Incra dovetails...Insanity I tell you, I-N-S-A-N-I-T-Y!!

Jim O'Dell

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Between Aledo and Fort Worth, TX
Well, I mounted the PC 7518 into the PRL, and loaded it into the router table. Started reading the Incra manual, found me some cutoffs to play with. The through dove tail worked pretty easy. So I thought I'd try the half-blind DT...man, I can tell I'm going to destroy some wood figuring this out!!:D :D Something didn't work out right in that one tail piece is wider than it should be and won't go into the pin. (although the nomenclature seems backwards to me) So, did this thing come with an instructional DVD? :huh::dunno::huh: Sure would help. :rofl: Jim.
 
Hi Jim,

I have a couple of Incra Ultras and love them. My "ah-ha" moment for using the Incra was by watching the video and a live demonstration. The manual is well written and can be a good resource as well. Practice will enhance your performance. I used MDF for practice in the beginning since it's cheap and available in thicknesses that are similar to most drawer sides.
 
Hi Jim. I has been several years since I did a few Incra dove tails for my shop cabinets. The video is most helpful in figuring it out.

What I am guessing that you didn't do is to back-cut the tails. If I were to do half-blind DTs, I would have to view the video again. But basically, you need to run the tail board through the router bit before you start to cut the tails. Stand the board on end with the wide side against the fence. I do not recall the way you figure the exposure of the bit. You use the same DT bit you have been using. The back-cut gives the needed clearance for the tails to slide into and cover the pins.

More confused than you were?:doh::dunno:
 
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I hear so much good about this product and have seen the demos. I imagine there is a learning curve during which several 'ah-ha' moments occur. The guys who demo them have done it quite a bit, of course. I'll bet after a few scrap runs and a few 'ah-ha' moments of your own, you'll get 'er down.
 
I know it will take some time. I'm really having some fun with yself about it.
Ken, I did the back cut. Didn't make sense at the time, but I followed the instructions, then saw why it was done. I had wondered going into it how the back side was covered up, and saw after cutting it that that was how. No, the only problem with my first attempt was that I must have missed on the lock down to make one "toungue" of the tail cut wrong so it is too wide to fit in the slot. It will come in time. I'm not worried. Got to learn how far to go with the cut to keep from killing the wooden feet under the sliding fence, though. :eek: :D
The way the Cowboy game has started, I may have more time to play with it today than I thought I would. :doh::rofl: Jim.
 
The way the Cowboy game has started, I may have more time to play with it today than I thought I would. :doh::rofl: Jim.

Looks like that you might as well turn the TV off and work on the dovetails. The dovetails will surely not be as frustrating as watching the game since you are a Cowboy fan. Things might get better but I would not count on it.

edit: Wow, hold on. Believe it or not the defense just scored.
 
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Well, I spent the last 8 minutes of the game out in the shop. :rolleyes: I think I have something out of wack with the fence system. I'll go back and re-do the installation to see if it is off or not. But I think I need to shim the fence to be perpendicular to the table. The dovetail cuts are not even on both boards that are cut at the same time. Still neet to get the pin board centered so it cuts even on both ends. And I may try cutting some MDF for the next tests. The cheap HD Baltic Birch ply really splinters badly, so it's hard to tell if I have a good joint or not. I am using a backer board to try to minimize the tearout on the back side, but even the front side is chipping badly.
Hope everyone had a great weekend. Thanks for the help and encouragement! Jim.
 
Chris Barton or anyone: can you briefly describe how you would use the Incra system to mill uneven dovetails, ie, tails wider and narrower between some pins.

Thanks,
Ken
 
I have the original from Rockler and it came with a free DVD that goes thru the entire operation. Centering the bit in the workpiece is fairly critical I think and that might be the problem. The DVD is very well done.

Corey
 
Well, I spent the last 8 minutes of the game out in the shop. :rolleyes: I think I have something out of wack with the fence system. I'll go back and re-do the installation to see if it is off or not. But I think I need to shim the fence to be perpendicular to the table. The dovetail cuts are not even on both boards that are cut at the same time. Still neet to get the pin board centered so it cuts even on both ends. And I may try cutting some MDF for the next tests. The cheap HD Baltic Birch ply really splinters badly, so it's hard to tell if I have a good joint or not. I am using a backer board to try to minimize the tearout on the back side, but even the front side is chipping badly.
Hope everyone had a great weekend. Thanks for the help and encouragement! Jim.

Jim

I am not sure how the Incra works but I doubt the fence being square is an issue. That is one of the beauties of a router, router table, and shaper ect. You are cutting on a tangent to a radius of the bit. And a tangent is always perpendicular to the radius that it intersects at the point of intersection. So a long as one isn't trying to use a miter track on a router table. (hardly ever a good idea IMHO) squareness is really a meaning less term in router table usage. As long as one is sliding along a fence and not trying to use a miter track and a fence together.( a sure desire for kick back)

Garry
 
Gary, if I could be sure that the drawer sides stayed flat to the table, then you would be right. But It looked like I may have gotten some of it flat to the fence, thus lifting the outside edge slightly off the table. Some of the cuts weren't as deep as the other edge, so it did throw those cuts off. Having the fence perpendicular to the table allows me to align both edges of the wood being cut. There is also a step in the instructions for making sure the base fence is at right angles to the table, which mine seemed to be. But the super fence section was off. Not sure how or why, but it is correct now. :thumb: And the cuts this weekend were much better. Jim.
 
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