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Lignatool Dovetail Mortise & Tenon Template

Dovetail mortise and tenon template

Make dovetails as if you owned a CNC wood milling machine, using this solid, well-designed tool!

Make accurate, tight-fitting dovetails with a heavy-duty router.

Work faster. 
Cut a mortise and tenon in minutes. 

Work smarter.
Cut dovetails, even on compound angles and make stronger connections with ease. NOW: SET SCALES FOR EASY SET-UP, WITH EVERY SYSTEM 

Work safer.
Router locks onto the guide plate, preventing kick-back if you hit a knot. NOW more safety: UPPER DUST DEFLECTOR, WITH EVERY SYSTEM!

 

CautionSAFETY NOTE:

LIGNATOOL features two very important safety features that no other competitive product ever even dreamt of.

1. The Lignatool milling bit is built with a 20 mm shank, (bigger than 3/4"!), which is an absolute must to withstand rated 24,000 rpm that most routers run at. It fastens straight into router shaft end. No adapter required. 

2. When milling into any wood, especially knotty material, it is possible for kick-back to knock an unsecured router off its path. At worst, you may be injured. If you're lucky, you only damage the bit, the template, or the piece you are working on.

This is NOT a problem with the LIGNATOOL. Lignatool LOCKS THE ROUTER SECURELY and SAFELY into a guide plate. The guide plate easily leads the router in any direction around the template until the tenon or mortise is completed.

How to mill a Dovetail Mortise and Tenon

Mounting tenon template with screws
1. Mount tenon template with clamps or wood screws
Position router on guide plate
2. Adjust the milling depth on the router with the setting gauge, on the tenon template ONLY.
Adjusting milling depth
3. Set tenon length with set levers on fence. Position router into guide plate with a 90° rotation
Milling the tenon
4. Mill the tenon, with the router securely locked into guide plate

The tenon is done.

Now mill the mortise »

 
Adjust mortise template
5. Define the length of the mortise, adjust the mortise template scale with set levers on fence.
Fasten mortise template
6. Fasten mortise template with clamps or wood screws
Position router into guide plate
7. Position router into guide plate with a 90° rotation
Milling the mortise
8. Mill the mortise, with the router securely locked into guide plate
Dovetail mortise and tenon
9. Done! With a slight tenon-to-mortise overlap that is pounded downward for a secure, tight fit. Simple, fast and precise, a superb wood-to-wood connection.

What you can do with the Lignatool template system - Project Examples:

1. Cutting a compound wood-to-wood connection

2. Cutting joists for a floor system in just 3 days.

This is from a TimberTools customer. With the templates and a heavy-duty router, he fitted floor joists by cutting dovetails with the templates.

He thought it would take him several WEEKS, but he finished his multi-story floor system in just 3 DAYS.

Note the "thumbs up" in the last picture.

cutting a tenondovetail joinery rafterscompleted dovetail tenonusing the tenon template

 

3. Below: Examples of work by Lignatool customers.

                                                dovetail mortise and tenon in jack rafter  

4. Examples of joinery possible with the Lignatool

   

A Close-up Look

Sliding track

The sliding track in the base plate, from which the fence is adjusted, defining the dovetail length.

Angle and height adjustable fence - allows you to cut compound angles repeatedly. The small bottom lever locks the angle adjustment plate, which serves also as the fence for the adjustment of the length of the dovetail. The large lever on the top is the locking lever for the dovetail height fence, which slides up and down in the sliding track of the base plate.

Side fence -  Sliding side fence, mounted on the adjustable stop fence, used in repeated work where the position relative to the side of the timber is the same from one dovetail to the next. It can be mounted on left or right.

 

What you can do with Lignatool Dovetail Mortise and Tenon Templates

Dovetail mortise and tenon in detailMake tight dovetail joints without gaps.

  • For visible connections or exterior use
  • Eliminate sqeaks in floor joists.
  • Join hip or valley rafters.
  • Make complicated connections where only steel would normally do.

Make 15 connections / hour

  • Easily produce 15 connections per hour by using LignaTool's smart clamping accessories.

Requires heavy-duty router 2000 Watts or higher

Use with almost any cross section of wood

  • Mill cross sections from 2" x 2 ” to 8" x 14” with the same template.

Cut wet timber.

Rout in any direction from any side, left or right.

  • The system permits you to allow for quality and grain direction of the wood for the cleanest tear-free milling.

