# My Dovetail Jig



## guyos (22 Jul 2008)

I have at last got myself a dovetail jig. I have been looking around for a simple jig easy to set up and use, not too expensive. I only need through dovetails, nothing fancy.

I have tried cutting them by hand, with some success, but find it too time consuming, I would still do it if I have a special project, but for now a jig is OK. 

My eye caught the MLCS DT jig, and I watched John Nixon's video, very impressed, but could not buy it in the UK, then there was the Akeda, similar but again unavailable here. 

After a lot of searching I found that Rutlands do something similar, in fact it is just like the Akeda everything is the same except the template is metal, but for months they stated "out of stock" I kept watching the site since last year and at last it showed "in stock" so I grabbed it.

What a joy it is to use.

Setup was easy because I watched the video so many times. 

It is a one piece template that you mount on a block. 

It even has a score line to guide you, then after the first test cut you will correct it if needed. 

I never needed to make any correction. It was right first time. As you will see I got very good dovetails, over and over.

The joint is very tight, but I can push it together by hand only, no hammer. 

I just keep practicing. The template is 1/2" thick Alli, very solid, and it comes with two bearing guided bits.

I am very satisfied with this jig and heartily recommend it.

guyos

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff215/guyos/Dvtail.gif


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## wizer (22 Jul 2008)

thanks guyos. Is the video you speak of, online? Have you got a link?

Also have you got pictures of the jig? Or a link to it on Rutlands.


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## mailee (22 Jul 2008)

It sounds like the jig I have which was also from Rutlands. It is under the Dakota label and is very similar to the Stotts jig. It is simplicity in itself to set up and use and I hardly use my old Axminster jig now. Here is the link to it. 
http://www.rutlands.co.uk/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/DKD51


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## guyos (22 Jul 2008)

Thats the one Mailee, great little jig.

Wizer here you go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_dw_iV6-0E

guyos


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## BradNaylor (23 Jul 2008)

Thanks for that Guyos,

I have a Leigh dovetail jig which I have pretty well stopped using as it is such a pain to set up; also the clamping system is absolute pants and your work moves all over the place!

The few traditional lapped dovetails I do I now do by hand and I make a selling point of it, but I could do with a simple jig system for making kitchen drawer boxes from oak. As I will planting on a seperate front to each drawer through dovetails are fine, and this jig looks just the ticket.

Simple - and I like simple! With complicated jigs like the Leigh there is just always something to go wrong - and another fifty quids worth of spare parts required!

At £40 I can't *not* try one of these!

Cheers
Dan


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## Steve Maskery (23 Jul 2008)

I used to have a Leigh. Great results, but a pain to set up, all to easy to make a mistake.

I now cut all my dovetails on the bandsaw, It's quick, easy, accurate, controllable and very nearly as configurable as doing them by hand.

The other thing I don't like (or even understand) about all these router jigs is that they all seem to use a 14 degree cutter. To me that looks clumsy. What happened to 1:8 and 1:6? 1:6 is only about 10 degrees IIRC, and 1:8 is even less than that.
S


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## wizer (23 Jul 2008)

Thanks for the link

Looks like a useful bit of kit. In RT mode, is this how the Gifkins jig works?


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## mailee (23 Jul 2008)

Yes Wizer, the Gifkins jig is almost the same setup as this but comes with all the block and clamping ready made. Simple but affective isn't it? :wink:


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## Tusses (23 Jul 2008)

it looks like you could make your own out of MDF ! could make some custom pin spacing to suite a peice ! Then just treat it like template routing


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## mailee (23 Jul 2008)

I have indeed mounted mine on MDF and used two hardwood strips with coach bolts and wing nuts to clamp the material. :wink:


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## mpooley (23 Jul 2008)

I have the gifkins jig and its great but expensive!

the best thing about it is that you use the router in a table and move the wood over it which is safer and much more stable.

It looks to me that this jig could easily be used like that though so i might get one as i have only got the one for smaller/thinner material.

Mike


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## guyos (23 Jul 2008)

This Dakota jig can be used on the router table, even easier and the DT bit is 7 Degree.

guyos


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## lemonjeff (24 Jul 2008)

Dan Tovey":2exy8hcn said:


> I could do with a simple jig system for making kitchen drawer boxes from oak. As I will planting on a seperate front to each drawer through dovetails are fine, and this jig looks just the ticket.


Dan I'm going to be making a fitted wardrobe from painted MDF & MFC what material do you use for drawers? The drawer fronts will be painted as well.

