Dovetail Jig How To Video

You most likely weren't even born yet when I took wood shop in high school. I wish I'd had you as my teacher. I found my way to your channel to learn how to do this. After watching this video I'm confident I can! Thank you!

FYI, your front and sides are swapped. You want the pins on the front so the joint resists pulling apart when opening the drawer.

FINALLY! a video that "actually" shows you how to use this Jig. This video just poped into my feed and I am so glad that it did. So many wood working videos gloss over details to feed the "algorhythm"

Dude. You have a major talent for teaching. This was right on point and kept my attention throughout. Everything was highly relevant and tightly focused. I now know how to use my jig because of your instruction. Very well done.

This is the single-most useful dovetail jig video online right now. THANK YOU!

Being totally new to woodworking, thanks for your video. Your closeup of the instructions on the side of the jig helped explain things a lot. Namely that 2 router bits are used, and the pieces you cut explained the relationship of the cuts to the jig. Square profile of the jig -with dovetail bit going through creating a straight channel on the side of the drawer,the more angular shaped side of the jig recreating the matching dovetail by cutting it with a straight bit.Flipping the same side rather than rotating it made sense if you were not using the centre of the side to decide on the positioning to avoid /match errors.

I have been hand cutting dovetails for 40 years but arthritis is getting to me. A friend recently gave me the same jig so I can keep making boxes and drawers. Thanks for the video.

Ugh….you’re such a great teacher….you share so thoroughly….I’m so disappointed that you haven’t made any other videos….and hope you feel inspired to hit that record button again soon :)) Thanks so much!!

This is by far the best instructional video on the Porter Cable Dovetail Jig I have seen. You are a fine teacher.

You have a talent for teaching. This is the best video on dovetails I have seen. Thanks for sharing!

Mr. Anderson, my last woodshop class was in junior high school in 1976. Now in my old age I'm coming back to woodworking. Your video really helped me figure out the Porter Cable jig. Thank you!

Thanks for sharing! Don’t quit your day job! That’s a joke…..you’re really good at teaching! Keep ‘em coming!

Ryan needs to make many more videos, and we can all make this channel rocks.

Ryan, you should have setup an Amazon affiliation so you get a small percentage when us folks buy this. You sold me man!

I love the way you taught this. As a teacher myself (not tech ed) I appreciate your delivery method. Your students are lucky to have you as a teacher!!!

Great video. I just purchased the jig and the instructions on setting bit depth are inadequate. Your marking method is foolproof. Thanks for the help.

Best teacher and video I’ve seen. I’ve watched many videos and this is point on. I’m not afraid to try this now!

Really appreciate your time here. You are a great instructor..this helped me a lot!

Excellent instruction ! Thank you for posting

Excellent video showing the good, bad, and ugly. Excellent educational video. Thanks for sharing your extensive hard-earned knowledge.

Excellent Video Ryan - Thank You!

I have had this jig sitting in my garage for a few years. The other day I thought I would try to figure out how to make the through dovetails using the mini template. I have been looking at the manual and watching KZhead videos while trying to make some do this for 3 days. After watching your video, it started making sense as far as how to do this and not have two corners diagonally from each other being either too high or too low. As soon as I started flipping the tail sideboards end for end instead of spinning the pieces 180 degrees it started to work. Thank you for posting this video. I think I should remember how to do this after doing things wrong for 3 days. I am sure when I use the larger template it will work the same way. I am running out of wood to make scrap pieces to learn on. I think I will be able to try a small box using some really nice wood. The wood scrap I have been using is 2 X4's that I cut in half using the bandsaw and sending those through the thickness planer to get all the pieces the same thickness. I think my wife has been thinking I should make a casket for myself after this. Just kidding......

Great video and the most comprehensive I have found for this specific PC Dovetail Jig.

Thanks. This is a great tutorial. Thanks for pointing out possible problems. It looks like you could have easily done the joint right the first time, but showing us what might go wrong and how to fix it helps. I'm ready to try one!

You make me wish i could go back to school and have you as my shop teacher. Great video!!!!!!!!

Ryan - totally fabulous video. VERY explanatory. I used my 4213 jig several years ago, and you brought me right back up to speed. No head scratching required! Thank you Thank you!! Porter Cable should include this video in their packaging - save a lot of time for buyer - they OWE you!!

Very nice explanation. My Dad gave me his old jig and I had no idea how it worked until now. Thanks

Succinct and covers all the bases. An excellent example of effective information presentation. Many thanks!

Awesome video!!!! Had to comment twice because this is the perfect video. Thank you….