Repeat clamping quickly with additional side fence

Cut compound angles repeatedly using angle adjustable fence.

  • Movable in 2 directions to 51°, important when cutting rafter/purlins

Adjust fence in infinite increments.

  • Tenon height can be set at any position, which is important for compound angles.

Mill to different depths.

  • Change ball-bearing collar rings to achieve different mill depths, important when joining dimensional lumber. (Ask for more information)

Mill at different milling angles.

  • Use 8° or 15° router mill bits

Use reversible, quick-change replaceable blades.

Use anywhere: in the workshop or on site.

Four Dovetail Shapes, Four Pitches to match timber width

Regardless which pitch you need for your first job, you can buy the other base plates by themselves later, without buying a whole other kit. The other components of the kit will work with all the base plates.

Exception: LT 180 template is of larger overall size.

Chart of dimensions to use with each profile

Regardless of which version you buy, you can always add individual components later as you need them.

Three Lignatool Kits to Choose From
Starter Kit Pro Kit Complete Kit
Most economical, everything you need to get started, yet allowing you to add to the modular system as you may need, includes a Simplex fence bracket for repetitive, least changing sizes. Most popular, as it adds adjustable fences, dust protection shield. A fully-implemented system, which includes all available accessories for the fastest, most efficient routing of dovetail connections.
Tenon Template Tenon Template Tenon Template
Mortise Template Mortise Template Mortise Template
Router locking plate Router locking plate Router locking plate
Simplex block fence for repetitive cuts   Simplex block fence for repetitive cuts
Systainer case Systainer case Systainer case
15° milling bit 15° milling bit 15° milling bit
Depth setting gauge Depth setting gauge Depth setting gauge
Clip-on dust shield Clip-on dust shield Clip-on dust shield
Measuring scales Measuring scales Measuring scales
  Angle adjustable fence Angle adjustable fence
    Adjustable vertical fence
    Quick-locking clamp
    Vertical dust shield
    Side fence for repeatable side positioning

Specify your desired pitch when you order.

Other Parts and Accessories Available Separately

Upgrade your Lignatool. In addition to the parts listed and priced in our store below, the following items can be purchased separately. Please contact us directly to order:

Side fenceSide fence for repeatable side positioning - can be mounted on left or right.

Clip on dust shield

Depth setting gauge

Router guide with router base plate

Compatible Heavy-Duty Routers

Lignatool requires a heavy-duty router. We have tested Lignatool with the following routers and have found them compatible. Save $100 when you buy a Scheer router together with the Lignatool Dovetail Mortise and Tenon Templates.

CUSTOMER NOTE:
 
Often we get asked whether their heaviest-duty "XYZ" router make will work with the Lignatool system. We can state categorically it will not. Only if you already own one of the 4 makes we mention in our pages, can you be assured they have the initial power to force through 1” deep material, in one pass. Only the Scheer and Mafell routers have the sustaining power to keep working continually.
 
Therefore if you plan on using the Lignatool system often, it pays to consider the sustainability of the router at 1" cutting depth. The others are "Commercial" duty routers who have the initial power, but do not have the sustaining power.
 
We will include a router plate to match one of these routers (Mafell LO65, Festool 2300, Scheer HM25, Makita 2301). When ordering, please specify the make of your router.  
Festool router
Festool OF 2000 Router (110V)

Festool OF 2200 Router
(Contact your dealer to purchase)

 

 

 

Products

Lignatool Starter Kit
Lignatool Starter Kit
$ 3740.00

Lignatool Pro Kit
Lignatool Pro Kit
$ 4915.00

Lignatool Complete Kit
Lignatool Complete Kit
$ 5815.00

15° Milling Bits for Lignatool Templates
15° Milling Bits for Lignatool Templates
$ 690.00
Qty
8 Degree Milling Bit for Lignatool
8 Degree Milling Bit for Lignatool
Please call us at 1-800-350-8176 to order.
Green wood bit
Green wood bit
Please call us at 1-800-350-8176 to order.
Reversible knife for router milling bit (10-pack), 15 deg.
Reversible knife for router milling bit (10-pack), 15 deg.
$ 170.00
Qty
Reversible knife for router milling bit (10-pack), 8 deg.
Reversible knife for router milling bit (10-pack), 8 deg.
Please call us at 1-800-350-8176 to order.
Collar ring with bearing
Collar ring with bearing
$ 97.10
Qty
Gift certificates