[allthunbs]

Hi Guys, I'm new to this forum so you'll have to bear with me. I bought a General/Samona dovetail jig and like some of you the results have been frustrating and full of expletives.

I went online and searched dovetail jigs and came up with a list a mile long. One of the things I discovered is that a lot of the jigs are functionally identical so I downloaded and read manuals. Their setup was identical, only a few features were different one to the next. Porter Cable was one of the better manuals albeit the jig was substantially more expensive than the functionally identical General/Samona/ShopFox.

One of the things I discovered is the crucial measurement: that is the depth of the router bit. Change it 1/64th at a time! Secondly, dedicate one router to that bit, adjust it and never change it. That means if your dovetail joint is blind between 1/2" plywood and 3/8" plywood, you do the setup for that joint, label the router and never use it for anything else. If you have to do a 3/8" into 3/4", get another router. I pick up used routers in garage sales and rummage sales. Stay away from the offerings in flee markets (at least in my area - Ontario) they sit for years in the dust and dirt, only to be charged a small fortune (because they're old.)

 

[allthunbs]

"You can do it.....the setup is half the fun. Good luck,"

I noticed how short your message was. When do we have "half the fun" before or after I tear out the other half of my hair. Besides, gimme a break. I'm trying to dream up an excuse to buy another router. Convincing my wife is not easy. You just blew a hole in my entire argument. However, I had not considered checking the depth adjustment with a micrometer. Good point. But I still want a new router!

 

[allthunbs]

Yo Allthumbs,
Didn't know you were trying to con the ol lady into you gettin another router. Next time give us the 'wink wink' sign. You need some better excuses though. Listed are some that you can try:
1. 'Honey, these 1/2" bits don't fit my old router, it only takes 1/4".
2. 'Honey, this little router doesn't fit in my router table. I need one of these 3 1/2 hp ones that are made for it.'
3. 'How do you expect me to make all those nice projects for you with this old thing? I need this new one with the high enery fusion conigley pin.'
4. 'Honey, Bob's wife let him have four routers. Don't you love me as much as she loves him?

Let me know if any of these work. Post any pics of black eyes, cast iron skillet dents in your head, etc. LOL
Mike Hawkins:yes:

#1 she was standing beside me when I bought the collet chucks. She was also beside me when I bought the MV12 3hp plunge router. She was also beside me when I bought the last Makita 3601B router at the garage sale down the street for $12.50. That's now the going price for a top-end router.

Besides we use three sizes of router bases and switch them around from machine to machine.#2 She's used the router table when we built the deck several years ago. She's also very familiar with the OakPark system that _we_ use. We currently have three routers, but one is on it's last legs - the only 1/4" we've got.

#3 My wife speaks two languages fluently, certainly better than I do. I'm afraid that "high enery fusion conigley pin." spells B--- S--- in any language.

#4 We know no one (except Norm Abrahams on the New Yankee workshop or Bob Rosenthal on Router Workshop) that has four routers. The worst part of it is that she's as familiar with the sparse inventory of all of our friends as I am.

No, I'm just going to have to figure this one out myself. :wallbash:

But I'm still going to try the dedicated router trick