific router bits, to cut dovetails on two sides, and pins on the other two sides. Small finger joint templates and large finger joint templates will use only one small or one large spiral cutter to cut all sides. This jig style is simple, safe and easy to use.
[2] the second most common form of jig, is one where the jig and timber are held in a vertical position. The wood worker then takes the router to the jig to clean out the negatives spaces. This method requires care when handling a router with high speed rotating router bit.
Joined together, the two sides form a dovetail joint that is strong and durable. When you follow a few simple instructions, a dovetail jig will deliver precise joints every time.
Some jigs cut finger joints; others can cut half-blind joints, mitred-blind, or through dovetails and through finger joints. The strongest of these is the through dovetail joint.
The dovetail jig helps the woodworker to easily make dovetail or finger joints when constructing boxes and furniture items. It’s only limited by your imagination!
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