Rockler 311373 User manual

1
© 2002 Copyright Rockler Woodworking and Hardware
Part number 311373
1Clamp Handle (2)
2Cam (4)
3Clamp Axle (2)
4Fence (1)
5Clamp Bar (2)
6Template Lock Knob (2)
7Clamp Springs (not shown)
8Fence Lock Knobs (2)
91/2" Plastic Template (1)
10 Jig Body (1)
11 "L" Shaped Adjustable Knobs (2)
12 Cam lock Knob (4)
13 Cam Lock Housing (4)
14 Template Screws (4)
15 Template Adjustment Bar (2)
16 Adjustmment Bar Nuts (4)
(not shown)
PARTS LIST - 12" DOVETAIL JIG
Introduction
Your new dovetail jig will help
you cut three varieties of half-blind
dovetails, plus box (also known as
“finger”) joints. It will
accommodate drawer front stock
from 1/2" to 1-1/4" thick, and
boards up to 12" wide.
The following instructions begin
by detailing how to set up the jig
and your router to
mill flush half-
blind dovetails
(shown at left).
Once you have
mastered this
technique, you
can add other
joints to your
repertoire such as
offset dovetails,
rabbeted dovetails
and box joints.
(See page 4 for details.)
NOTE: Your jig comes with a 1/2" phenolic resin template. Additional
7/16", 1/2" and 9/16" templates are also available and sold separately.
11
10
®
AND HARDWAREWOODWORKING
1
23
4
56
9
11
14
8
13
15
12
12" Dovetail Jig Instructions

2
Tool Safety Rules
1. Keep your work area clean and
well lighted.
2. Do not use a router with this jig
when tired or under the
influence of drugs, alcohol or
medication.
3. Avoid loose clothing or jewelry.
4. Unplug the router to make any
adjustments.
5. Remove the wrench(es) before
starting the router.
6. Always wear eye, dust, and
hearing protection.
7. NEVER lift the router off the jig
while the bit is still spinning.
8. Secure the jig to a solid base
(such as a heavy workbench)
before using.
9. Keep children and other
distractions away.
10. Always replace damaged parts
before using the jig.
Secure the Jig
Two bolt holes in the bottom of the
jig allow permanent attachment to
a workbench or similar stable base.
Where workspace is limited, the
same holes allow mounting to a
shop-built mobile base (see Figure
1) that can be secured in the jaws
of a vise. The jig can then be
stored elsewhere, when not in use.
The base is just two pieces of sheet
stock (plywood, MDF, Melamine™
etc.), screwed together at 90°. An
optional glued dado strengthens
the joint and provides extra
stability.
Set Up the Router
Included with your jig are a 14°
1/2" dovetail bit (with a 1/4"
shank) and a 7/16" guide bushing,
both of which are shown in fig.2.
The bushing is universal: it fits
most popular brands of routers and
after-market bases. (In the remote
chance that you
have difficulty
attaining a perfect
fit, consult your
router’s
manufacturer:
they usually offer
a guide bushing
as an option.)
Install the
bushing in the
router base and secure it with the
included threaded ring. Tighten the
ring securely, then slide the base
toward the motor housing and
install the bit. Set the bit height at
9/16" (from the router base, not
the bushing).
Locate the Stops
The jig is equipped with two stops
that locate the drawer parts and
allow repetitive milling: once they
are set, you can build as many
drawers as you need.
The first step is to to ensure that
the dovetails are evenly spaced on
your workpiece (that is, there is the
same amount of pin or tail top and
bottom). With the correct template
installed – to begin with, use the
1/2" one – slide a piece of scrap the
same width as your drawer stock
into the jig. Center the board (left
and right) on the template fingers,
as shown in figure 3. The idea is to
have the same amount of finger or
gap showing at each side of the
board. Make sure the board lies at
90° to the front of the jig, then
loosen the four screws in the
adjustable stop (the left one, Part
11, see figure 4), and slide it snug
against the board. Tighten the four
screws.
Insert the Drawer Parts
During initial set-up adjustment
always use test pieces the same
thickness and width as your drawer
sides that you will be milling. Only
install the actual drawer sides after
you've produced a satisfactory joint
in the test pieces. Figures 5, 6
and 7 illustrate the process
A shop-built base
allows for quick
setup in the
workbench vise, and
easy storage.
© 2002 Copyright Rockler Woodworking and Hardware
Equal distance
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 4
Figure 3
11

