# Dovetail jigs etc. - which to buy?



## Davidadew (28 Feb 2010)

I am looking to buy a decent dovetail jig which will also do finger joints, and allow me to do several sizes of dovetails and as many different types as are reasonable (2 sizes are acceptable if one is small, e.g. 6.3mm) - certainly throughs and blinds if possible.

I'm not looking for the cheapest one as I will use it commercially to an extent - but not looking for the most expensive either - but a good name is always useful as I like to buy brands I know. It needs to be accurate above all else and accurate by easy to use - i.e. not lots of fiddling around setting up.

I have a job which requires machining wide planks (400mm, 600mm) so ideally one that will cope with larger pieces, even if I have to align it manually in 2 passes.

I have a 1/2" router but no router table.

I've seen the trend 300 and 600, which seem to do a variety of jobs but am open to suggestions.


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## big soft moose (28 Feb 2010)

Ive heard that the trend and CMT ones are considered the best of the standard jigs - although the alternative is something like a woodrat which is more versatile but also more expensive


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## Henning (28 Feb 2010)

Davidadew":2h1wb2m2 said:


> I am looking to buy a decent dovetail jig which will also do finger joints, and allow me to do several sizes of dovetails and as many different types as are reasonable (2 sizes are acceptable if one is small, e.g. 6.3mm) - certainly throughs and blinds if possible.
> 
> I'm not looking for the cheapest one as I will use it commercially to an extent - but not looking for the most expensive either - but a good name is always useful as I like to buy brands I know. It needs to be accurate above all else and accurate by easy to use - i.e. not lots of fiddling around setting up.
> 
> ...



Well, for what it's worth from a complete newbie, i'd stay well clear of the Trend one. I suggest the D4R from Leigh. Supposedly the best there is and on my list as soon as i have found a new home for the Trend CDJ 600 which i think is ok'ish, but fiddly to set up. 
http://www.leighjigs.com/home.php Have a look at some of the vid's.


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## jamesmoc (17 Mar 2010)

I have been using a woodrat for the last few months and like it very much. It is probably not as easy to use as say a leigh jig tho. I had the trend jig and was really disappointed with it and returned it after a weekends use. it was just not as accurate as I had wanted. The woodrat is quite versatile and can do all that you want and produces nice joints with the slim HSS dovetail bits.


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## aldel (18 Mar 2010)

David,

Leigh jig for sale.

Http://www.aldel.co.uk/For_Sale.htm

Aldel


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## PerranOak (19 Mar 2010)

Is the Leigh only for use with a router with a 1/2" collet?


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## Steve Maskery (19 Mar 2010)

PO
It's not the size of the router that matters, It's the size of the bush. I forget what dia the Leigh needs, I'm afraid. But it's the bush, not the collet.
HTH
S


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## aldel (19 Mar 2010)

No 
A 1/2" collet is not required. 
An 8mm would expand the range of bits that could be used. 
The Leigh jig uses longer shank router (1/4 "/6mm) bits. 
The jig and templates use a follower to run around the finger guides.This follower is fixed to an adapter for your router base. 
Leigh sell adapters for various routers. 

I am including an adapter for DeWalt 625/621 plus another for Ryobi e601 
with the one I have for sale. 
The Dewalt one may well fit other models/clones. 
Check the Leigh Jig website. 

Aldel


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## PerranOak (19 Mar 2010)

Oh right. Thanks both.


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## Orcamesh (24 Mar 2010)

Just to add confusion, although not a dovetail jig _per se _but I still love the versatility of my Woodrat. See www.woodrat.com 

This will do far more than just dovetails too!

Here are some Woodrat dovetails I made for a walnut drawer







As far as I am aware you cannot make such fine DTs on a Leigh or similar dovetail specific jig (but maybe someone will correct me cos this is based on the situation when I bought the Woodrat many years ago now).


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## Orcamesh (24 Mar 2010)

Sorry, didnt see Big Soft Moose & Jamesmoc's replies, oh well, it's done now...


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## RussianRouter (18 Jun 2010)

Performed Lazarus on this thread because I have come up with a solution to route the Dovetails on the router table.

Neat and simple even on both pieces,however it does use the finger plate off a jig and a guide ring.

This been done anywhere before I make one to show it working?


