93, страница 35

REDUCE CHIPOUT

An L-shaped clamping block the same thickness as your workpiece keeps the clamping bar from "racking" so they'll apply consistent pressure across the workpiece. Then, once you have a perfect cut, rout a dovetail in the block to use as a depth gauge for your next project.

Chipout sometimes occurs on drawer sides. One trick that can eliminate chipout is making a light scoring cut along the front of the drawer side before cutting the dovetails. You can also start with wider workpieces and then trim them to size, removing any tearout that may occur at the edges.

• ..... ... ^ .

A platform, like the workcenter on page 36, gives you extra height to make routing| dovetails more comfortable. You can better see what you're doing while routing at eye level.

,

MAKE SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS

Cup or twist in a workpiece will cause trouble getting a proper fit Plus, make sure the ends of the workpieces are square, otherwise you'll get a poor fit and your drawer may be twisted.

Don't try to adjust too many things at once. Taking it one small step at a time is the best way to hone in on a flush joint and snug fit.

Some jigs have a rough surface on the clamping bars to securely hold the workpiece. If yours doesn't, add some self-adhesive sandpaper to the clamping bars of your jig for extra holding power.

SECURE THE WORKPIECE

Fine-Tune Your Results