Mastering the Porter Cable Dovetail Jig: Unlocking Woodworking Secrets!

[@davidgapp1457]

This is probably the clearest, most concise video I've seen on using this jig. Really well done, many thanks!

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

I really appreciate that David! Thanks so much for watching. I’m glad it helped!

[@rodpotts2666]

i like this kind of content, I have held off buying one because they look like it takes alot of time to figure out.

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

I totally get it! It is a little intimidating. Since I don’t use mine all the time, I do feel like I have to relearn it every time I break it out. Thank god for KZbin! :)

[@tpaulsmith7194]

Lots of details presented in a very concise manner. That took a lot of preparation. Thanks, Brian.

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Thanks so much Paul! You are absolutely correct the prep is the only downfall of this jig. It’s great when you have to batch out a ton of them, but if you just want to do a couple, it’s a lot of work! Thanks as always for commenting and watching!

[@cyshorseandwoodworkingwebsite]

Thank you, this is the first instruction video I really understand. It makes the dovetail a lot simpler to do right the first time.

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

I'm glad you liked it cyshorseandwoodworkwebsite! I appreciate you watching!

[@obiwuncanoly]

This is a clear and detailed video, with excellent close-ups to emphasize important points. Nicely done sir.

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Thank you so much obiwuncanoly! (Love the username!). I really appreciate it, and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@antomac]

Hi Brian, I love the way that you step by step explain the working of the tool, at least in this way we can clearly understand and more importantly learn. Your methods (interspersed with a little humour) are so refreshing when compared to the Pigeon English we often encounter from other KZbin contributors.. A

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Thank you so much Antomac! I really appreciate all of that, Thank you so much for the kind words. Thanks for commenting and thanks for watching, I really appreciate it!

[@sconnyjoe5262]

Great job on the video. Thank you. Love the intro

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Thanks so much for watching sconnyjoe!

[@kenb6102]

Excellent video, thanks. Yours are some of the best, most informative, and most entertaining woodworking videos on youtube. Porter Cable should be thankful, I'm pulling the trigger on this jig now!

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

You are way too kind Ken! I really appreciate that. Best of luck with the Jig! I hope you get a lot of use out of it! Thanks so much for watching!

[@davidmcgrath6507]

Great job! Clear enjoyable and educational. Plus you have a great personality for this!

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

You are too kind! Thank you so much for watching and have a great new year David!

[@kenb6102]

I just bought this jig and I really like it. I am fine-tuning it now but already producing some decent dovetail joints. First project is a two drawer cabinet with visible tails on the face of the drawers to go under my table saw. Next will be dovetail drawers and joinery on a sewing desk I will be making. And yes, if you buy this jig, don't do like me and forget about the mislabeled template bushing! The instructions say 4206, but the bushing is actually 4207. Good thing I have a pair of calipers handy. You can never have too many tools!

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Excellent point on that bushing! I don't know why they haven't fixed that yet. I learned about that mislabled bushing well over a year ago! That is the key with this jig is the dialing it in. Ince it's dialed in it is pretty great, but it takes a few gappy or tight practice joints to get there. Your projects sound amazing, best of luck to you!

[@juanmallqui9309]

Awesome video!

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Thanks so much Juan! I really appreciate that!

[@ronniesolomon5235]

Great video. Excellent explanation with good video reference to see as you go. Thanks 😊

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Thanks so much Ronnie! I appreciate it, and thanks for watching!

[@mikec2810]

Nice tutorial on the PC jig! I have one that I haven't used in quite awhile also!

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Thanks so much Mike! Sounds like that is a reoccurring theme with this jig! It was nice to dust it off and give it a shot after a few years! Thanks as always for commenting and watching!

[@CorbyQ]

I’ve been wanting one of those for a long while. His make some money first. Great video as always

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Yeah, they are a little bit pricey for what they are! Thank you so much for watchign CorbyQ! I hope you get one soon! :)

[@peterlaughlin930]

This was great thank you I’m looking to buy a dovetail jig and this actually looks pretty easy again, thank you very much for this video

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

My pleasure Peter! I just wish I used this tool more. It's one of those tools that you want so badly when you don't have one, and then when you get it, it doesn't get used enough. I was actually making some drawers today and I should have used it! Thanks so much for watching!

