Frequently asked questions:
1 What is the maximum width board I can use with the ChestMate?
There isn't a maximum width board that can used with the ChestMate Dovetail Jig. Being a jig, it clamps on the board
instead of the board being clamped within a fixture. This is important because many projects, such as blanket chests,
require large boards.
2 Is the spacing of the dovetails predefined with the ChestMate ?
The user defines the spacing of the dovetails that can be as close as 1 3/16 inches or as far apart as the span of the
ChestMate guide path, which is over three inches. Any combination of spacing as well can be used with each project.
3 Why doesn't the spacing of the dovetails have to be symmetrical about the board center line?
They don't have to be symmetrical about the board center line as in most cases they do with bench fixtures. When the
opposite end of the board is to be cut with the ChestMate, the indexing board simply rotates with the rotation of the board
keeping the pattern starting from the original edge.
4 What's an indexing board? Do I have to buy one?
The indexing board is an important part of the ChestMate system. Cutting 3/8 inch deep 1/8 inch wide grooves across a 8
inch wide board and then cutting it into two 4 inch wide boards gives you two boards with grooves spaced exactly the same
from one board to the other. One board used with pins for jig location and one used with tails result in perfectly matched pin
and tail boards. You can use the indexing boards over again as well.
5 Does the ChestMate accept boards that are not perfectly flat?
Unlike a fixture that must flatten the entire width of a board with a cross bar or other means to keep the board edge the same
relative to an array of template profiles, The ChestMate Dovetail Jig uses the project board only six inches at a time easily
flattening with its robust clamping screws that portion of the board located under the pin template.
6 How does the ChestMate allow the making of wide pins and tails without additional templates?
By cutting indexing grooves close together, the cutter path of the dovetail bit overlaps the previous cut making a wider tail.
The corresponding grooves on the pin board locate the cutter for the pins and the crafter simply uses the left side of the pin
template to create the first side of the pin and at the next indexing kerf, the right side is used to generate the second side of
the pin.
7 Can the router cut be backed up on both sides which will help eliminate splintering?
Without backing up the front and the back of the project board, splintering is almost guaranteed. With the ChestMate, the
indexing board backs up the rear surface and the front back up board that is screwed to the jig backs up the front surface.
8 Can different features be cut within the same pattern?
The pattern can consist of 14 degree dovetails, 7 degree dovetails and two box joint sizes. The appropriate inserts are
simply added to the jig at the designated kerfs of the indexing board. Changing cutters on the same pattern requires the
cutters to be set at the same depth. This can be accomplished with a home made depth setting gage for the cutters.
9 What's unique about the box joint accessory? Why not use a table saw?
Continuous box joints can be cut with the ChestMate two boards at a time. Box joint jigs of all kinds have to be adjusted for
the pins to mesh with the tails without gaps. The ChestMate box joint accessory allows for precision adjustment. Also, unlike
table saw box joints, the bottom of router cut box joints are smooth.
10 How does the ChesMate become a mortise maker? I thought the ends of mortises where square.
The mortising accessory allows the machining of a groove, as deep as your plunge router and bits allow, accurately parallel
to project edges. Mortises typically are square cornered. However, a tenon with rounded edges fits nicely into a machined
groove, or round cornered mortise.
11 Can I use thinner stock with the ChestMate ?
Yes and different combinations of thinner stock as well.
12 Can I use thicker stock with the ChestMate?
You can use a thicker tail board with a normal thickness (13/16 inch ) pin board providing your tools allow the machining of a
deeper pin to match the thicker tail board.
13 A doweling accessory? Do people still dowel?
Using biscuits is fast. Faster than doweling. However, sometimes a biscuit profile appears on the outside surface of the
project. The biscuit swells causing the wood to swell resulting in that swollen area of the board to receive more sanding,
resulting in a different absorption of stain. This doesn't always happen. With dowels, it doesn't happen.
14 Can I make half blind dovetails with the ChestMate?
No. Half blind dovetails are usually used for drawers which are seldom more that 12 inches high. You can purchase small
dovetail fixtures for this purpose. They are reasonably priced, some even underpriced.
15 Can I download ChestMate Instructions?
Yes. Color instructions that are too expensive to print for sale are being prepared for down loading in PDF format.
16 What are random box joints?
They are square cuts spaced as the crafter wants through a indexing board.
17 Are the ROUTER BITS USED WITH THE ChestMate difficult to find?
No. Just search one at a time "3/4 inch wide 14 degree dovetail bit" "5/16 inch diameter straight router bit" for making
standard dovetails. Search "5/8 inch wide 7 degree dovetail bit" for the narrow dovetail you use the ChestMate for and "3/8
inch diameter straight dovetail bit" for the straight cutter used with the ChestMate accessories. Bits with carbide edges are
far superior to those without.
