DoveTail Jigs

Tom Niemi

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Happy New Year Everyone!

I am building kitchen cabinets and am geting closer to the drawer stage. I will be using dovetail jointery on them and would like sugestions on dovetail jigs. I have been looking at Leigh Super Jig 18". Is this one OK? Other ones better/worse?

Thanks, Tom
 
I have both an Incra Ultra and Leigh D4. Both will make perfect DTs. Incra is easier for HBDTs but, less flexible about placement and the Leigh is better for through DTs. All that said, if I could only have one it would be the Leigh.
 
I have a small Rockler which is servicable as long as evenly spaced DT's are OK. If I was doing a project of your scope I would want adjustable guides. Owners of better jigs will chime in and help, I'm sure.
 
DOVE TAILS

boy tom yer lookin better everyday:) got a leigh if you wanta use it! that way you can test drive before you buy. seen a porter cable in action and have heard great things about the akeda.. but leigh has got alot of belivers.. simplicity not! till you have used it awhile to get used to it but the verstality is great.. you could hand cut them as well. how many drawers you got? give me a call if you want to use the leigh. i am home today if your headed out this way :) have fridge need empting:D
 
I have both the Leigh and the Keller. If everything you are making is of equal spacing based on the Keller, you are good to go. Easy to use. On the other hand the Leigh is fully adjustable to any dimension and different wood thicknesses. The manual with the Leigh is also one of the best on any tool that I have ever seen. Very well written and easy to understand. My vote is for the Leigh.
 
I've got the Keller and for simple evenly spaced through dovetails it is hard to beat. Easy to use as well.....

Here is a pic of the first dovetails I ever cut with the Keller jig, took about 30 minutes the first time, then a LOT less time after that..........

dovetails1.jpg

Don't have any other dovetail jigs to compare it to.

Cheers!
 
Thanks all for the input, looks like I have some investigating to do on all the different models, some I havn't heard of. Just want to be sure they can cut the pins and tails together, sounds like to me that that should be the most sure way they will fit, and quicker

Larry, I would definitly like to see and try out your leigh, and help with your fridge problem:D, but it will have to be a different day as we are going to celebrate my oldest granddaughters 10 b'day today, she's the one getting better looking every day, not this old codger.

Also Larry, there will be 16 drawers.

Tom
 
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any time TOM

your always welcome if you like i can bring the manual along tommrrow and you can get a look at it. if you want to d botha the same time the leigh isnt the one for that, you have two setups for it to do half blinds. the porter cable does do both i think but yu havent got the flexibilty. you need to go to woodcraft or a wood show to see the differnces up close. but your still welcome to use the leigh. anytime... later frosty
 
I have the CMT dt jig, but looking at woodcrafts site it seems the price had shot up. When I got mine last year the price was around $100, now it is $199:eek: tThe only problem that I had with it is thebar that hold the stock down used to let the stock slide. To solve that, I place 120 grit on the under side of both bars.
 
I like my Akeda. The Leigh guys like the Leigh. I guess that for non variable spacing through dovetails the Keller is the jig of choice but I have never used one. It seems to me that it just depends on which jig that you start out on as to which one you like due to familiarity. Between the Akeda and the Leigh I would pick the one that I could get the best deal on. A lower cost basic jig such as the PC 4212 might be all that you would need for basic drawers.
 
I've got the Porter Cable OmniJig a 24"er and it is dead on accurate. I spent quite a bit of time using it today dovetailing 19 drawers for a kitchen. It's a tough one to set up the first time but once you've got your brain wrapped around it things go really fast. As far as I can tell all decent dovetail jigs are complicated and have a pretty high learning curve before you completely understand them. That being said all those mentioned here are probably great jigs so just look for the one that suits your needs best.
 
hi tom

just another vote for the leigh ...i have a D4R and love it !
the new super jig is new to market and i haven't heard anything one way or the other . the reason leigh did this was to cut costs on aluminum . the d4r is one solid block when it starts life , the new super jigs are not but i would imagine they work just as good .....your mileage may vary :)
 
I have the Porter Cable 24" Omni Jig also and I really like it for accuracy. It does a great job as do most of the better jigs I must agree the learning curve is there but well worth the effort
Chuck
 
I checked on the leigh super jigs and they are able to cut pins and tails at the same time. cost of $249 -----until 01-01-08 when leigh raised the price by $50, now $299!:doh: my bad for waiting! Oh well there sure looks like there are many options to chose from, just have to find the right one for the right price or just purchace the leigh, good tools don't come cheap.

Oh, Larry, what do you mean by frosty??? I thought I was being nice by leaving my hat on, could have blinded you through the screen with it off:rofl:
 
just have to find the right one for the right price or just purchace the leigh, good tools don't come cheap.


You got the part about don't come cheap right, especially when talking about dovetail jigs. When you compare prices make sure that everything that you need is added in. Bits, dust collection parts, ect. add up really fast. Some may be included and some may not.
 
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