Official Luthiers Forum!

When using a dovetail router bit with mortise and tenon templates, do you set the depth for the bit to the complete depth or gradually increase the depth and use multiple passes to cut the mortise and tenon? It makes sense to me to make multiple passes at increasing depth, but I can't figure out how to do this with a dovetail bit without destroying the dovetail undercut in the wood. How do you guys do it?
Thanks,
Bill

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Formerly know as Mandodiddle.

With a dovetail you have to do it in one cut.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

You have to go to depth. If you think you can set and take shallow cuts, the angle of the cutter will actually widen the cut so that your block would be useless. The angle / \ as you can see would be destroyed as you deepen the cut.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Cut first with a straight bit, up to the widest part (the end) of the tenon and outside (narrowest) edge of the mortise.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I use the Stewmac template which is slides so that is how I ease into it a little at a time but you do have to go full depth. You can remove most of the wood with a straight bit as Howard mentions though.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Thanks all. I'll try both methods and see what works in my hands.
Bill

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Formerly know as Mandodiddle.

I do it in one roughing pass with a 3/4" diameter carbide dovetail bit (14 degree) to about 17/32" depth.
There is a thin brass sleeve slipped over the router bushing for the rough pass then removed for the finish pass.
Works good until the bit starts to dull then have to push harder.
I use a dedicated router so don't have to be resetting the bit.
A roughing pass with straight bit in a second dedicated router doesn't sound like a bad idea.
Nelson