18 Is the router follower bushing a standard diameter?
Yes. The diameter is 5/8 inches and does not want to protrude more than 1/2 inch.
19 Is your ChestMate the same ChestMate Prazi sells?
Yes. We license Prazi to sell to retailers. On this site, the inventor's site, we retail the same ChestMate assembled by us,
inspected by us and represented by us directly when you have questions using the ChestMate bought form this site.
20 Why do dovetail fixtures that do some of the same things as the ChestMate cost so much?
They are very large, have many die cast parts, foundry cast parts, many CNC machined parts and many turned parts. The
ChestMate Dovetail Jig doesn't.
21 Once I learn how to use an expensive bench top fixture, can I turn out dove tails faster than using the
ChestMate?
Probably.
22 Why have you advertised the ChestMate instructions can be put away after one project?
Once you understand the simplicity of the indexing board and latitude you have making one, all there is to remember is how
to use it with the ChestMate.
23 Are all the parts inspected before being shipped.
They are not only inspected and "tuned" when needed, ChestMate Dovetail Jigs sold from this site are completely
assembled eliminating any surprises during the first project.
24 Do you accept returns?
Definitely for damaged goods. If someone calls telling us that maybe "dovetailing is over their head", we will take it back.
However, we try to present the whole product as it really is on this website and hope that people that purchase from us have
done their homework. We don't want any unhappy wood workers.
25 What kind of guarantee comes with the ChestMate?
ChestMates with accessories purchased from this site are guaranteed by L. Douglas, LLC as well as Prazi USA against
wear and fatigue form normal use as long as you own the product.
1 What is the maximum width board I can use with the ChestMate?
There isn't a maximum width board that can used with the ChestMate Dovetail Jig. Being a jig, it clamps on the board
instead of the board being clamped within a fixture. This is important because many projects, such as blanket chests,
require large boards.
2 Is the spacing of the dovetails predefined with the ChestMate ?
The user defines the spacing of the dovetails that can be as close as 1 3/16 inches or as far apart as the span of the
ChestMate guide path, which is over three inches. Any combination of spacing as well can be used with each project.
3 Why doesn't the spacing of the dovetails have to be symmetrical about the board center line?
They don't have to be symmetrical about the board center line as in most cases they do with bench fixtures. When the
opposite end of the board is to be cut with the ChestMate, the indexing board simply rotates with the rotation of the board
keeping the pattern starting from the original edge.
4 What's an indexing board? Do I have to buy one?
The indexing board is an important part of the ChestMate system. Cutting 3/8 inch deep 1/8 inch wide grooves across a 8
inch wide board and then cutting it into two 4 inch wide boards gives you two boards with grooves spaced exactly the same
from one board to the other. One board used with pins for jig location and one used with tails result in perfectly matched pin
and tail boards. You can use the indexing boards over again as well.
5 Does the ChestMate accept boards that are not perfectly flat?
Unlike a fixture that must flatten the entire width of a board with a cross bar or other means to keep the board edge the same
relative to an array of template profiles, The ChestMate Dovetail Jig uses the project board only six inches at a time easily
flattening with its robust clamping screws that portion of the board located under the pin template.
6 How does the ChestMate allow the making of wide pins and tails without additional templates?
By cutting indexing grooves close together, the cutter path of the dovetail bit overlaps the previous cut making a wider tail.
The corresponding grooves on the pin board locate the cutter for the pins and the crafter simply uses the left side of the pin
template to create the first side of the pin and at the next indexing kerf, the right side is used to generate the second side of
the pin.
7 Can the router cut be backed up on both sides which will help eliminate splintering?
Without backing up the front and the back of the project board, splintering is almost guaranteed. With the ChestMate, the
indexing board backs up the rear surface and the front back up board that is screwed to the jig backs up the front surface.
8 Can different features be cut within the same pattern?
The pattern can consist of 14 degree dovetails, 7 degree dovetails and two box joint sizes. The appropriate inserts are
simply added to the jig at the designated kerfs of the indexing board. Changing cutters on the same pattern requires the
cutters to be set at the same depth. This can be accomplished with a home made depth setting gage for the cutters.
9 What's unique about the box joint accessory? Why not use a table saw?
Continuous box joints can be cut with the ChestMate two boards at a time. Box joint jigs of all kinds have to be adjusted for
the pins to mesh with the tails without gaps. The ChestMate box joint accessory allows for precision adjustment. Also, unlike
table saw box joints, the bottom of router cut box joints are smooth.