[@byfordbarnard2264]

I just bought that dovetail jig. Nice video

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Oh Nice Byford! I hope you enjoy it, thanks for watching!

[@patcross5799]

Great job on this video, I've been interested in doing some joint work like that and, thanks to you, am feeling muck more confident about things. Keep up the great work and I can't wait for your next show. Thank you.

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Awesome Pat! So cool to hear. I love the look of the dovetails and this is an easy way to do them quickly. I really want to do some handcut dovetails in the near future, but this is a great way to get started. Thanks so much for commenting and watching! :)

[@jimrosson6702]

Great video thanks for sharing

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Thanks so much Jim! I appreciate you watching!

[@rob4121]

just picked up the 4215 for the smaller dovetails can't wait to use it

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Oh nice! Sometimes I wish I would have gotten that one. I think you made a great choice!

[@lauramarshall6376]

I bought this when I was taking a dovetail class, looked just for curiosity, and Amazon had it for $300 (1/2 price). Couldn't resist. But .. haven't opened the box yet. Today I was making a box and wanted to use it, but quit before I got started because ... other stuff to do. Found this video - perfect timing. Thanks.

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Haha! Funny how things work out like that! There are no coincidences a wise man once told me. Thanks so much for watching and commenting Laura!

[@Ted_James]

That sure is a complicated tool, but it cranks out some nice precision dovetails. Looking forward to seeing what you build with this. Nice work!

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Yessir! it definitely has a lot of knobs and twisty parts! Once you play around with it a bit it's not too difficult, but I always have to relearn it every time I dust it off! Thanks so much for watchign and commenting Ted!

[@michaelkelley6905]

I’ve never done any dovetail joinery before. I think I want to learn to do them by hand before I switch to the mechanical means. Lots less expensive, too. Eastern saw, Sharp chisel, mallet. Lots more challenging to be sure. I’d think I’ll have a better understanding of how they should work, doing them by hand. Your video sure looked easy! Great content, well presented.

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

I totally hear you Michael! I've done a few dovetails by hand and they are definitely worth learning and doing! You can also do so many very pretty ones by hand so the possibilities are endless. Thank you so much for commenting and watching!

[@cristianvel619]

I have this and feel like no matter how much I adjust, I can’t get good dovetails. They’re either too tight or too loose. The box joints come out much better though. Im glad you made this video though, I’ll be making drawers soon and wanted to review your steps. I am a dummy, so maybe I was doing something wrong. Thanks for the video 👍.

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

You know, I would tend to agree with you. It can be difficult to really get a perfect fit. I will have to admit a lot of times I’ll just tell myself “good enough”. I’m going to be spending some more time with this jig this year, so hopefully I will learn a few more tricks with it. Excellent to hear about the box joints. I have honestly never tried doing the box joints with it. Now you’ve got me intrigued! Thank you so much for watching and commenting mmgross144!

[@ginadonato2142]

Imagine you used this for your beautiful dressers for your family!

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

You know the funny thing is I didn’t! That was actually the project where I decided to buy it (after the fact!). Hope you guys are doing well!

[@metronyc2855]

Thanks, Nice video. Makes me want to blow the dust off my PC Dovetail Jig. Maybe you can show how to flip the stock to cut the other side so that all sides fit.

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Oh man, great point metronyc. I probably should have covered that in the video! It’s one of those tools that you absolutely need when you don’t have it, and then it often sits for long periods of time without use! Give that old PC some love! 😂

[@kenerickson4923]

I ordered a jig from MLCS when my grandsons were babies. I have yet to cut a dovetail with it. They are now driving cars. 😂 I actually opened the box a couple of years ago, but I had a project that I needed to do, so it went back in the box.

