Dovetail bandsaw jig
A dovetail joint is a type of woodworking joint known for its strength, durability, and aesthetic appeal. It is commonly used in furniture making, cabinetry, and joinery to create strong and attractive connections between two pieces of wood, typically at right angles to each other, such as in drawer construction or box assembly.
They can be quite tricky to make with a hand saw, so I’ve developed a bandsaw jig system that I think makes it much easier.
ATTENTION: These plans are copyrighted! You have every right to use them to make this project for yourself, but please, do not sell or give these plans away as your own! I make absolutely no money off of these so I would appreciate those who view these plans to abide by basic copyright laws.
watch all steps in this video before starting
Please use the material and tool list below as a guide to finding the products locally.
Materials
- 3/4″ x 5 3/8″ x 11″ Plywood
- 3/4″ x 1/2″ x 10″ Plywood (miter bar)
- 3/4″ x 3/4″ x 5 1/2″ Hardwood
- Wood glue
- (2) #8 x 1″ Flat head screws
Tools Needed/used
- Table saw
- Drill press / Hand drill
- Square angle protractor
- Spring divider / Caliper
- 1/8″ Drill bit
- Countersink bit
- Painter’s tape
- Clamp
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Step by step instructions
3-1. Materials and overview
You’ll need to ignore my comment where I said we needed only two pieces of stock in all. You’ll need three pieces: the tail board, the miter bar below it that rides in the dovetail bandsaw base and a fence to rest your stock against.
Click image to see this step on youtube
3-2. Miter bar addition
The miter bar glues into the dado. I recommend the dado being cut at about 3/8’s of an inch. The 3/4″ x 1/2″ dado bar will then be glued into the dado slot.
Click image to see this step on youtube
3-3. Adding a fence
Now we’ll attach a fence to the edge. This is where having a square angle protractor is critical to get that 81˚ angle. I added a screw to the bottom corner of the miter bar and set my angle, using another screw to lock it in place.
Finally, I added a slight mark to the center of the fence…something that will be explained in the overall directions in the next chapter (tag on the page).
Click image to see this step on youtube
Tip Jar
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