10 How does the ChesMate become a mortise maker? I thought the ends of mortises where square.
The mortising accessory allows the machining of a groove, as deep as your plunge router and bits allow, accurately parallel
to project edges. Mortises typically are square cornered. However, a tenon with rounded edges fits nicely into a machined
groove, or round cornered mortise.
11 Can I use thinner stock with the ChestMate ?
Yes and different combinations of thinner stock as well.
12 Can I use thicker stock with the ChestMate?
You can use a thicker tail board with a normal thickness (13/16 inch ) pin board providing your tools allow the machining of a
deeper pin to match the thicker tail board.
13 A doweling accessory? Do people still dowel?
Using biscuits is fast. Faster than doweling. However, sometimes a biscuit profile appears on the outside surface of the
project. The biscuit swells causing the wood to swell resulting in that swollen area of the board to receive more sanding,
resulting in a different absorption of stain. This doesn't always happen. With dowels, it doesn't happen.
14 Can I make half blind dovetails with the ChestMate?
No. Half blind dovetails are usually used for drawers which are seldom more that 12 inches high. You can purchase small
dovetail fixtures for this purpose. They are reasonably priced, some even underpriced.
15 Can I download ChestMate Instructions?
Yes. Color instructions that are too expensive to print for sale are being prepared for down loading in PDF format.
16 What are random box joints?
They are square cuts spaced as the crafter wants through a indexing board.
17 Are the ROUTER BITS USED WITH THE ChestMate difficult to find?
No. Just search one at a time "3/4 inch wide 14 degree dovetail bit" "5/16 inch diameter straight router bit" for making
standard dovetails. Search "5/8 inch wide 7 degree dovetail bit" for the narrow dovetail you use the ChestMate for and "3/8
inch diameter straight dovetail bit" for the straight cutter used with the ChestMate accessories. Bits with carbide edges are
far superior to those without.
18 Is the router follower bushing a standard diameter?
Yes. The diameter is 5/8 inches and does not want to protrude more than 1/2 inch.
19 Is your ChestMate the same ChestMate Prazi sells?
Yes. We license Prazi to sell to retailers. On this site, the inventor's site, we retail the same ChestMate assembled by us,
inspected by us and represented by us directly when you have questions using the ChestMate bought form this site.
20 Why do dovetail fixtures that do some of the same things as the ChestMate cost so much?
They are very large, have many die cast parts, foundry cast parts, many CNC machined parts and many turned parts. The
ChestMate Dovetail Jig doesn't.
21 Once I learn how to use an expensive bench top fixture, can I turn out dove tails faster than using the
ChestMate?
Probably.
22 Why have you advertised the ChestMate instructions can be put away after one project?
Once you understand the simplicity of the indexing board and latitude you have making one, all there is to remember is how
to use it with the ChestMate.
23 Are all the parts inspected before being shipped.
They are not only inspected and "tuned" when needed, ChestMate Dovetail Jigs sold from this site are completely
assembled eliminating any surprises during the first project.
24 Do you accept returns?
Definitely for damaged goods. If someone calls telling us that maybe "dovetailing is over their head", we will take it back.
However, we try to present the whole product as it really is on this website and hope that people that purchase from us have
done their homework. We don't want any unhappy wood workers.
25 What kind of guarantee comes with the ChestMate?
ChestMates with accessories purchased from this site are guaranteed by L. Douglas, LLC as well as Prazi USA against
wear and fatigue form normal use as long as you own the product.
TM
| Conceptual Product Design L.Douglas, LLC ChestMate DrillGadget 8 Candleberry Court, Bourne, MA 02532 |
| ChestMate Dovetail Jig & Accessories |
Inventor's Presentation Site and Sales
I believe that all wood workers are artists. There's a need to
express ourselves through our projects, that are often gifts for
people important to us. Making dovetails should be part of the
process without challenging our ability to make and utilize we
want on any size board as well. It's only important to get what we
want on any size board as well. It's only important to get what we
envision. That's why the ChestMate is so rewarding...Always we
envision. That's why the ChestMate is so rewarding...Always
work carefully...Larry Douglas
express ourselves through our projects, that are often gifts for
people important to us. Making dovetails should be part of the
process without challenging our ability to make and utilize we
want on any size board as well. It's only important to get what we
want on any size board as well. It's only important to get what we
envision. That's why the ChestMate is so rewarding...Always we
envision. That's why the ChestMate is so rewarding...Always
work carefully...Larry Douglas
