4 Steps to Perfect Dovetails with the 12" Dovetail Jig

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Baladonia Dovetail Jig
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Dovetail jigs are fantastic if they are set up correctly. In this video, Patrick Holcombe lets us in on the setup of the Baladonia 12" Half Blind Dovetail Jig.
Dovetail joints are as traditional to woodworking as you can get. Years ago, cabinetmakers would saw these by hand and clean them with a chisel but with modern technology comes a much quicker and easier way to create dovetails.
While dovetails are quite specialized and only generally used for ornamental purposes these days, you can create simple but stunning boxes of many shapes and sizes using the Baladonia Dovetail System.
Being a Baladonia Tool, the dovetail system is quick and easy to setup and you’ll be finishing your first dovetails in less than half an hour!
The Baladonia system comes standard with a 1/2in half-blind template for the most simple of joints that can also be used for assembling drawers. Also available are a range of templates that are more attractive, interesting and unique for that extra wow factor.

[@jasondoust4935]

As a former woodworking teacher, I tip my beanie to you, Patrick! I have fumbled with one of these jigs for years and feel like i now understand it better than ever. You broke complex device subject matter into edible chunks. Beautifully defined, explained, presented and edited. I'm busting it out tomorrow for a bit of shop box making. Big thanks from Canberra, man!

[@wb_finewoodworking]

That is by far the best demonstration and explanation of using a dovetail jig that I’ve seen and I’ve seen a lot. It makes me want to take mine out of the box and give it a try. Thanks.

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks for that very high praise. We are aware of the videos available that relate to this jig in its various incarnations. We wanted to break the process down into simple, logical steps and explain the reasons for each. We hope we have done that. This jig can produce extremely accurate dovetail joints - once the initial setup and the processes are clearly explained.

[@richardberry9984]

I can finally use my jig in the way it was intended. Original instructions were pretty much hopeless. This presentation is clear and concise. Another great instructional video from Timbecon.

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks for watching Richard. Glad we could help. And thanks for your kind comments.

[@TheLemonadedrinker]

Good video---clear and straightforward, and therefore really helpful ! Thanks very much.

[@pescaymastercermundo.8269]

It covers everything and also thank you for explaining it so well... thanks for sharing.

[@urbannpa]

This video just made my Harbor Freight jig a lot easier to setup. Thanks

[@johneather5163]

What a great job you have done with the explanation of the use of this jig. Excellent work. Great job.

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks John. This jig is a great tool but needs some understanding to work properly. Patrick went to great lengths to make that happen and we are glad you enjoyed it. We have plenty more videos where this came from so we hope you have subscribed. Stay tuned. There are plenty more to come!

[@grahamparsons6620]

Nice vid, its good to see these things in action thank you good job👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@DellAnderson]

So far, the clearest explanation of the dovetail jig setup I have seen on KZbin. Particularly liked the close up at T=<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="835">13:55</a> as well as your simple and clear instructions on fixing alignment issues. Thanks!

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks Dell! Glad you liked the video

[@Bill.L.Carroll]

Good walk through, mate👍 I must admit, it does look like a rather daunting jig. Repetition is the key for anything really, the more you do, the easier it gets. Looking forward to the other vids.

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks for your kind comment Bill. We tried hard to really break it down into its principle actions and components. The initial setup takes a bit of understanding, but, as Patrick says in the video, once done it is much easier. And the dovetail joints it can produce are - as you can see from Patrick's own experience with it in this video - just superb.

[@jzaesk25]

Best video on the half-blind dovetail jig by FAR!! Thank you!!!

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks Jeanne! Very much appreciated. There are a couple of other videos on this jig on our channel that may also help you.

[@chrisweldon1698]

Thank you for taking the time to make this! Nice, straight forward explanation. I look forward to more vid’s!

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks for your kind comment, Chris. You are very welcome. We are glad you enjoyed and benefited from this video. We actually have another couple of videos about this jig on our channel and they are also worthy of a look. Don't forget to like and subscribe! We have hundreds of woodworking videos for you to enjoy, and many more to come!

[@daveengstrom9250]

This video helps a whole bunch. My jig has been driving me nuts. The book that come with it was obviously written by someone who has never used one.

[@johnevans59]

Patrick...superb video....you are great explaining how the dovetail jig works...wished I'd seen it earlier....will certainly watch more of your videos...👍👍👍👍👍

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks John. Very much appreciated. There are few videos on our channel regarding this dovetail jig and we hope they help you further. Welcome to our channel. We upload new videos every few days so be sure to subscribe. Thanks again for your kind comments.

