Many woodworkers still think of dovetail joinery as a painstaking craft that takes years of practice to master.  That's a little surprising, when specially designed tools and jigs that speed up and greatly simplify the process have been around for years. Even now, innovations in jig design continue at Rockler Woodworking and Hardware. The Rockler Dovetail Jig is easier to use than ever.  Best of all, the Rockler Dovetail Jig has kept one of its most impressive features - its affordable price.

Making a Good Tool Better -
The Rockler Dovetail Jig and Through Dovetail Template

It doesn't happen very often, but once in a while a trusted tool gets redesigned and comes out significantly better - the Rockler Dovetail Jig is the perfect example. Not long ago the tool designers at Rockler put their heads together and came up with a number of common sense improvements that turned a solid, reliable jig into a tool that makes dovetail joinery just about as easy and trouble-free as it's ever going to get. 

And while they were at it, the inventive Rockler Design Team brought out an accessory that doubled the jig's usefulness. The optional Through Dovetail Template turns the Rockler half-blind dovetail jig into a first-rate through dovetail jig in a matter of minutes. Now you can make beautiful, decorative through dovetail joints and durable, professional quality half-blind dovetail joints with the same jig.

What Makes a Dovetail Jig Better?

Complete Dovetail Jig

Cutting beautiful through and half-blind dovetails is fast and easy with our new and improved dovetail jig! Rockler exclusive one-piece stop gives you the perfect offset every time for dead-on accuracy. And our new preset template guide allows for quick initial setup for 1/2" to 3/4" thick stock. Jig will cut half-blind dovetails from 1/2" to 1-1/8" thick and full through dovetails from 3/8" to 3/4" thick. Accommodates stock up to 11" wide. Patent pending. Our best and most versatile dovetail jig ever! View the Dovetail Jig Demonstration Video Complete Dovetail Jig

A Few Things to Look for in a Dovetail Jig

• Reliability - does the jig keep stock where it needs to be?
  If there's one thing that can wreck an afternoon in the workshop, it's having to chuck a few expensive pieces of wood into the scrap bin because your jig let them slip in the middle of a cut. Dovetail jig components that hold stock in place during the cut need to be sturdy and reliable. The Rockler Dovetail Jig's clamping bars and mechanisms are built to consistently apply the right force to every part you cut, whether the tool is brand new, or it's been used many, many times. But just to make sure your stock will stay put to the end of every cut, the tool designers at Rockler added a non-slip abrasive surface to the inside face of both clamping bars.
   
• Adjustment features - does the jig make adjustments easy?
  A good dovetail joint is one where the parts fit together in perfect alignment and there's no "slop" between the pins and tails. One advantage to using a router and jig to cut dovetail joints is that it makes it easy to cut perfect joints every time.  But that doesn't happen until the jig is set up correctly. The new Rockler jig design includes unique one-piece side stops that give you the correct offset for the pins and tails of the joint automatically.  You don't have to think about how the parts you cut will align when you put the joint together - the side stops take care of that. The Through Dovetail Template allows you to use the same time-saving side stops for through dovetails, and the template is embossed with clear instructions that make setting up to do pins and tails, and adjusting the tightness of your joints an easy, guesswork-free operation.
  
• Easy to use - are the jig's lockdowns and adjustment knobs well placed and easy to use?
  Nothing seems to eat up more shop time than fiddling with difficult or hard to access tool adjustments.  When they redesigned Rockler Dovetail Jig, the Rockler Design Team went a long way to make the jig easy to use. They made the entire body of the tool longer to make room for larger, easier to grip adjustment knobs. And they kept the adjustment knobs far enough apart that they don't feel crowded and hard to get your fingers on. They made sure that routine adjustments, like setting the innovative one-piece side stops for different stock widths, would be a quick, trouble-free operation without any time-consuming tool disassembly or hard to get-at lockdown screws.  And you still won't need any special tools to set up your Rockler jig.  Most of the tightening and adjusting you'll need to do on the Rockler Dovetail Jig can be done by hand, and for the few adjustments that can't, all you'll need is a screwdriver.
   
• Ready to use - does the jig come with everything you need to get started?
  The last thing you want to do after you unbox your brand new dovetail jig is to go hunting for equipment that should have been included.  Every dovetail jig package that Rockler puts together comes with all the equipment you'll need to get started on your first project. The basic Rockler Dovetail Jig package comes with exactly the right equipment to make perfect half-blind dovetail joints, including a guide bushing that fits nearly every make of router, the Rockler half-blind template, and a top-quality carbide 14 degree dovetail bit. The Through Dovetail Template - for those of you who already have a Rockler jig - comes with the 5/16 straight and 8 degree dovetail bits you need for through joints, easy to install mounting hardware, and its own set of crystal-clear instructions.   The Rockler Complete Dovetail Jig Combo comes with the whole ball of wax - everything we've just mentioned.

Flexibility Makes Choosing the Right Jig Easier

There's a lot to consider when you're deciding on the right dovetail jig for you're shop. Rockler helps out by giving you plenty of alternatives. A big part of what Rockler is offering with the Rockler Dovetail Jig and its extensive line of accessories is the flexibility to get exactly the tool you want. If all you need right now is a reliable, easy to use half-blind dovetail jig that will allow you to make top-quality drawer boxes, you can't do much better than the basic Rockler Dovetail Jig package.  Later on, if you want to tackle a few projects that call for beautiful, precise through dovetails, you can add the Rockler Through Dovetail Template to your tool collection for a fraction of the price of a new jig designed specifically for that purpose.

Half-Blind Dovetail

Through Dovetail

View Sample Video Clip From Dovetail DVD

Dovetail a Drawer, Fine Woodworking DVD European trained cabinetmaker Frank Klausz shows you how to cut precise dovetails quickly without jigs or templates, then glue up and fit the finished drawer. You’ll see firsthand how to do the work, the tools, the techniques, and the subtle rhythm of each process. 60 minutes.View sample video clip (Requires RealPlayer) Dovetail a Drawer, Fine Woodworking DVD

POWERMATIC - Model DT45, 1HP, 1Ph, 230V, Manual Clamping