Timber Frame Dovetail Template

Their system lets you create dovetail mortise and tenons for connecting timber without fasteners.

Timber frame dovetail template.

By using a dovetail bit with a template guide and this same setup you can use the straight edge to make the basic sliding dovetail shown above left. Mill the tenon with the router securely locked into. Set tenon length with set levers on fence. The system is comprised of a mortise template and a tenon template.

Mount tenon template with clamps or wood screws 2. The cutting is done with the powerful mafell lo 65ec hand router coupled with the arunda dovetail router bit. You can chisel out mortise and tenon joints in timbers by hand program a cnc milling machine for the task or you can use lignatool s router system. If you create your own template you might be able to get away with not using a metal base but using standard 3 4 hardwood instead.

Position router into guide plate with a 90 rotation 4. 3 75 3 3 4 or 3 3 4 select appropriate angle and overlap to obtain desired log gap. Both have sliding fences built in for quick setup. Log dovetail diagram profile front log dovetail diagram profile end log dovetail diagram profile back log dovetail diagram profile complete enter inches as decimal or inch and fraction separated by spaces.

Imagine how solid a floor system with dovetailed floor joists would be. Next clamp your straight edge exactly where you want the sliding dovetail to go. Use a template guide that has the same outside diameter as your dovetail bit to make measuring simple. The dovetail clamping devices are almost always made from a metal base have some form of clamping system and use pressure rods and a comb sometimes called a template for cutting the dovetails.

It s not hard to fabricate with the arunda jigs.