[@tonyciaramitaro3274]

Well done. Simple and straight forward

[@MrWaldorfian]

My jig is labeled as SAMONA SMAR201 Dovetail Jig but it is virtually identical. The black plastic guides are yellow on mine and attached to the body of the jig differently. The comb seems to have much deeper fingers than the one you showed. Mine also has an adjustable bar behind the comb to stop the router from cutting too deep on the horizonal board. The instructions that came with my jig were beyond horrible. They don't tell you how to adjust the stop bar thingy just that it depends on your router, bit, and thickness of the wood. I don't have a router that will accept bushings so the use of a router bit with a bearing is a good idea.

[@ancienttom97]

Really good video. I have been struggling with the Harbor Freight jig for a couple of days with terrible results. I have looked at a half dozen videos on this jig and they are all made by guys that seem to less familiar with the jig as I am. Two of them sais that you have to remove and turn both clamps 180 degrees because they clamp in the wrong direction. Even , when making the same mistake as they did putting the thing together, I realized that there is no forward and backward to these 2 things, they just screwed the clamp handles into the wrong side of the clamp body. There's one guy that shows setting the fence relative to the comb first and then move the come into place which negates the first setting. They are all quoting straight out of the manual and show their confusion because the manual is confusing. I called HF Support number and that guy pointed me to the worst of all the videos on this jig. Your's is the first and best video that explains cutting dovetails with this jig of all of them You answered so many questions that I had while making test cuts. I just went out to my shop and tried another test cut following your instructions. I am still having my first issue routing my dovetails. That is, The dails are being cut too wide to vit into the pins' slots. I've moved my bit back out and tried several different depths of cut and while it is changing it a bit, I cannot ,move it far enough to make the joint fit.

[@peterstevens6555]

Just ordered my dovetail jig last week and two extra templates, can't wait for them all to get here to (New Zealand) and start making dovetail boxes. 🙂🙂🙂

[@timbeconaus]

Awesome! Let us know how you go!

[@peterstevens6555]

@@timbeconaus Waiting for my replay to the correct dovetail router bits for my order that I brought from you a few days ago.

[@timbeconaus]

@@peterstevens6555 I will look into it and make sure someone gets back to you today!

[@user-lp6ee4py2c]

Great video, very useful.Thank you!

[@wehaveasaying]

Thank you! I've seen several other "how to" videos for this jig, but yours is the most methodical, systematic, and logical approach I've seen.

[@jlh5995]

Thank you so much for making dovetailing less challenging.

[@bobferris8361]

Thanks, that was clear Bob

[@royalway12]

Thank you. Great tips. Been struggling with the jig my wife just got me. It's looks a lot like the one your using, but it's from Harbor Freight.

[@timbeconaus]

Thank you Dave. We are glad it helped. Once you have the gist of this jig, everything becomes much simpler. And we may have even saved your marriage....?

[@joeennis2571]

thank you Patrick well explained , greetings from Ireland

[@timbeconaus]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@katarockretrosundays9082]

Seeing you more than what your demonstrating

[@hendryzubair2178]

i think so

[@rogergoodman7987]

great - covers everything, especially how to position the comb back from the front, most videos don't do this

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks for your kind words, Roger. We try to be as comprehensive as reasonably possible. There are four videos on our channel that feature this Dovetail jig, so we hope you have benefited from them all.

[@davidevans2593]

Excellent, especially for a beginner like myself 👍, many thanks, David (UK)

[@timbeconaus]

Glad it was helpful!

[@endamc683]

Made it very clear , good video , makes it simple

[@timbeconaus]

Glad you liked it

[@brianfirth9611]

Fantastic video very helpfull , you talked about been able to get other combs 1 where can they be purchased and 2 do they do one for through dovetails , many thanks bri

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks Brian! We supply a range of combs for different dovetails here at Timbecon. The Through Dovetail template is available here: www.timbecon.com.au/joinery/dovetailing/12in-dovetail-jig-through-dovetail-template. We suggest you also acquire the SBO79Q 1/4in Shank Straight Twin Flute Router Bits www.timbecon.com.au/routing/torquata-mould-trim-bits/1-4in-shank-straight-twin-flute-router-bits and the DT-127-Q Dovetail Jointing Router Bit www.timbecon.com.au/top-level/boxing-day-and-january-sale/boxing-day-sale/dovetail-jointing-router-bit We hope that helps Brian. Enjoy!

[@oliverledoux]

Very useful. I'm still having a few issues though, it seems the router always catches on either the first dovetail or gap... I've tried both directions and it doesn't seem to make a difference :(

[@MickBano]

great post thanks

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks Mick! Glad you enjoyed and benefited from the video.

[@Bespokespaces]

A really well presented video, thanks. For someone who hasn't used a Dovetail jig before it can be quite confusing. I bought a Rutland D/Jig. Really well made but the instructions leave a lot to be desired. Although saying that, describing everything for setting up and adjustments would be difficult in just text form. Thanks for taking the time....

[@timbeconaus]

Glad you enjoyed it, Terry!

