leigh dovetail jig

[Karl Card]

I have been eyeing dovetail jigs on ebay. I see quite a few PC go for a fair monetary value and I like most PC items I have so I figure why not... then I see Leigh, who is Leigh, why is she worth so much?
My oh my are they really that good and if so why? quality of material, workmanship or design or what....

I would also be open to recommendations for a beginners dovetail jig. I am seeing a setup by katie jig, chestmate jig, TD jig and of course the harbor freight jig is thrown everywhere for cheap but I cant bring myself to even try it...

I thought I had an old sears lined up for 20 bucks but it went fast and at alot higher price.

I basically am looking for something new or used between 50 and no more than 100 bucks. If nothing worthy of being used can be had for that then I will wait until later when more money gets here...I guess we are all waiting for that ship to come in..lol

[mreza Salav]

I have none but can tell you leigh is different from those cheap ones out there. A fair portercable one to compare it against (and price range) is omni jig. Leigh products (including this jig) are very well made and accurate and adjustable/flexible (like the fingers are adjustable). I think you can get them off craigslist for about $100-$200 (depending on the model you are looking at).

[James Baker SD]

Leigh will probably send you a free DVD showing all the features of their jig. Then you can decide if its worth the money for you.

James

[Karl Card]

In some ways I figured Leigh had to be worth it due to used prices are just out of this world.. but for an inexperienced user I had to ask how... I do appreciate the info.. I have heard of the omni jig also.

I guess if I were making serious money Leigh would be no problem but at this point the cash flow and the experience level just isnt going to let it happen. Sometimes it is nice to get a par or sub par tool and then upgrade later, then the differences are clear as day... for example my first lathe was an HF 14 40, thought I was going to do some serious turning.... it would not turn anything round, absolutely nothing... then added a jet 1014I then a rikon and wow that was fun upgrading..

[Chris Harry]

I would like to get a dovetail jig as well. My outlook is different: I will buy it when I can afford THE ONE that I want.

Its kind of interesting, actually.....I found a few Leigh jigs on Ebay, CL, etc but I never ended up getting them. Now Ive seen the Akeda BC24 jig and THATS my new "THE ONE".

Both the Leigh and Akeda are expensive (500 or so), but when I can get the funds (or justify a b-day/xmas gift), I will be purchasing one of them. Until then Ill go without. I actually have a 17" Incra LS setup that I havent really tried out yet....so it might turn out I dont even need a dovetail jig.

[Danny Hamsley]

What I like about my Leigh D4R is that I can dovetail the side of a 20" panel for blanket chests and such. The cheap jigs cannot usually handle panels up to 24", so if all you are making are standard cabinet type drawers, you will not get the advantage of the Leigh.

The other real plus is that you can cut very accurate and long sliding dovetail joints. This is how I join breadboard ends to the tops of blanket chests and such. Also, you can cut thru dovetails as well as half-blind dovetails, among some other joints. It is all about the capacity and the versatility of the tool, so you decision should be based on what you plan to use the jig to do.

[Marty Paulus]

There is always this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxIgNel0H_I






















If I was that good I would not even bother with a jig. Figure it would take longer to set up the jig...

[Steve Costa]

I have Keller 2 piece 12" aluminium jig which cuts through dovetails which I bought used for $150. It will make 2 sizes of DTs depending on which bits you use. Takes awhile to figure out but is very accurate. The instruction book is not the best so calling David Keller to get the full story is ESSENTIAL. I have made mutiple drawers & boxes with this jig. Just upgraded to a Leigh which I am sorting out.:)

Steve

[Jim Summers]

I have the D1600. As Danny posted the number of joints it can do out of the box and basically infinite adjustment make it a jig that can handle practically anything you throw at it as long as it fits within the width of the jig.

I do wish I had two routers, that would make things even better! One for pins and the other for tails.

HTH

[Navin Rao]

I spent a cache of birthday money on a Leigh D4R jig which was highly recommended. As a novice woodworker, I bought this jig at the wrong time - I should have waited and bought other key items first. It is pretty easy to use and adjustments are a snap. The optional dust collection accessory is well worth it. Leigh excels with their documentation - both the DVD and booklet are very useful. If you follow the instructions on making a box, you can easily dial in the jig in an afternoon of routing. I did not have a jointer or a planer at the time and the supposed S4S boards I used were not flat resulting in a bit of frustration dialing in the machine. Sadly, I don't use this jig as often as I though I would. Nonetheless, I'm glad I bought a quality product which is ready to be used whenever I need to make dovetails (which hopefully will be later this year when I make cabinets with several drawers using dovetail joinery).

[Danny Hamsley]

I do wish I had two routers, that would make things even better! One for pins and the other for tails.
HTH

Now why have I not thought about that!! That is a great suggestion if you have a lot of joints to cut. That is good enough reason for buying a third router. I bought a 3 1/4 HP Makita for the router table, and after taking it out the first time to route dovetails (I said that i would never do that again :)), I bought another Makita for hand routing. Now I have justification for getting another ;).

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have the Leigh D4 and I have an Omnijig.
Compared to the Omnijig I think the Leigh is cheesy and flimsey

[Karl Card]

Some may call it lasiness but I know my own personality is that when I get into a certain mood to make something I do not want to piddle with changeing saw blades back and forth, bits etc... it seems it just takes thoughts away from what you are really doing... my wife doesnt understnad this... that is why I have 2 lathes, hoping to win a bid on my 2 nd G3 chuck, Id really like to have 2 table saws 1 setup for dado cuts and the other not... I also have 4 routers but each one was an upgrade and i figured keeping the old ones was worth more than selling them.. if one goes bad I always have a backup..

