Dovetail jigs

[SLM]

But you need sharp chiesels!

Oh, don’t go there!

 

[rogxwhit]

I suspect that by the time you've farted about setting up the jig, you could've done half the job without it. Dovetails aren't produced by a sort of secret magic, using knowledge and skill only available to initiates after a long apprenticeship. There's only one trick involved - which is cutting accurately to a line. And if you can't do that, you might as well forget about woodwork altogether ... because it crops up all the time.

 

[Jacob]

I suspect that by the time you've farted about setting up the jig, you could've done half the job without it. Dovetails aren't produced by a sort of secret magic, using knowledge and skill only available to initiates after a long apprenticeship. There's only one trick involved - which is cutting accurately to a line. And if you can't do that, you might as well forget about woodwork altogether ... because it crops up all the time.

Or you can't do it maybe just a bit more practice?
Hand and eye skills aren't instantly available in the sense of just do A and get result B.
Nor for machines and gadgets for that matter, but people have more faith in sales patter than their own ability, and they don't give up so quickly on gadgets!

 

[mattsutton29]

I recently bought the lumberjack jig. It uses guided bearing cutters. Very limited success and very poor quality machining. Wish I’d paid a bit more for a second hand Leigh or learnt to hand cut. But patience is not my strong point.

 

[dzj]

For many years, I've been using a Trend type of DTJ. It has served me well. With a depth gauge, the setup time is very short.
It takes about 2 minutes, maybe less, to do all 4 corners of a drawer/ box.
It does have its downsides. You are limited to ~1/2" increments of the height of the drawer sides, some complain as to the aesthetic
appearance...
When speed and functionality is what you are concerned with most, it is a pretty good choice.

 

[Jarno]

A trouble with jigs is that you often seem to need a degree in mathematics - which isn't my aptitude! I've never had a jig, but I've made quite a lot of dovetails that I had to get out of the door to a quoted price ... all different ...

View attachment 140918

(Corner of chest in native oak)

Usually sand them flush myself, but those dovetails look great! Am going to try that as well, really classy.

 

[rogxwhit]

It adds a bit of sculptural interest. Thank-you, Jarno.

 

[Spectric]

Buy a used Woodrat, once learnt they deliver fine dovetails that look hand cut apparently. Now for some sacrilage, I would like stick on dovetails so once you have used a lock mitre joint or something similar then you can just stick them on so it looks like dovetails, maybe a stick on veneer!

 

[pgrbff]

I was probably one of the first to buy a Leigh jig back in the early 80's. Never made anything with it, keep saying I should try and sell it but I don't think there will be a market for it here in Italy.

 

[dzj]

Buy a used Woodrat, once learnt they deliver fine dovetails that look hand cut apparently. Now for some sacrilage, I would like stick on dovetails so once you have used a lock mitre joint or something similar then you can just stick them on so it looks like dovetails, maybe a stick on veneer!

He he, cool idea! No one notices them anyway.
Maybe the odd woodworker. Good luck trying to impress that lot, eh.

 

[TRITON]

At least when you use a jig, you dont end up with crazy angle joints like these. What are they ? 45 degrees

 

[MikeJhn]

The Leigh jigs are the RR of dovetails, once set up for a particular depth/thickness of timber you can play with spacing and dovetail size to your hearts content, make a setting block for that thickness timber and you can set up in minutes, think carefully on what width timber you really want to dovetail as the Leigh jigs come in different widths and the large one can be quite cumbersome in a small workshop, I lament selling mine with my workshop.

 

[recipio]

Buy a used Woodrat, once learnt they deliver fine dovetails that look hand cut apparently. Now for some sacrilage, I would like stick on dovetails so once you have used a lock mitre joint or something similar then you can just stick them on so it looks like dovetails, maybe a stick on veneer!

Oh.....sacrilege for sure. One trick I've used is to rip off a 4 mm thick board at the front of a drawer, make all the dovetails front and back as through dovetails and then glue on the 4 mm piece . You have instant half blind dovetails. Having used the same board the joint is virtually invisible.

 

[MikeJhn]

Half Blinds are easy enough on a Leigh jig, just one adjustment after setting up, why did I sell mine????

The instruction manual is what every machine manufacturer should aspier too, clear concise and comprehensive.

 

[Jacob]

At least when you use a jig, you dont end up with crazy angle joints like these. What are they ? 45 degrees
View attachment 142100

Hey that's my table!
The angles are freehand chosen - not sure what they are but they seem to have settled down and come out fairly uniformly nowadays!
I showed that table some years back and attracted attention from every passing woodworker. They all seemed more interested in dovetails than anything else.
They complained that the angles were "wrong"!
One complained that they were not only wrong but also too perfect and must have been machine made!
You can't please anybody nowadays.
PS have tried 45º, works OK, looks interesting and original, but might cause heart attacks in older woodworkers - they tend to be very timid and dependent on gadgets: pacemakers, honing/dovetail jigs, hearing aids, incontinence underwear, etc

 

[MJ80]

I've got one of the Leigh jigs. Once you are setup its easy to bash out loads of drawers

 

[TRITON]

Hey that's my table!

And very nice it is too Jacob

The pitch is fine, i was just joshing with you.

PS have tried 45º, works OK, looks interesting and original, but might cause heart attacks in older woodworkers - they tend to be very timid and dependent on gadgets: pacemakers, honing/dovetail jigs, hearing aids, incontinence underwear, etc

I've tried a few, kind of doing it by eye really. But Im a liar to myself. Reason is I've been looking at the Sunrise design of dovetail and I've yet to summon the courage to even attempt it.