Something is wrong with my Leigh D1600 Dovetail Jig

[Joseph D'Orazio]

I bought a used Leigh D1600 here off of the classified section. I watched the DVD twice and read the manual. I took the manual out to the shop and did a test run on the correct stock the manual said to use. I followed the instructions to a tee and after 1 adjustment I got a good dovetail box with good joints. I did not struggle, cuss or break the obligatory 1 item that generally needs replacing before you can go any further. I did not struggle nearly enough. Something is horribly wrong, right?

Think ole Harry might replace it with something I have to fight with before it works?

[Kent E. Matthew]

Well then maybe you could come over and show me how to do it. :D

[John Morrison60]

Joe

You did well. It took me 4 days and a stack of trial test pieces to get a
repeatable joint. I still periodically have trouble with the alignment of sides to front/back. I have better luck when I do them as irregular dts.

Good job.

[Joseph D'Orazio]

Thank You. I have to say the manual and included DVD were well put together. The instructions were simple. Now I just need to figure out how to by buy hardwood economically in my area. I have some 2 to 2½ feet and maybe 15 or 16 inch diameter cedar logs that I would love to have cut down to box board sizes but I dont have a clue where to take that and have it done either. I got those logs from Hurricane Ike. I live in a log house and I saved the real long cedar trees for columns in front of my house. Looks cool.

The only issue I have with this jig is the little reducer that goes in the collet. The bits fit in it incredibly tight. They just dont slide in like in the video. I am probably going to order another reducer and see iffin that'l correct it.

[Harry McFadin]

Glad to hear it worked out for you! Now I'm thinking maybe I should have kept it!

-Harry

[Joseph D'Orazio]

Glad to hear it worked out for you! Now I'm thinking maybe I should have kept it!

-Harry
I do thank you. I am enjoying it very much. I figured out something that I feel is key. It may just only be my router but I bet its fairly common. I noticed that there is play on the round thing the guide bushing actually screws into. That round deal will move a little if you dont tighten the 3 screws down tight. I feel that means the bit and the guide bushing will never ever be centered. So, what I do is when I make a pass down all the fingers on the jig I then spin the router 180 degrees and do it again. It always takes a little more material off on the second pass and I wind up with a good joint. I like good joints. So, I dont know if that is common on the lower end routers, or all routers or is it just mine?

[Al Navas]

Congratulations, Joseph - you did well! It truly helps if the router bit is centered properly, and the bit stays centered. If the collar is moving, or won't hold in position, you will likely have problems.

For example, on a "good" router with "good" collars, you should not have to rotate the router at all. In fact, that would be considered a big no-no. But you get a pass this time, since you figured out a way to make things work. Congratulations!


Al