Thanks for the tutorial, nice job. My jig arrived today, and after watching your video I'm going to attempt to cut my first dovetails right now!!

if this is to kids in say high school, i'd suggest the advice that ends at 7:45 about the letting the router stop, i'd suggest reminding them that if they lift off right before it stops they will get more and more careless with the method, possibly eventually leading to an error... especially in a school setting, but anywhere.

I use the same system and have done a fair amount of dovetailing, you put out a very nice, detailed video. Good job.

I want to say first and foremost what an amazing and educational video. I will definitely be a subscriber going forward. This video was well thought out and to the point in which I was able to understand, and I enjoyed watching it. Companies like Porter Cable would benefit from having you do instructional videos like this in the future for their products. I can tell you after reading Porter Cables instructions I was still at a loss. They need to understand that some people learn from watching instructional videos better than from reading it from a manual. Again thank you and your team for providing a great video. Now it’s time to get some projects done without the frustration.

Very well done. Thank you. If you teach like that in the shop, I hope that your students know how lucky they are. Instant subsrciber. Keep up the good works.

The best how video on dovetails. easy to understand

I’ve had that jig for more than 10 years and have never used it. Now I’m going to try it. Thank you!

wow great video really nice explanation at least now i found out how to use that tool more or less 😆now the only thing missing are the tools & a lot of practice but i will be going back to this video for sure i had no clue on how to use or make dovetails best video so far👍👍👍👍👍👍

This was perfectly demonstrated! Thank you for posting it!

Thanks for the video, well done. Got my new porter cable jig today and plan on trying it out tomorrow. Like the way you measured router bit depth with the wood.

You are a gifted instructor. Thanks.

Looking at buying this thanks for the intro. Really helpful. Those brass adjustment rings are genius!

Please make more videos. The way you instruct is easy to understand. You take the intimidation out of learning something new. You can see by the comments that many people had bought this jig, but let it set for years without trying it. With the encouragement of your video, they now want to try it! I heard one time that the definition of encouragement is “to pour courage in” …..this is what you’re really good at!

Thank you for sharing. I would recommend a very light climb cut from right to left then follow the full guide. It will prevent chip out of the face of the piece you are working on.

You are an excellent teacher, thank you! Finally received the deluxe jig (after 5yrs on my Xmas list) and now I feel completely ready to get started. Happy to have found you and subscribed.

Thanks so much. Great intro to the Porter Cable Dovetail Jig. I just got my jig and this video gave me the confidence and excitement to use it for a project I'm working on. Would love more videos. As a teacher, you may be too busy to do all the editing but I am sure you have students that would love to help (for a small fee of course). Whoever did your video did a great job! You do such a great job of explaining. Good teacher!!!

Thank you Ryan! This was a fantastic video. You are an excellent teacher!

Wonderful!!!! I purchased this jig a couple months back but just now starting to use it. Thank you

Nice job - thank you for taking time to record this, really helped me.

Very comprehensive, Ryan. Thank you.

Liked this video. One thing missing is an explanation of how the jig tightens or loosens the joints. I never done dovetails and do not have a jig such as this. I assume the piece with the dovetails does not get any adjustment; it is what it is. The piece with the fingers is what get adjusted for a nice fit. Since the template for the fingers are angled, sliding the template back or forward will allow for slightly thinner or thicker fingers. Moving the template towards the rear will allow for more material to be taken off creating a thinner finger; this is done if the joint will not go together. Move it forward to make the finger thicker; this is done if the joint is loose.

So well explained, you must be a woodshop teacher! I wish I had your class in school. They teach girls nothing useful in school. This was excellent. Every aspect of the tool explained, and demo of dovetails was illuminating. 3:43 - I spotted a spelling mistake on the tool instructions. Look to the upper left. It should say OFFSET, not OFFEST. Tsk. Tsk. And below that, another spelling mistake. OUTSIDE, not OUTISDE. Porter Cable is hiring semi-literates. This was a beautiful demo. Such a joy. Especially as there was no obnoxious music during the video and my ears don't hurt. Thank you so much, Ryan! Your students are lucky people. Make sure that you have women/girls in your classes too. We need to learn these skills.

Thanks for the video. Very helpful.

Wonderful video for sure. Your students are indeed very lucky!

I don't own one of these. I heard that they were tricky to get set up. Your explanation was great. Very thorough.

I like the green and black color scheme of that Metabo router. It looks cool.

Great tips!! Thank you amazing video…

Great video! Thank you for the clear and concise instruction.