[@mikebadilla9187]

Thanks allways learning

[@timbeconaus]

No worries!

[@boblumley2848]

I have bought the 1/2” through dovetail jig template and have found the recommended dovetail bit is not correct. The recommended bit is a 14 degree bit (28 degree included angle) with a 1/2” depth of cut. The package claims it will cut timber from 1/2” to 3/4”. It also appears the template has a 7.5 degree taper (15 degree included angle) on the comb and so the 14 degree bit is useless. Toy make things worse, I can’t find a 7.5 degree dovetail bit with a 3/4” cutting length (which must have a 1/4” shank to fit in the template with a 7/16” guide). Do you have any answers for this or do I have to dump the Baladonia jig and try something else?

[@timdavis5390]

great video

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks Tim! Much appreciated.

[@tedfritsch3340]

So helpful thanks again. Nuts! it's out of stock.

[@margaretbrierley6553]

Marg. Can you tell me the exact size and number of the bit you use for this dovetail. I am using a TB19149 14.9 mm bit But cannot get it high enough in my router to get a neat fit. I have a G.M.C. 1/2 & 1/4 inc router but have not and cannot get a Guide bushing to fit it and the bearing on the router is above the fingers on the beladonia.

[@jacobpalmer6752]

Could you provide a link with the tools used? More specifically router, bit, and bearing.

[@davethm1]

Did I miss the discussion on setting the fence?

[@cjd3207]

Well presented. However, setting the router fence was not mentioned for timber thinner than that which you demonstrated on. Cj

[@matthewmitchell163]

Great Demo how do u get great joints if timber is cupped

[@jamescampbell7780]

You will need to flatten the wood first to achieve a uniform thickness.

good

[@hankeickhoff9735]

This was very informative-------but-----I haven't heard any mention of the implications that the depth of the drawer has on the spacing of the pins and tails. Are there ideal depths of drawers depending upon the jig one is using? Should the width of the drawer side, front or back correspond to the spacing of the pins on the comb? What happens if you decide to make the drawer 5 1/2" deep instead of 6" deep? Doesn't that leave you with a partial pin or tail---unevenly? Thanks!

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks Hank. Bear with us. We will get back to you ASAP on that!

[@timbeconaus]

We contacted Patrick (the presenter). His initial answer is that there are no ideal depths and the drawer height will have an implication on pin spacing. Ideally, yes, you would set the height of the drawer or box so you are not left with any partial pins or tails. Actual measurements would really need some experimentation on some sacrificial pieces depending on your drawer specifications. As he mentions in the videos in which he discusses using this jig - understanding the principles of this jig will enable you - after some use - to get used to the different settings needed for different tasks. But lets see if we can get something more specific for you....

[@hankeickhoff9735]

@@timbeconaus Thanks for your response. I believe you are correct that experimentation with various drawer depths would be required, based on whichever jig one is using. Keep up the good work.

[@joeslaven9331]

Great demo, congratulations. Can you tell us the thickness of the comb, and the distances between the mounting holes? I just want to be sure that I have the same jig shown. The depth of cut on the demo pieces looked about 6mm, leaving 13mm on the 19mmm horizontal pinboard edge uncut, which is a pretty chunky dovetail. Is there any way we can bring the vertical tailboard up to within about 3mm of the front face of the horizontal piece?

[@barryjohnson4340]

I know this video is old buut if you wanted to make an inlay on the dovetails is there away to do it with this jig?

[@johnpawloski9707]

Thanks for helping a green horn

[@timbeconaus]

You're very welcome John. Glad we could help!

[@wayneschneider5250]

I still am lost on how to do this

[@elviecco1]

note that you have 9112 views and only 141 I like it, it would be nice if they had included a translation into Spanish, or subtitles even. Use the google translator to leave this comment

[@alanpickering4497]

sorry great chat but not enough detailed shots of jig and material

[@user-rv2xq3xt3p]

Great video, but your face to wood jig ratio is quite high :)

[@PotatoesRnice]

this jig seems overly complicated and leaves a lot of variables. Also what if your timber is longer than 20 cm

[@allanhmelnitski978]

rocket science

[@darlinbrady-caro6373]

Your video would be much better if the camera was focused on the Dovetail jig instead of you waving your hands.

[@thomascommeret5646]

Please please please aim the camera at you hands not your face. As good looking as you are, I can hear you without watching you talk. Your explanations are right on point, and it’s not that complicated once you understand the principles. It would just help to watch you do it while you’re explaining it. There’s just way too much FaceTime for the purpose of the video. Thx for listening. Happy dovetails 👍

[@harrisstorm3115]

I want to see how you do it. Your video shows your face too much. It is not helpful for tutorials and it consumes too much time for the viewer.

[@timbeconaus]

You may be better off with our older video on this. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqPQgXWQo6Z_g5Y