3
involved in installing the two
boards for each joint. Note that the
two left-hand joints (that is, the
joints that attach the left drawer
side to the drawer front and back)
are cut at the left side of the jig.
Subsequently, the two right-hand
joints will be milled at the right-
hand side of the jig.
Shop Tip: Always position drawer
parts so inside is facing out.
Begin by installing the drawer’s
left side in the front of the jig
(vertically), and securing it with
the cam lock. You may have to
adjust the cam lock for a good fit:
don’t over-tighten it. The top edge
of the workpiece should protrude
above the jig body (see figure 5),
but perfect alignment isn’t
necessary at this time.
Shop Tip: For even clamping, use
scrap wood as support on the
opposite end of the jig.
Slide the drawer front into the
top of the jig (horizontally). The
inside face of this part should be
facing up. (See page 4 for more on
orienting the parts correctly.)
Butt the drawer front tightly
against the drawer side (figure 6),
check that it is tight against the
stop (Part 11), and secure it in
place with the cam lock.
Now you can slide the drawer
side up so that its top edge is flush
with the top face of the drawer
front, as shown in the third photo.
Secure the drawer side in place,
tight against the stop (Part 11), by
engaging the front cam lock.
Set the Template
The template has no side-to-side
movement: the only adjustment
required is to position the template
back from the edge of the board
exactly the same distance as the
wall thickness of the guide
bushing. If you are using the guide
bushing provided with the jig, set
the template 1/16" back from the
edge of the board. The template
can be adjusted by means of two
knobs (Parts 6) located at the back
of the jig. These secure the
template to the top cam
mechanism. Be aware that, as you
lock down the top cam, the
template may move a little and may
no longer be aligned perfectly.
Set the Fence
The last adjustment to make before
milling begins is to set the fence
(Part 4). Two knobs (Parts 8) lock
the fence in place.
The reason you set the fence is
that the router base butts up
against it at the end of every cut.
This limits the length of the
grooves between the pins, into
which the tails fit. Figure 8 shows
the fence setting for 3/4" stock,
figure 9 shows 1/2" stock. Note the
different lengths of the grooves.
Setting the fence location sounds
complicated, but it’s really quite
simple. You’ll need a piece of paper
and a pencil to work out the
location, since you’ll need to add a
couple of numbers together.
Start by writing down a
measurement that is twice the
thickness of the drawer side stock
(for example, with 3/4" thick
sides, this would be 1-1/2"). Now
find the radius of your router base:
that is, the distance from the center
of the bit to the edge of the base.
Add this to the first number. For
example, if your router has a 6"
base, you would now have 3" plus
1-1/2" for a total of 4-1/2". The last
calculation is to deduct half the
thickness of the bit. The supplied
bit is 1/2", so just subtract 1/4".
Locate the fence this distance from
the front of the template. In our
example, the fence would be 4-1/4"
back from the front edge of the
template. Be sure that the fence is
set parallel to the front of the
template. Secure the fence by
locking down the two knobs, and
you’re ready to mill the test boards.
Making Minor Adjustments
Install your test boards in the jig,
set the fence and template to their
correct locations, and then lock the
boards in place with the two cam
locks. With the router bit set at the
© 2002 Copyright Rockler Woodworking and Hardware
Figure 5 Figure 6
Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 7
Support
scrap

correct height, visually check that
the bit won’t engage the template
or any part of the jig. Begin cutting
from left to right, making sure that
the bushing rides the template all
the way to the back of each groove.
DO NOT LIFT THE ROUTER OFF
THE TEMPLATE WHILE THE
MOTOR IS RUNNING. If you do,
the bit will destroy your template.
If the resulting joint is too sloppy,
raise the bit slightly and try again.
Conversely, if the fit is too tight,
lower the bit. Make adjustments in
approximately 1/64" increments, as
a small adjustment can make a lot
of difference.
If the two parts
fit together well, but the tails are
proud, move the fence back the
amount the tails are proud. If the
tails slide too far into the grooves
(also called “sockets”) between the
pins, move the fence forward the
amount they are shy.
If you don’t have an even amount
of pin or tail at the top and bottom
of the drawer, revisit the section
entitled Locate the Stops, above.
Sometimes you may want to have a
full pin at the top and a half pin at
the bottom. This is easily
accomplished by visually adjusting
the stops in the manner described
in that section.
Continue milling test pieces
(both left and right) until you
achieve results that are
satisfactory. Only then should you
mill actual workpieces.
Drawer Layout
It is recommended that you keep
track of the parts of each drawer
by numbering and labeling them,
then milling them in the same
order every time you build a
drawer or box. This repetition will
virtually eliminate mistakes, with
practice.
Refer to the drawing above to see
4
how this is done. The parts of the
drawer are laid out in their proper
orientation, then each piece is
labeled on the inside face
(FRONT, BACK, LEFT SIDE,
RIGHT SIDE). You can write
directly on the part with a soft
pencil, or use masking tape.
Mark the faces next: each face
should have a notation that says
which way is up.
Finally, mark the corners with
designated number, 1 through 4.
For example, the left side of the
drawer in the illustration meets the
front at corner #1, so each part is
so labeled.
If you can develop a habit of
marking the drawers in exactly the
same fashion every time, errors
will be few and far between.
13
3
12 2
4 4
FRONT
BACK
LEFT
RIGHT
Your jig can help you mill three variations of the
half-blind dovetail.
Offset Dovetails (top drawing) can be used when
there is no separate drawer face to attach to the
drawer front. They give you an integrated overlay:
that is, part of the drawer front overlays the face
frame of the chest or cabinet. To mill the joint, just
add 3/4" to the length of the front. The part thick-
ness should be a minimum 7/8" thick, and the rab-
bet on each end should be milled before inserting
the piece in the dovetail jig. Move the backstop
3/8" back, and test your setup on scrap.
Rabbeted Dovetails (middle drawing) add a lip to
the top, bottom and sides of the drawer front. They
are milled in the same fashion as the offset dovetail
(above), except that you must reset the right and
left stops for the drawer front. Note: You’ll need to
shim the horizontal/top arm of the “L-shaped” stop
3/8" so that the offset is 1/8" instead of the
standard 1/2", then proceed.
Box or Finger Joints (lower drawing) can be
milled by securing both parts in the jig vertically.
One piece of stock must be lined up with the top
stops, while the other is lined up with the front
stops: this means that the front board is 1/2" to the
left of the back one. Set the router bit depth (a 1/2"
straight bit) to the exact thickness of the stock. You
can use a stock bit or a 1/2" bearing-guided bit. If
using a bearing-guided bit, shim the template so it
is high enough that the bit won’t cut it.
Some other joints you can make with
your Rockler 12" dovetail jig
© 2002 Copyright Rockler Woodworking and Hardware
Shop Tip:
Heighten/tighten,
lower/loosen...
Lower to loosen
Router Base
14
Left side up
Heighten to tighten