I would like to have a good set of chisels and that saw was incredible... sure he was cutting pine but still...

[Nathan Allen]

Months back I bought a largely unused D1258-24 on Craigslist for $80. Do I wish it were an Omnijig? Yeppers, but on the other hand between these two there aren't fundamental differences in how they operate.

The two largest advantages are that the positioning of the dovetails can be adjusted and the width of the DTs can be increased. This lets you customize based on the width of the board and the scale of the DTs you want to use.

Do others work fine? Yes, but if you can get an OJ or Leigh for the same price as a new Rockler it makes lots of sense. Dovetail jigs aren't for everyone, they can be very confusing until you get the hang of them.

[Jim Rimmer]

I do wish I had two routers, that would make things even better! One for pins and the other for tails.

HTH
I bought 2 PC 690s just for that. It works if you always use the same thickness stock.

[Brian Kincaid]

I bought 2 PC 690s just for that. It works if you always use the same thickness stock.

Even on different thickness stock don't underestimate the time saved in not having to change bits, center bushings, etc. You only have to change the bit height and off you go.

I have a fixed base router I leave the straight bit in with bushing. Useful for non DT jig work as well. I have another fixed base with bushing installed so that when it's time to dovetail I can remove my router from my table and install it in the second base with DT bit. Big time saver using two routers because you don't have to change bits and readjust height after a test joint.

-Brian

[Chris Harry]

Even on different thickness stock don't underestimate the time saved in not having to change bits, center bushings, etc. You only have to change the bit height and off you go.

I have a fixed base router I leave the straight bit in with bushing. Useful for non DT jig work as well. I have another fixed base with bushing installed so that when it's time to dovetail I can remove my router from my table and install it in the second base with DT bit. Big time saver using two routers because you don't have to change bits and readjust height after a test joint.

-Brian

Maybe my tool collecting has paid off :)

I ended up with 2 DeWalt 618 3-base kits (HD cleared out a brand new one for 75 bux!!). Picked up a PC 7518+lift off CL for the router table, so the 2 DeWalts are freed up, I guess for dovetail use!

Now I can tell my wife thats what I was planning all along!

[Tom Esh]

The PC 4200 series does everything I need except dust collection. (If I had a do-over I'd pick the Leigh for that reason alone.) Without DC, routing DTs spews a stream of dust directly at the operator and generally makes a big mess.

[Prashun Patel]

I'm currently making a couple blanket chests and I've been experimenting with handcut dovetails. It'll take me a long time to get there, so in the interim, I bought the MLCS jig ($60 = jig + both bits+ bushing).

The higher priced jigs are more convenient and easier to set up. However, the cheaper jigs can be every bit as accurate, and can even let you do variable spaced dovetails (although the pin width cannot be easily changed).

The MLCS jig is just a plate. You have to build a spacer block and tune it for the right fit. But once set up, it's good for all stock widths and thicknesses. The block then clamps to your stock, which you have to secure to your workbench or a saw horse. The nice thing about this jig is that it canbe used on any width stock (my chest is 19" tall). For many of the other jigs, on wider stock you'll need to decouple the plate from the base and use it the same way as mine anyway.

To do variable spaced dt's, you just route out the desired tails spots first, then the pins. Then you slide the jig down 1/2" route out the unneeded pins, and keep repeating until all the pins are gone.

IMHO, this is a good starter dt set. It's not junk, and it won't set you back much if you ultimately decide you want to invest $500 in a Leigh or a good dovetail saw and some chisels.

For my money, I'd rather invest in a 2nd router and a spiral 3/8" bit (for the pins. You will also need a 2nd 5/8" bushing). These 2 things will greatly improve the cleanliness and convenience of any jig...

[Ben Abate]

I have the Leigh D4 and I have an Omnijig.
Compared to the Omnijig I think the Leigh is cheesy and flimsey


Cliff,

Is that a fact? I have the older model Omnijig and was thinking of what I thought would be upgrading to a Leigh. Is the the Omnijig built better or heavier? Could you go into more detail please about the pros and cons of either jig.

thank you
Ben

[Brian Penning]

I have the PC 4212 and think it's great.
Won best value with FWW.
Check it out at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Porter-Cable-4212-12-Inch-Deluxe-Dovetail/dp/B0006AAS8S

Fully agree about the benefits of having 2 routers.

[Karl Card]

All this info has been very helpful... A fellow creeker turned me onto a pretty darn good deal for what I need at this time.

So many things to learn and do... not enough time... That is the only good thing about being laid off right now is I get to put all my time into this creative habit.

[Galen Nagen]

If you use two routers on the Leigh or Omnijig (one for pins, one for tails) do you need to worry about the router bit being perfectly centered in the collet?

KR

[Nathan Allen]

Centering is huge with DTs, but pretty quickly you learn the quirks of your guide. Its really not that difficult to keep track as long as you use the same guide manufacturer for both bases. (PC, Ridgid, etc)

[Mark Woodmark]

Check out the Akeda DT jig. Easier to setup and use IMO

http://www.akeda.com/index.html