Jeff


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## BradNaylor (26 Jul 2008)

lemonjeff":k23gcxyr said:


> Dan Tovey":k23gcxyr said:
> 
> 
> > I could do with a simple jig system for making kitchen drawer boxes from oak. As I will planting on a seperate front to each drawer through dovetails are fine, and this jig looks just the ticket.
> ...



It depends, Jeff.

On a high-paying job I'll use oak or beech for the drawer boxes, dovetailed with veneered MDF bases. Finished with clear lacquer.

On a budget job I'll use veneered MDF for the boxes after lipping the top edge. I biscuit them together. This is a good way of using up the many offcuts of veneered MDF that I accumulate! If you're using concealed runners you have to rebate the bottom of the drawer side down to 13mm to accomodate the runner.

The daft thig is that no-one *ever *notices the difference!

Cheers
Dan


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## LarryS. (27 Jul 2008)

Dan Tovey":2jwd2r42 said:


> Thanks for that Guyos,
> 
> At £40 I can't *not* try one of these!
> 
> ...



Dan, have you bought one and if so how have you found it ? 

I am planning on buying a dovetail jig and want something that can do both through and hidden dovetail joints, and am wondering if I get one of these and another for hidden or if I buy an all-in-one like the leigh (which was my original plan)


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## Tim Nott (31 Jul 2008)

mailee said:


> It sounds like the jig I have which was also from Rutlands. It is under the Dakota label and is very similar to the Stotts jig. It is simplicity in itself to set up and use and I hardly use my old Axminster jig now. Here is the link to it.
> http://www.rutlands.co.uk/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/DKD51


The page at rutlands says it can do variable-spaced dovetails but I don't see how. I like to make drawers of graduated heights, so a fixed-pitch jig always ends up with odd-sized part-pins top and bottom


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## Benchwayze (15 Nov 2008)

This Rutland's jig is very similar to the Keller. (With the Keller, you need three different templates to work different ranges of thickness. A mite expensive!) 

I found the answer to the Leigh jigs tendency to slip. Forgo the modern cam-clamping system and return to the 'spin wheels'. Also some strips of Medium grain, wet and dry paper, glued to the clamping surfaces of the bars helps; as does a packing piece to take up the unused space under the fingers. 

The Leigh is a great jig, but yes, it can be 'fussy'.


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## beech1948 (16 Nov 2008)

Guys,

I have said this a few times now and will try to carry saying it as you all ignore me.

BUT Leigh,Trend,Gifkins, Rutland,APTC Perform dovetail jigs are really just an expensive toy. Possibly the WW equivalent to bling. By the time you have got them out faffed around setting them up, run a trial etc etc etc etc it all just takes too long.

If you won't cut them by hand, for all the very good reasons then have a look at the following:-

http://benchmark.20m.com/reviews/StotsTemplate/StotsTemplateReview.html

http://benchmark.20m.com/articles/Stots_AdvancedTips/AdvancedStotsTips.html


http://www.woodshopdemos.com/stots1.htm

If you want to use a jig then this offers the best size, to length of use to price to ease of use jig I have ever come across.

regards

Alan
PS sorry if tags don't work fully I'm having problems with the UKworkshop site re Tag inserts.
*Sorted DaveL*


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## DaveL (16 Nov 2008)

I have one of the Stots Dovetail Templates, Axminster used to sell them, mine has not been used yet.  
I also have one of the old Trend jigs and have used had for making draws, with good results, but they do look mahine made, erm because they are. :roll:


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## Benchwayze (16 Nov 2008)

beech1948":z9hl3tr2 said:


> Guys,
> 
> I have said this a few times now and will try to carry saying it as you all ignore me.
> 
> ...



Hi Alan. 

Much of what you say is true. Some of the jigs however require just one set up and they are ready. The Keller is the readiest and once you set it upo, the most tedious part is changing the cutter. 

I can hand-tool dovetails all day long. (Well, for as long as my back stands the strain!) For kitchens and other storage problems though, I don't want to. The dovetail is for strength and in that respect hand or machine cut doesn't give that much difference one way or another.

Hand tooled dovetails are for quality, for show and for the 'Wow' factor, if you like. So I reserve them for the jobs that are best served by them. 
Using a jig to cut run of the mill dovetails leaves me time to lavish on those special jobs. That's my philosophy!


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## beech1948 (17 Nov 2008)

Benchwyze,

I did say >>If you won't cut them by hand, for all the very good reasons then have a look at the following:- <<<

I agree that I only use handcut d/ts when they are necessary these days. The point of the STOTS comment was really about priceprice and convenience as much as anything. About £35 all in and you have a Giffkins like d/t/ template of ANY length.

regards

Alan


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