Incra jigs

[Bob Yarbrough]

I'm wanting to purchase a jig to cut small dovetails and box joints using my router table.

I've been looking at the "new" incra router table fence that Rocklers is carrying. The jig is constructed of plastic and runs $99.99. They tell me I will need to replace my current Rockler table with a deeper model, which they want to sell me for $110.00.

The Incra website has their "Ultra Lite System" and a table bracket to retrofit "shallow" tables to hold the jig. On line this system runs about $160.00.

Anyone have any experience with either system? Pros/cons? Suggestions?

Bob

[John Keane]

Bob, I have two Incra Jigs. A Pro 16 on a center table with the table extension, and a LS 17 on an offset table. At one time I had the Incra lite Positioner on the Rockler table. I am obviously sold on Incra's. If you buy the Incra Lite with the table extension you will be impressed with the quality of the Jig and what you can do with it. Chris Rosenberger has an Incra jig for sale in the classified ad forum and I would rate it a 'best buy".
For basic DT's and BJ's, the Incra Lite is also a great buy.

[Scott D Johnson]

I purchased the "jig only" for $60 from Rockler and am using the standard Rockler table. I have not found the need for a deeper table. (You mount the jig on a subbase and clamp it to your table top). The maximum width stock I've tried it with so far is 4".
The maximum capacity of this jig is 8". I have found that your "table insert plate and 'throat plate' " need to be perfectly flat. I am using the aluminum plate with a plastic "ring" from Rockler. I had to shim the plastic ring with masking tape to be exactly level with the aluminum plate.
It seems to be working great for the small boxes I am making. Went through about 15 linear feet of 1/2" stock to get the hang of the system.
Many have said that if you are contemplating the $100 jig and fence combination, spend the extra $40 and go for the Ultralite version from www.woodpeck.com (http://www.woodpeck.com). If you have any other questions, let me know. I consider myself a novice at woodworking, but I have racked up about 25 hours using the jig in the last couple of weeks, so I think I understand the ins and outs. I can not compare it to other dovetail jigs, other that the "cheap" $29 half blind dovetail jig from Harbor Freight (which I also own).

[Scott D Johnson]

Here are 2 boxes I made using the 8" Incra Jig. One is for playing cards the other is for dominoes. I consider this my "first real project" started with rough lumber all the way through applying the wipe on poly. Kind of sad since I have been "dabbling" and collecting tools for 18 months now. I have started quite a few more ambitious projects but these are the first I have started and finished. Not ready for FWW, like some other members here, but it sure is a lot of fun learning.

[Vaughn McMillan]

I have an older equivalent to the Incra Ultralight, and I agree it's pretty workable for box and dovetail joints. I've used mine more on the tablesaw than the router table, since it's great for making 1/16" thin strips of 3/4 or 4/4 hardwoods, which I seem to be using a lot of lately. (I can repeatably move the fence 5/32" at a time, which accounts for the 3/32" saw kerf, and the 1/16" thin strip comes off the "waste" side of the blade.) I have done some dovetails on the RT with it just to try it out and I concur with Scott's recommendation for making sure things are flat and square. I do like the Incra way of doing things, and am slowly building up my collection of their stuff.

BTW Scott, nice boxes. The dovetails look nice and tight.

- Vaughn

[Dick Aubochon]

I've seen the Ultra 24 complete system on Amazon for 199.00. Is this the Ultra lite system you ae speaking about?
This appears to be better made than the one available from Rockler.

[Bob Yarbrough]

Broke down before I left town for X-Mas and bought a new router top and the Incra Positioner.

Pics to follow in a day ro two (quess who got a digital camera from Santy?)

[John Lucas]

I am also an Incra fan. I use t he TSIII as the table saw fence and love it. Have the LS and the earlier positoners and they are geat. I just got a copy of the one that is selling at Rockler. I havent set it up yet but it is the opitome of simplicity. I have used Incra for box joint, dovetails, doyble dovetails.
as to the table size, you can make do with what you have. Way back, I built a support table that would connect to the router table. Since then, I just clamp it near the edge, As long as 2 or 3 inches overlap the table, you can make it work.
While the 16 and 24 inch ones sound great, I find that it is easier to make widths of 6 to 8 inches and if you need wider, combine boards after cut.
http://www.woodshopdemos.com/jess-160.jpg
The photo is of Beth jointing the dovetails sides before combining stacks. This series of pics was when she used the Akeda but use the same method when doing wide Incra DT's The page: http://www.woodshopdemos.com/jess-16.htm

Here is the pic of the jig barely clamped to the standard tabe: http://www.woodshopdemos.com/lyptus148.jpg
Here is the story: http://www.woodshopdemos.com/lyptus-17.htm

[Scott D Johnson]

Seeing as there is an Incra Jig "in the free drawing". Here is an idea of what you can do with it. This is just using the $60 8" Incra Jig from Rockler. I consider myself quite the novice woodworker, but by following simple instructions from Perry McDaniel's Incra Jig Project and Techniques book, many things are possible.

[Frank Chaffee]

Scott,
Very nice indeed!
Frank