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Haha! I think that is a lot of peoples experience with these jigs. They are great when they are being used, but man can they collect dust in the shop. Too funny about your grandsons. Thanks so much for making me laugh this morning Ken!

[@kenerickson4923]

@@FlynndoggWoodwork I would rather have people laugh with me instead of laughing at me.

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

@@kenerickson4923 Haha! I have a bad tendency to have people laughing around me. Never can tell if they are laughing at me or with me! :)

[@hnelg]

i have a 1/4 inch dewalt with plung and fixed base will the bits and bushing guides fit?

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Yessir, I think that should work just fine. The bushings are standard and you can get this jig in 1/2 inch and 1/4 inch shanks I beleive. Best of luck to you and thanks for watching Hnelg!

[@hnelg]

@FlynndoggWoodwork thank you I enjoyed your video awesome job,

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

@@hnelg My pleasure, thanks so much!

[@steelsunpi]

I inherited an old Craftsman version that I have to figure out how to use. It's very similar, yet enough differences to make me pull my hair out.

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Oh wow! That’s cool! I never realized they made a version of it! Probably back from the old Sears days! Thank you so much for sharing and best of luck to you!

[@berserker6702]

How wide workpieces can be processed in it? The strength is indicated according to the manufacturer, but not the width.

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Good question berserker! I don't have mine accessible at the moment, but I believe it is at least 12'' if not a little more. There are actually 2 sizes I believe a mini and a deluxe. I think the deluxe (which is the one shown in the video) can accommodate a little bit more

[@berserker6702]

@@FlynndoggWoodwork Well, it's a bit too little for my applications, double the width would be better Thank you for answering

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

@@berserker6702 gotcha! Best of luck to you, I'm wondering if another brand might be better. Love the username by the way. Reminds me of the movie clerks! :)

[@casperlarsen2387]

ok but why not use cmt300? there you route them both at the same time🤔

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Interesting, I'm not familiar with that jig. But now that you've mentioned it I'm definitely going to check it out. Thanks for sharing and watching!

[@GOLDFOLDS1]

THIS GUY HOLDS HIS ARMS LIKE A 'T-REX' HAHAH TrexDogg

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Haha! I'll take that as a compliment! Thanks for watchign Goldfolds1!

[@themeat5053]

Dogg man, who's the man? You, Dogg man! The Porter-Cable may be safer, but it's not cooler. Porter-Cable is assuming I will put the correct bits in the corresponding containers, but I'm that guy. Do the bits have numbers etched into them in case me, the dummy, screws it up and puts the wrong bit into the wrong container? Dogg, great instructional video. Here at the Meat studio, we like those tight joints.

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Haha! You sound like me! Great questions. On the bits. I need to take a look at them to see! You can definitely tell between the two when you compare the sizes, but if they got mixed up with the other dovetail bits in your collection. That may be a problem! BTW, I bought all the items to make the router sled you convinced me to make. Supposed to arrive today, super excited to give it a try!

[@themeat5053]

@@FlynndoggWoodwork Router sled, router sled, router sled! You are the man, Dogg man. You are a good instructor. You remind me of when I was in the Army with all the repetitive comments. That's how bricks like me learn to remember stuff. Anyway, we all love you here at the Meat studio. Let's get going...

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

@jtmin1 you are too kind jtmin1! Great idea on the mini templates. I will have to learn how to use them myself, as I have never used them, but I can't imagine the setup is too different from the larger ones. Thank you so much for the kind comment and thanks for watching! :)

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

@@themeat5053 Haha! I think I'm only repetitive, because I forget what I'm saying 1/2 the time. Sometimes i even forget where I'm at! :) Thanks so much Meat! Thanks for your service as well!

[@danlayman2194]

🤙🌴

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

Thanks for watching Dan!

[@MiklaDfar]

LOL!!! You skip right over how to setup the router, especially if it is not a porter cable.

[@FlynndoggWoodwork]

I go over the router setup in this video. Not sure what you are referring to. Thanks for watching!