# dovetail jig



## T.allan (25 Nov 2008)

I recently bought a dovetail jig from Screwfix (the £44) thinking of doing boxes. Know I must say that I'm just a hobbyist and inexperienced but find this particular jig to be distressing. No matter how hard I tighten the stock I find that the stock will move. I have tried the lightest touch with the router and the heaviest touch with the tightening clamps but I find that any method of tightening is not 100% guaranteed. Does anybody else have this problem with this jig and is there a remedy apart from the bin.


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## christoph clark (25 Nov 2008)

I used to have a cheapy and had the same problem. Solved by glueing strips of sandpaper to both sides of the clamp. They were about 1 inch wide and the lenght of the jig...


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## ciscoeuk (10 Dec 2008)

personally i don't skimp on tolls 

buying cheap now will make ou pay later

i look at the trend dt jigs, but in the end went for a leigh jig, pricey but well worth the money

check ebay for them they do come up now and again and u sometimes pick up a a barging, i did!

your get dvd on how to use is and set it now that worth every penny


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## neilyweely (12 Dec 2008)

Here's what I did. 

Get the bolts that hold the clamp down out of the jig, and take 'em to a pillar drill. Drill thru the bolt, where the plastic handle is attached to the metal threaded screw, and put a metal bar small enough to fit thru the hole. The point being that now the pressure is being put on the metal bar thru the hole rather than the plasic handle. This should allow you to apply much more pressure to the piece.

I had exactly the same problem myself, and every time I used the clamps to exert pressure the clamp would slip. So, to avoid this I did the above, and also sometimes use a piece of cardboard on top of the wood to improve clamping. The work needs to stay TOTALLY still, as any movement at all will throw the whole thing out of alignment and ruin your dovetails (I have a lot of 'boxes' that are about 10mm shorter than intended after I have had to trim a damaged dovetail off!!)

Hope this helps


Neil


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## Benchwayze (25 Dec 2008)

ciscoeuk":5tx2lnsp said:


> personally i don't skimp on tolls
> 
> buying cheap now will make ou pay later
> 
> ...



Hear-hear Cisco. I don't use my jig often, but it's a great one is the Leigh. And it does quite a lot more than cut dovetails, even without buying the specially made attachments. I trim end-grain with mine, up to 24" wide. 

Great jig.


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