Leigh RTJ 400 Router Table Dovetail jig

[David Tolsky]

Sorry I have to start this thread over because I posted wrong before. Is anyone using this dovetail jig for the router table? Please share your experienced with the learning curve, etc.

[Jebediah Eckert]

I do and have had great results with half blind dovetails. I recently tried through dovetails and was just as pleased with th results. Although half blind dovetails are done both sides of the joint at once, through are seperate but easy to get dialed in. I'm happy with it for sure but I don't have anything to compare it to.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...-jig-first-try

if you use the search a few people have posted about it and I'm pretty sure they were all positive from what I remember.

[Marty Tippin]

I've had one since they first came out, used it a few times for half-blind dovetails and it does the job very well and is fairly easy to set up.

Where I've been disappointed is that, because the "teeth" of the jig are on a fixed spacing, there are specific board widths that can be used with the jig - meaning you can't an arbitrary width. I've had 3 different projects where I wanted to make dovetails but the width of the board required by the project didn't fit in the range of usable dimensions for the dovetail jig, so I could t use the jig. I guess this kind of restriction shouldn't be surprising, but it was something I didn't think about prior to purchase.

It also turns out that the range of dovetails (and finger joints) you can make is limited with the standard bits that come with the jig and you'll end up needing to buy the accessory bit kit (or add them one at a time) for all but the most basic dovetails.

[Jebediah Eckert]

Agreed Marty, there are some "black hole" sizes that just can't be done. This hadn't been an issue yet for me, I just cut one extra piece out of scrap and make sure it works, I don't bother with the chart. I have had to shrink a width down 1/4" or so to get it to work.

The bit that comes with it only allows half blind dovetails on 5/8" or so material if I remember correctly. You need others for different sizes. Box joints and through dovetails can be used on various sizes despite what the book says. You just end up with wider tails then you may normally have used or a beefier box joint where looks wise you probably would have selecte a narrow box joint. But for that you need other bits. The accessory kit I think is $150 and it comes with more bits and another guide bushing, that pretty much lets you do everything, except change the spacing.

At at the end of the day if you have one set of through dovetails to cut, and can do them by hand, it's faster and easier by hand. But if you need to do a bunch of the same the jig works great. Half blind (to me) is still fastest to do on th jig no matter how many you have to do. That's a fast setup.

The spacing issue is easily solved with pre planning. Just know what works before you make you drawer opening sizes. As Marty said there are some sizes you just can't do.

[David Tolsky]

Has anyone tried the two flat boards coming together, not to join a 90 degree angle but strictly a decorative joint for one flat board? The ad says you can do that.

[Len Rosenberg]

I've used the RTJ 400 on several projects. The best part is dust collection from the router table. Other jigs are easier to set up and use (at least for me), like the Keller jigs, but 10 minutes routing and 45 minutes vacuuming the shop is not very efficient or enjoyable. I use this jig on the General Excalibur 40-200 router table hooked up to an Oneida Smart Dust Collector, and there is zero dust, nada.

However there a some issues to contend with. In addition to the size limitations others have noted, I found there is a steep learning curve with this jig. It is very easy to set up wrong, putting the plastic pins in the wrong holes in the template, for example. The user guide is reasonably well done but still could be clearer.

Another problem is that the Leigh bits you must use with this jig are about an inch too short to work comfortably and safely in my router table, which is set up with a Milwaukee 5625 router. In most cases I have the bit barely in the router collet, because the collet does not fit inside the Leigh guide bushing. I tried to get around that by using longer bits made by other manufacturers, but the jig is designed to be used with the Leigh bits, which are a specific diameter. I learned that a bit advertised as having a half inch shank can be significantly undersized (i.e. less than .500 ") or slightly over sized. The variance doesn't matter if you a just chucking the bit in a router, but non-Leigh bits will not work properly with the RTJ 400. I think Whiteside will custom make bits for Leigh jigs, but not sure about that.

Finally, due to the cam shape of the guide bushing, you must move the jig into and out of the spinning bit in completely perpendicular movements. If you angle the jig even by a couple of degrees, you change the angle of the cam guide bushing, and the pins and tails will not fit properly. Keeping perfectly perpendicular is mentioned in the user guide, but without explanation why it is important, and it is not emphasized the way it should be.

I'm glad I have it, but wish there was a solution to the too short bits. (A problem that likely does not affect all router collets).

Hope this helps.

Len

[Scott Engle]

Bump on this thread...

I have the rtj400 and have been wondering if anyone else is having a problem like I am. I am trying to route half blind dovetails for a drawer joint using 1/2" thick sides and 3/4" thick drawer fronts. I've got the e10 bushing set at 5 and am using a 128-500 Leigh bit. My tails are very tight, even when turning it to about 4.5 on the ebushing. Any more and the gaps become unsightly. I am keeping the jig as true to straight as I can so that the elliptical shape of the bushing stays constant. Any pointers would be appreciated, as I've already ruined a few small raised panel doors on this project. It's very infuriating, since it looks so "easy".

Scott