# Dovetail Joint Help



## chd1287 (Dec 10, 2013)

I've decided to build a shelf/bookcase in my boy's room, and to use dovetail joints. While I have seen every episode of New Yankee Workshop, the actual extent of my woodworking experience has been in my garage with a circular saw cutting dimensional lumber and using butt joints. I do live on an Air Force base though and have access to a full woodshop, so the equipment isn't an issue. They even have a Porter Cable Omnijig that I plan on using to create the joints. Unfortunately, no one in the shop actually knows how to use it. Kind of a waste. I feel that using some scrap wood and using trial and error, I should be able to figure it out, but I'd rather have some idea of what I'm doing before hand. Does anyone have any particularly helpful step-by-step guides or videos on how to create dovetails and how to use the omnijig? Thanks in advance.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*have you tried You Tube?*


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## Noek (Jan 26, 2013)

I have a PC 4216 and the instruction booklet was very well written. I started by going to a big box store and purchasing a few 1/2 X 4 and 3/4 X 4 pine boards (around 6' long) and cutting them down with my miter saw into little pieces to practice on, making simple through dovetails and then moving on to half blinds, etc. 

The Omnijig looks a lot like the Leigh jig so it may be more complicated than the 4210(6). I would definitely stick to the instruction manual.

24" Omnijig 77240

If you don't get good at making them by hand (like me), at least doing it a few times will help you understand how the jigs work and how to make tighter/looser fits.


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## bladeburner (Jun 8, 2013)

Unless your spatial relations ability are excellent (will be if you're a fighter jock), you'll waste a lot of time gutting it out. 'woodnthings' has given you a good place to start. View some short vids on utube and put your hands on the T-1 for that jig, and understand it as well as you can. Good luck and have fun!


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