question for akeda DT jig owners

[Zach England]

Yesterday I got my bc24 dovetail jig (yay) and I've read the manual and am ready to cut some dovetails today, but one thing remains unclear to me. Right behind the "window" there is a black plastic block that slides to the left or right along the length of the jig. I cannot find anything about it in the manual and it does not seem to appear in the illustrations. Maybe I missed it?

Anyway, what does this peice do?

Thanks.

[john hanes]

It sounds to me like it is the cover for the dust collection port.

[Zach England]

I thought it was related to dust collection, too, but I don't see how it could impact the air flow. Here is a picture of the part I am talking about.

[Jim Eller]

I thought it was related to dust collection, too, but I don't see how it could impact the air flow. Here is a picture of the part I am talking about.

It's for support, per Kevan.

[Stephen Edwards]

Please let us know what you think of the jig after you've used it for a while. Thanks.

[Zach England]

My only opinion so far is that having odd-sized bit shanks is extremely annoying because right now I cannot set up two routers for use with the jig. The accessory kit I got has a reducer in it that fits into a half inch collet, but I only have one. I normally like to have one router dedicated to pins and one dedicated to tails. The dust collection is not working that well for me, but I think my DC might be under-powered.

The carbon fiber fingers and guides are nice and the layout is easy from that perspective, but fiddly otherwise. The "fences" as they call them on the sides are not long enough to properly square a board. I need to use a square also. The bit depth setting is visual, which I guess is ok, but not what I am used to.

Does anyone know where I can order another collet reducer? I don't see the on the jig store site.

[roman fedyk]

The collet reducers are available everywhere. These are the same 8mm collet reducers used by other jig makers as well. If you have a Woodcraft or Rockler nearby, you can pick them up there. I think Whiteside also makes some.

[Michael Heffernan]

Zach,

I have the BC24 as well. It is a great jig. Easy to set up and DTs and box joints are repeatable.
As for the 8 mm collet reducer, The Jig Store sells it separately.
http://www.thejigstore.com/create_order.php

Amazon also sells the Whiteside reducer
http://www.amazon.com/WHITESIDE-MACH...0511910&sr=8-2

Depending on what router you have, you can also purchase 8 mm collet chucks. I have a pair of the Bosch 1617EVSPK routers and bought 8mm chucks for both. Easier, to me, to change out the chucks, since I use the 1/2" chucks for other routing operations.

[Michael Heffernan]

Zach,

As far as squaring up your workpiece in the jig, I don't find it to be a problem.
For vertical pieces, if your stock is square, gently pushing the stock up against the guide fingers and to the left or right stops, squares the piece every time for me. Make sure that you secure the pin or tail guides in the jig by snapping them in place down to up. They can snap in place up or down by turning them over. This way, for vertical cuts, they won't flex or come out of the track when you butt you piece against them.
For horizontal clamping, I built an outfeed support box behind the jig, to keep the stock level with the jig clamp. Build it for 3/4" thick stock and have a 1/4" and 1/2" spacer for 1/2" and 1/4" stock respectively. With your work piece laying on the outfeed support, it is easy to square it to the jig stops.
Have fun using the jig.