Dovetail Jig

[Erik Stol]

Hi everybody,

Best wishes for the New Year to all of you out there busy in the workshop.

During the Christmas holidays I was reading the Grizzly catalog and realized that I need a dovetail jig to make my newly designed book "wall" consisting of about 24 boxes (3x8) of approx. 25x12x12 inches each.

To makes this nice and shiney I want to make dovetail connections for the boxes.

What will be in your opinion and expierience the best Dovetail jig to buy. The one I saw in the Grizzly catalog, or one from Rockler, or from Woodstock, or ......

Please help me out and give me some advice.

Thanks in advance,

Erik

[Dave Avery]

Erik,

I like the Akeda - available only from Woodcraft - very well. The factory that makes the unit has experienced a major fire, so I'm not sure of current availability. Most people here have the Leigh D4 jig and almost all of them like or love it. The less expensive jigs seem to have lower levels of owner satisfaction.... you do "get what you pay for", at least most of the time. There has been much discussion of this topic in the past - do a search on dovetail jigs and you'll have quite a bit of reading material. Good luck with your decision. Dave.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Erik,

I know I'm Frisian, but I'll do my best to answer your question :D .

I'm the classic dovetail jig story: bought the cheap one (insert Frisian propensities) but wasn't satisfied. It worked fine, but the limitations were too much for the kind of building I wanted to do.

If you are serious about woodworking, buy the Leigh or the Akeda, as Dave suggested. I own the Leigh and fall into Dave's "I love it" category.

The other obvious suggestion, which is way too practical, is to buy a saw and master the hand-cut dovetail. But what fun would that be?


Happy hunting. Jason

[Lowell Kinzer]

Erik,

I picked up a Rockler jig recently, but haven't used it so I can't yet say whether it was a good choice. I'll find out in a week or so, after I've finished preparing the poplar stock I'm using for some replacement kitchen drawers. However, I can recommend some reviews I found in my search for information about dovetail jigs.

John Lucas recently posted a hands-on review (http://www.woodshopdemos.com/dts-rock-1.htm) of using the Rockler jig with the new through-dovetail template.

Several dovetail jigs are included on the Tool Reviews page (http://www.thewoodshop.20m.com/reviews.htm) on Jack Loganbill's web site, The Woodshop (http://www.thewoodshop.20m.com/).

There's also a Dovetail Jigs Review (http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00055.asp) on the Fine Woodworking Online site comparing different types of jigs.

I know I came across some other reviews, but those are the only links I have close at hand.

Good luck in you search!

Cheers,

Lowell

[Erik Stol]

Erik,

I know I'm Frisian, but I'll do my best to answer your question :D .

I'm the classic dovetail jig story: bought the cheap one (insert Frisian propensities) but wasn't satisfied. It worked fine, but the limitations were too much for the kind of building I wanted to do.

If you are serious about woodworking, buy the Leigh or the Akeda, as Dave suggested. I own the Leigh and fall into Dave's "I love it" category.

The other obvious suggestion, which is way too practical, is to buy a saw and master the hand-cut dovetail. But what fun would that be?


Happy hunting. Jason

Hi Jason,

There is nothing wrong with being a Frisian... Thanks for your advice. I agree with your statement that you get what you buy (in Holland we say "Goedkoop is duurkoop"). I will have a look at the Akeda one.

Erik

[Erik Stol]

Erik,

I picked up a Rockler jig recently, but haven't used it so I can't yet say whether it was a good choice. I'll find out in a week or so, after I've finished preparing the poplar stock I'm using for some replacement kitchen drawers. However, I can recommend some reviews I found in my search for information about dovetail jigs.

John Lucas recently posted a hands-on review (http://www.woodshopdemos.com/dts-rock-1.htm) of using the Rockler jig with the new through-dovetail template.

Several dovetail jigs are included on the Tool Reviews page (http://www.thewoodshop.20m.com/reviews.htm) on Jack Loganbill's web site, The Woodshop (http://www.thewoodshop.20m.com/).

There's also a Dovetail Jigs Review (http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00055.asp) on the Fine Woodworking Online site comparing different types of jigs.

I know I came across some other reviews, but those are the only links I have close at hand.

Good luck in you search!

Cheers,

Lowell

Hi Lowell,

Thanks for your comments and links. I will study them and come back to you later on.

Erik

[Mike Evertsen]

Erik,

I picked up a Rockler jig recently, but haven't used it so I can't yet say whether it was a good choice. I'll find out in a week or so, after I've finished preparing the poplar stock I'm using for some replacement kitchen drawers. However, I can recommend some reviews I found in my search for information about dovetail jigs.

Cheers,

Lowell

I also picked up the rockler jig when it was on sale but it wil only do blind dovetails unless you spend another 70.00 for the thru dovetail template,,,

[Steve Inniss]

Thanks, I love that -"Goedkoop is duurkoop". Is that pronounced much like it's spelled?

As long as your dovetails are through dovetails, I'd like to put in my 2 cents and mention the Keller jig. I bought mine, I think at Woodcraft or Rockler when I was living in Massachusetts, after reading reviews giving it top score for simplicity and - get this - "elegance".

It's very easy to setup and does a beautiful job. -Steve

[Lowell Kinzer]

I also picked up the rockler jig when it was on sale but it wil only do blind dovetails unless you spend another 70.00 for the thru dovetail template,,,

Mike,

I bought the jig a couple of months before Rockler started selling the through-dovetail template. I plan on using half-blind dovetails on both the fronts and backs of the kitchen drawers.

Cheers,

Lowell