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## George_N (18 Jun 2010)

Do you mean something like this.


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## RussianRouter (18 Jun 2010)

Great that one,George

However the drawbacks in that one will have problems when the stock is 8" to 10" wide by 24" or long or bigger.

Fine for small work though. 

A finger plate can be made of MDF or Laminate flooring pieces if you don't have one of those machined alloy plates.

I bought the axminister DT joint maker a couple of years ago but its a bind setting the stock up in its jaws and will make use of the finger plate as per that video but modified to take larger stock


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## rileytoolworks (18 Jun 2010)

George, sounds to me like you're describing something which already exists - The Stotts Dovetail Master


Adam


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## Richard D (19 Jun 2010)

Having managed to crack dovetails on the 'rat (after a couple of frustrating afternoons, and then some more time spent calibrating and tweaking), it would get my vote. The fact that it does so much more than just cracking dovetails and sharp finger joints is important.


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## RussianRouter (19 Jun 2010)

When you say sharp fingerjoints,what do you mean exactly?

Are you getting tearout/splintering?if so put some scrap plywood at the frront and back of the wood to compensate for this tearout.


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## woodguy7 (19 Jun 2010)

The Leigh, in my opinion is the best on the market. Does variable widths of tails (just as fine as the walnut one shown), half blind, finger joints, "bears ears" dovetails, "clover" dovetails ect, ect.

Easy to use also.

Woodguy.


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## Richard D (19 Jun 2010)

Sharp. As in good-looking, neat, crisp.


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## RussianRouter (19 Jun 2010)

> The Leigh, in my opinion is the best on the market.



Yeah but....

I'm on about using the plate to route DT' on the router table ie simplifying the process rather than getting frustrated with aligning,screwing,bolting positioning,that gose with all stand alone DT jigs.


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## RussianRouter (19 Jun 2010)

Richard D":2hgpr8gl said:


> Sharp. As in good-looking, neat, crisp.



Can't say I've have bluntish looking DT,is your bits real sharp? and do you do what I said with the plywood?

You could alway sand after glueing up?


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## RussianRouter (19 Jun 2010)

Look at this vid that GeorgeN posted you'll see that the wood is affixed to a backing wood to stop tear out/splintering,also notice when the bit is entering the wood it splinters,he could overcome this by clamping scrapwood over the wokpiece.


http://www.gifkins.com.au/


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## Richard D (19 Jun 2010)

I give in. Something is obviously being lost in translation.


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## Tony Spear (26 Jul 2010)

Richard D":197qtmee said:


> I give in. Something is obviously being lost in translation.



I agree with you there Richard.

Anyway:

Woodrat cuts the biggest range of dovetail sizes in the market (4mm. to 28mm.) It'll cut finger joints down to 2mm! It'll cut sliding dovetails.

Because they make HSS bits for it, it cuts finer angles than the bulky Carbide bits that the others use. HSS can also be sharpened, so it stays really sharp instead of nearly sharp like Carbide which means it cuts cleaner in Hardwoods.
Obviously, in man made boards you can't cut such fine dovetails as you're limited to the bulkier carbide bits.

You can make variable spacings between the dovetails and dovetails of different sizes in the same workpiece if you want and even combine through and half - blind in the same piece.

It holds a 600mm. board without repositoining. You could batch cut as many finger joints as the clamps will hold, so if you're brave enough you could theoretically cut 60 10mm. box sides in one hit.

It cuts excellent tenons in a single simple operation without moving the workpiece and cuts excellent mortices. I've not used the new mortice rail but I believe by using a simple pre-cut batten and the fitted index pin you can cut identical mortices in two pieces at the same time for rail mortices and by turning the pieces over you can cut through dovetails of over 4".

With a simple home made jig you can cross cut dadoes or even sliding mortices for the shelves in bookcase sides up to about 8"

And if you look on Aldels site and some of the U.S. forums you'll find that people have done some amazing things with it! :shock:


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## Tony Spear (26 Jul 2010)

And furthermore you can (most of the time) see what the cutter is doing.


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## Tim Nott (7 Aug 2010)

Take a look at the Trend DC400 aka Akeda
Although you're limited to 3mm steps in spacing, this is more than compensated by absulute accurate repeatibility and speedy setup


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