Derek's Moxon Accessory
#18
Derek, I know that you neither want nor need such, but what do you think of the idea off adding a squaring mechanism a la Barron? I'm thinking that a slot in the jaws could hold a strip that would take care of the vertical and something hanging off the rear jaw would take care of the horizontal. So a vertical spacer to hold the piece and the equivalent of Mr. Barron's square built-in but removable. Combine that with the dovetail clamps - well see,s like a useful idea to me but I have not yet built a Moxon.
Thanks,  Curt
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"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
      -- Soren Kierkegaard
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#19
Hi Curt

I view the David Barron alignment board to be a good concept, and if works for you, then use one. I did build an alignment square into my previous board, which was based on this concept (which was not David’s design, but is just one he made and is known for). There were a couple of reasons it did not work for me ...

Firstly, I have been making a lot of bow-fronted cabinets, with curved drawer fronts. The sides, which are dovetailed, are not square but angled. The Moxon needs the capacity to angle boards. An alignment board would get in the way.

Secondly, my preference is to have some light behind the pin board (when the tail board is placed over it to transfer mark). This makes for accurate positioning, especially with half-blind dovetails. The alignment board cuts off the light. The spacer on my Moxon is set back to allow for more light. If all you are doing is through dovetails, where the depth of the tails is exactly the thickness of the pin board, then both faces can serve as a registration marker.

I did watch a video made by David Barron a few months back. In this he added springs to the inside of the Moxon chop. This looked like an interested and useful modification. What it does is add a little tension as the chop is tightened, and then the chop will spring open when the screw is released (in use, the non-sprung Moxon needs to be pulled apart with fingers). I added a couple of springs (one each side) to mine yesterday, and I really like the effect! It reduces effort to open to absolute nil. The springs are staying.

Regards from Perth

Derek
Articles on furniture building, shop made tools and tool reviews at www.inthewoodshop.com
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#20
The whole topic of alignment guides for dovetailing seems a bit over-wrought to me.  If we are talking about common through-dovetails as in drawer corners, the topic of squareness needs to be addressed at the time the boards are cut to create the pin and tail boards.  Square them as you will: either on the table saw or shooting board.  Squareness is also key as the dovetail baselines are scribed on each board.  After that, the joint's success, including its squareness, is largely dependent on accurate sawing and paring to the original base lines.  Failing to saw and pare to the layout lines is bad news for a good outcome.
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#21
Maybe because I do things bass-ackwards...pins first.....the main accessory I use is my chin.    Pins are done, stand the pin board vertical, set it onto the tail board.   Apply the chin to hold things steady...hands are busy either keeping alignment, or moving a sharp pencil....I mark the locations of the pins.  I saw on the waste side of the marks, leaving as much of the lines as I can...sometimes the entire pencil lines ( that some see as "gaps") as I can always pare to fit.  

So, the more line I leave, the tighter the fit.   Since my eyes can sight down the board, and the chin keeps the board from moving....and one hand keeps the alignment steady.....easy to run the pencil around the pins..

I don't have the bench space for a Moxxon Vise...and, since I usually sit down for joinery saw work...
   
   
Just lay out the joint, cut the joint, assemble the joint.....
Finish...and be ready to start the next job..
   
Joinery work, I usually do at the end of the bench....plane work, I am standing beside the bench.   Moxxon would just be in the way..
Show me a picture, I'll build a project from that
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#22
(10-20-2019, 10:00 AM)Mike Brady Wrote: The whole topic of alignment guides for dovetailing seems a bit over-wrought to me.  If we are talking about common through-dovetails as in drawer corners, the topic of squareness needs to be addressed at the time the boards are cut to create the pin and tail boards.  Square them as you will: either on the table saw or shooting board.  Squareness is also key as the dovetail baselines are scribed on each board.  After that, the joint's success, including its squareness, is largely dependent on accurate sawing and paring to the original base lines.  Failing to saw and pare to the layout lines is bad news for a good outcome.

Mike, all boards start out square. However, it is not the sawing that determines whether the drawer fits flat when done. More important is the accurate transfer of marks - even the slightest deviation will create alignment errors that are later seen when the drawer comes together. The deeper the drawer, the greater the need for accuracy.

Regards from Perth

Derek
Articles on furniture building, shop made tools and tool reviews at www.inthewoodshop.com
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#23
I totally agree Derek.  That's why I said little can be done once the sawing and paring starts. If you over-pare at the base line, for example, that component of the assembly is essentially ruined unless you are working on the first corner of the (drawer side, for example), and have left the other end of that component longer than needed; which I do, by the way;  so that you have another chance at that joint.

An alignment "device or a square " at marking time is just confirming what should have come in the layout and marking steps that came before.  I know of no way to keep the components square to each other during cutting other than trusting the layout and sawing and paring to the layout lines.  It can be checked at trial-assembly time before the glueing begins.
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#24
(10-18-2019, 09:33 AM)Derek Cohen Wrote: [Image: The-Last-Moxon-html-1ff98093.jpg]

Brilliant. When I'm done building the new shop, I'll be making something similar. I have a couple Festool clamps that mostly sit in a box for handling sheet goods (being used heavily these days mind..) that'd be perfect. Looks like gasket material as well. Nice choice.
mike
I ain't a Communist, necessarily, but I've been in the red all my life
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