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Has anyone upgraded their Leigh Dovetail Jig?

B

Bill Grumbine

Member
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252
Location
Kutztown PA
Greetings all

I have a Leigh D3 dovetail jig, which gets used from time to time - not as much as I would like, but it does get used. I get a little frustrated with the wee little plastic stops for aligning the wood square to the jig. So I started lusting after the D4. But then I noticed the upgrade kit, which is a whole lot less money and hassle than selling the D3 to buy a D4. Has anyoone done this, and if so, how do you like it?

Thanks.

Bill
 
[size=+1]Yeah, Bill, I upgraded mine. The D4+ guides are a great improvement for positioning the work - BUT - the front guides do hang down below the bottom of the jig body, making it no longer fit the wooden case I made for it.

The new scales for the 'finger board' are easier to read than the old cast zinc (?) ones were. Some users have complained about a paralax problem in setting them though, but I haven't noticed it myself.

If you're happy with the scales, then you can just order the guides separately. Also, if you don't already have the new manual, I highly recommend getting it. You can download it, but unless you keep the computer in the shop, I'd recommend buying the print copy. It's a vast improvement over the old D3 manual.[/size]
 
Bill, they are also offering a "sub-base" for the router that supports a decent looking router dust collector. Check it out on their site, they have a video.

Jim, you said a 4+ upgrade. I noticed in the video that they have a different stops shown in the video I mentioned. Are these the same as you are talking about?
 
Cecil Arnold said:
...Jim, you said a 4+ upgrade. I noticed in the video that they have a different stops shown in the video I mentioned. Are these the same as you are talking about?
Click to expand...

[size=+1]Yeah, I think the newest variant is now the "4R" or something like that. On it, the front stops are about 4~5 inches long, and they hang down about an inch and a half below the bottom of the jig base. They work great, though - a vast improvement over the original litlle 1" pieces of plastic.[/size]
 
Thanks Jim, I am glad to hear it, and Cecil, I will be sure to check out that sub base. Those little plastic stops have been the biggest frustration in my using this jig, so I am glad to hear that the upgrade ones do a nicer job. I was looking at the D4, but this is a lot more economical!

Jim, my jig is sitting on a cheesy box of poplar that was thrown together and the first thing I ever made with it when I first bought the jig, so it won't be a problem for me to replace it. In fact, it would be a good idea in case someone comes into the shop and sees it! :eek:

Bill
 
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