ugh.

Karl Brogger

Member
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519
Location
Dennison, MN
about six hours to cut the dovetails (my hands were buzzing from hanging onto a router that long). 52 drawers, 208 parts, probably around 1500 pins/tails.

I just thought it was kinda cool looking all stacked up like that. In person it messed with your eyes.
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I need a automatic dovetailer.

I've got another 27 to build next week.
 
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would you be so kind and tell what device/jig you used?

Porter Cable Omni-jig. The one that was discontinued three or four years ago.


Don- I make my drawers all 1/2" big, then after they're dovetailed I cut a 1/4" off of the top and bottom to remove any tear out from the router bit. It is part of the process that really needs to be re-evaluated.
 
Karl I agree with Darren you should look into something like a small shop bot. There are probably many things you would be able to set it up for and let it go to work while you do something else. Not to mention the other extras like signs that you could add to your bus.

A couple years ago a guy near me closed up shop and had a dedicated dovetailer. It was the one machine he really battled to sell.

I would think of more flexibility than that if i were you prepared to spend any dollars on a machine.
 
thats alot of bird work karl,, and with your other machines and tables i am surprised that yu dont have a dovetailer machine..bet it is on your list just havnt found one for the right price huh:)
 
Carl,

Do you dovetail in the back of the drawer too? I always debate about what to do when I reach this step - I've done it both ways (dovetail vs. dado) but usually end up going the dado route in the unlikely event that I would someday need to replace a bottom.
 
Carl,

Do you dovetail in the back of the drawer too? I always debate about what to do when I reach this step - I've done it both ways (dovetail vs. dado) but usually end up going the dado route in the unlikely event that I would someday need to replace a bottom.

Like Peter, I've done dovetails all around but, in many cases, will only DT the fronts. In that case, I use lock rabbets on the backs. Since my shop drawers are strictly utilitarian, I use lock rabbets on front and back.
 
Carl,

Do you dovetail in the back of the drawer too? I always debate about what to do when I reach this step - I've done it both ways (dovetail vs. dado) but usually end up going the dado route in the unlikely event that I would someday need to replace a bottom.

I dovetail the two back corners as well. You can notch out the back so you have to staple the drawer bottom into the drawer back.
Mine are all enclosed though. If I have to replace a bottom, I'd rather just remake the drawer. I do it mostly just because you cut the front & back the same size. I try to make everything as idiot proof as possible, adding another step and forcing me to think at work is a recipe for disaster.:rofl:





I really need to get something to get these things whipped up faster. Laguna has a automatic dovetailer that looks pretty slick, but I've heard far more bad things about Laguna tools than good. There's other options out there, but man are they spendy. There's a cnc dovetailer that I saw a video of on Youtube that could do some crazy stuff.


Or I just need to have the whole process taken care of by some Indonesian sweat shop.

(edit-) I've got a decent list of widgetry that I want. I really need to get a panel saw, the Striebig I'm looking at is about $25k new and will shave a whole mess of time off of doing cutout, plus add a whole mess of accuracy. I'm going to need a new compressor sometime in the future, I'll be getting a screw type with an air drier built in. I also need to buy or build a downdraft table, summer isn't so bad with the doors open, but in the winter with everything buttoned up it gets too dusty when sanding with a orbital. Plus I'd like to pick up a couple more shapers, setting up & tearing them down for different setups on the same job is baloney. I've currently got three, once does a few jobs, the other two are dedicated to one job each. After that though......
 
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Man, that is some serious production for a one man shop. I'll hope for one job after the other for you Karl. Great to see a small shop being busy. Maybe Santa will bring you a DT machine ;-)
 
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