Several years ago I was gifted this dovetail jig (used but very good condition) but it did not include instructions.... admittedly, out of laziness, I have not gone online to find the instructions or a tutorial video. Today, I ran into your KZhead video and, thanks to you, am ready to dust off my dovetail jig and give it a go. THANK YOU so much!

Excellent video, Ryan! Thanks, brother!

1 second ago A well prepared demonstration. I think you gave too little emphasis of the stop blocks on both sides. You mentioned the necessity for them because you were doing more than one drawer, but an actual demonstration of setting the stop blocks would have emphasized their importance by actually showing it. When you had to reset the template a mention that the stop block made sure the pins remained oriented properly as they were deepened. Still a good demonstration of an extremely useful woodworking tool. Thanks.

I have this same jig. Built a nice decided box keep all the parts in. I hardly ever use this jig because it takes so long to fool around with all the setup. I even dedicated 2 routers to this one jig. Unless I absolutely need dove tails, I find a simple box cutting jig works better. Joints are stronger than the wood. Plus 10 times faster to cut. Good video though. Thanks

Great video. I struggled with setting mine up too but you explain the process very clearly. As for setting the bit depth, I didn't trust their system. I use a ~6x6 piece of scrap material of the right thickness, bore a 1.25" hole in the middle and, with the router upside down, use the flanged side of my speed square to adjust the height. Works well for me!

Great run through, thanks for posting it!

Really clear demo and explanation! Thank you!

I’ve had mine now for two years. I use two routers for tail and pin cuts. The Leigh router dovetail jig is my next one to save up for

You did a phenomenal job explaining the process thank you so much

Great job teaching this.

Great video for using this jig. Thank you very much for the help.

Thank you. Great presentation.

excelent Video!! Awesome Teacher!

Good video. You are well read on this machine, a pleasure to see.

Thank you for your video. I just bought the jig and your step by step was a big help !

Great video explanation. You still have tear out on you pin board

This is extremely informative. Thank you for making this video!

Nice video. If I may provide some perspective: I would add that you need to use the centering guide tool to center the router base with collar prior to use. Another addition (and understand you need to be able to speak to instruct), while you stress safety with allowing the router bit to fully stop before moving your router, stress safety with respect to respiration. Wear a respirator (and add some dust collection if you can) to save those lungs. Too much dust is blown around using the router. Thanks for the tutorial. Been a while since I used my jig and this was a great refresher.

Very helpful Ryan. I'm ready to try it on some scrap wood. Then, the nice stuff. :)

Very well done video.

Great job. Keep in mind that during glue up to make sure the box is square during and while clamping !

Hi thanks very much your video was extremely informative clear and precise I can now do dovetails with some knowledge of what to do,cheers

Very well presented

great vid i have the dewalt de6210 which i think is the same as your portercable jig had it for years but never used it but after watching your video i will be getting it back out the box you were very informative and put it in simple terms thank you very much really helped me

Great video. I do wish you had also shown setting up the router. I’m having difficulty setting mine up so was a bit disappointed I couldn’t reference your method.

Need to remember that while you can technically be off center very slightly with your tails because you can flip the board over to keep the same edge to the same edge, you can NOT do this with when cutting the pins. The board must be essentially perfectly symmetric to the pins template guide. If your pins (i.e. front or back) board is off toward one direction even a little, the top/bottom the left side edge of the front & back pin board will interlock warped with the top/bottom alignment of the right side of the on the front & back pin boards by the amount you're asymmetric/off center. That is, if your front pin board for example is offset even 1/32" toward the left on the template guide, your tail (side board) will be higher or lower by 1/32" on the left vs the right result in a twisted box.

Thank you. Very clearly presented.

thanks man really helped me out. gracias for take the time to do the video.

Thanks for this Ryan. I'm getting one of these.

Great video.. very well explained..

Thanks for doing this video. This is very much appreciated

Awesome video! Thanks for sharing!

Great video. I just ordered the jig and will use your video when I get it.

Excellent presentation!

Always found the depth stop gauge to be a pain. Never thought of drawing a reference line. Cool idea!

This is great. Please do more vids.

Incredibly helpful thank you!

Any tips on how to avoid tear out? This is an issue from me, but I noticed you had the same problem. Thanks! Really good video.

Per Porter Cable recommendations, you should have a same thickness scrap along both sides under the top clamp so that the clamp doesn't bend over time. When doing through dovetails this is much less likely to affect your actual drawer board, since the tails and pins board are clamped by the front facing clamp, when doing half blind dovetails, your final workpiece is the one sitting under the top clamp so supporting the clamp along its total length can have an impact.

Great job explaining everything thank you

Great video!

Great video 👍

Well done explanation!