Best Dovetail Jig?

[Jeff Raymond]

Yes I know that we should all be able to cut dovetails by hand, and in fact not far from here is a guy who cuts beautiful dovetails with a Skilsaw.

For the rest of us, it would be interesting to hear from others about which jigs they may have used and which are the most successful.

I'm going to buy ONE jig that will allow me to some different types of dovetails, so any comments would be just great and we could all learn from each other?

Thanks in advance.

[Bill Wyko]

Incra Jig will allow you to do doves and so much more. The website is www.incra.com (http://www.incra.com)

[Matt Meiser]

The Leigh jig is extremely versatile and the manual is great.

[Dennis Peacock]

Jeff,

While I own the Porter-Cable 24" jig, I've used it a LOT and like it for what it does. It can be flexible as long as you buy all the various templates for it.
OTOH, I've also used the Akeda DT Jig and found that I "really" liked that setup. It's 16" capacity seems to be fine for most all DT joinery and it's easy to work, learn, setup, and use.

After saying all that....you can go here (http://www.woodshopdemos.com/dtshoot-1.htm) and read all you want about a Dovetail Jig ShootOut that will allow you to read about each one. There's no better way to be more satisfied with a purchase than knowing you done your "homework" before making a purchase. :D

[Brad Naylor]

I use the Leigh jig, which really does enable you to produce joints which look hand cut, rather than the horribly uniform ones produced by most jigs.

However, if I was buying again, I'd look seriously at a couple of other options;

My friend has the Trend jig and swears by it - they don't seem to have distribution in the US though

http://www.trendmachinery.co.uk/dc400/

The Woodrat is a complete routing system which is well worth a look at - it produces fine dovetails and much more.

http://www.woodshopdemos.com/wr-1.htm

Another English product but it is distributed in the US

Cheers
Brad

[Don Bullock]

The woodworking magazines have had ads for a new PC Omni Jig Joinery System that's supposed to be even better than the Leigh jig, but it hasn't made it to stores yet. It’s supposed to be available in August. Here’s the link -- http://www.porter-cable.com/index.asp?e=547&p=6188 or http://www.porter-cable.com/index.asp?e=547&p=6189

I have the Incra system on my table saw and plan to add a router table as soon as I can. It seems to be the most versatile "jig" for making a wide variety of dovetails, but I haven't used it yet. Check out the Incra as well as the videos at -- http://incra.biz/

Some may feel that the WoodRat is a good system for dovetails. I saw one review that reported that doing dovetails on it can be time consuming and somewhat difficult. I haven't used one so I can only report what I've read. I'm sure that someone that uses one will give you better information on one. Link to the WoodRat site -- http://www.woodrat.com/woodrat.html

Akeda site -- http://akeda.com/index.htm

As Dennis suggested, "doing your homework" before buying will save you a lot of money and headaches. What is best for someone else may not, however, be the best system for you. Checking out the jigs in action, if not with "hands on" experience would be the best way to decide what's best for you.

[Dave Morris]

Jeff, I've played with hand-cut dovetails, and had a whole drawer full of practice joints before getting to where they looked half decent. Sure, I can do them, but I don't have the time to practice to the point where I'd put my hand cut DT's on anything I put my name on. So, like you, I looked for a DT jig that would let me be as creative as possible. This was a 6 years ago, and after researching, I bought the Leigh jig. Yeah, the Incra system showed some incredible joinery possibilities at that time, but I just wanted really good DT joints.

160-some page manual, seemingly complicated learning curve, but by taking it step by step and doing a few practice joints, it all came together. The first project I used it on was a solid Oak chest of drawers with DT drawers (1/2" thick Baltic birch) and variable-spaced DT's on all four feet (1.5" thick Red Oak) where the chest rested in a separate base. It came out beautifully, and that jig paid for itself in sentimental value in just one project (the chest was a gift for my brother to celebrate the birth of his first child).

Have their been advances in DT jigs over the last several years? Maybe, I've never looked for another one. Other who use their stuff all the time may have better informed answers, but as a sometime user, I can say the Leigh is an amazingly versatile DT jig.

[Aaron Beaver]

I have always like the optional features you can get with the Leigh jigs, like the Isoloc, & mortise and tenon templates, I am not sure any other jigs allow you to do those, if they do please someone correct me. Not sure if the new PC Omnijigs coming out in August will do any of those either.

[joseph j shields]

A couple of months ago (at the wood show) I talked with the PC guys about their new DT jig.

One guy (who had the Leigh jig) used a prototype of the PC and said it was just as good as the Leigh, but 10 times easier to use.

If you can wait, I would wait for the new PC and check it out.


-jj

[Gary Herrmann]

I got a deal on a Leigh jig a couple years back. Only one I've used. I've done them by hand - not very good at it yet.

Highly recommend the Leigh jig. Highly adjustable, great manual.

[John Lucas]

Thanks to those who made mention of my Shootout. A comment on the WoodRat. It is a really nice system if you want to t ake the time to learn it. I am looking forward to the new PC Omnijig...it does keep getting pushed out there. I hope that it will make it to the market by AWFS time. I have my name on one. I think their currrent Omnijig was a surprise. I didnt know it had variable spacing. Quite similar to the Leigh.

[Aaron Beaver]

Thanks to those who made mention of my Shootout. A comment on the WoodRat. It is a really nice system if you want to t ake the time to learn it. I am looking forward to the new PC Omnijig...it does keep getting pushed out there. I hope that it will make it to the market by AWFS time. I have my name on one. I think their currrent Omnijig was a surprise. I didnt know it had variable spacing. Quite similar to the Leigh.

John, do you know very much about the new PC Omnijig? There site doesn't say very much, at least that I can find, and I wonder if it will have different templates like the Leigh.

[Tim Malyszko]

Speaking of Jigs, there is a Leigh 16" with accessory pack on the clearance table at Rockler in St. Louis. I cannot remember the price on hand, but it was a fairly good deal.

I personally use the Akeda, which is on sale with it's accessory pack for around $350-$400 every once in a while. At the time, it was either between the Akeda and the 16" Leigh. I went with the Akeda because it looked much simpler to set up and I really liked the dust collection, which by the way, does a phenominal job. Now that I've owned it for 6+ months, I am still very happy with it and have made some great dovetail joinery with it, but I do have one complaint. The snap-in guides for one reason or another are sometimes very difficult to snap into place. It's almost as if something wasn't machined right on either the guides or the jig itself. I thought there was some sawdust or chips stuck in the guide holders, but still have the issue even after using compressed air to clean it out.

If I were to do it over, I would have gone with the 24" Leigh jig. I thought that I would have never needed such a big jig, but there have been a few instances where I changed a design because I didn't have the extra 8" of jig.

Good luck with your jig purchase.

[Joe Mioux]

hmm no mention of pc's 4212? It seems like a good usable jig at a fair price.

Joe

or did i miss it.

[Tony Ward]

"The boxmakers dovetail jig" Cut through dovetails on a table mounted router! http://www.gifkins.com.au/ ~ well worth a look at!

[Brett CoughlanAus]

I have a gifkins (it did rate well in the FWW recent comparison article) and think it's great. It's aimed specifically at through DT's for use with a router table. Set-up and ease of use is excellent and the manual is also great - worth a look if you arent' after the fancy isolic joints etc..

[Bob Feeser]

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/718PPB9Q7CL._AA280_.gifhttp://www.leighjigs.com/images/D4R%20page-W.jpg
Here is my Amazon review, actually of the Porter Cable 24" Omni Jig Part No. 7116. It does not take into account, that PC is bringing out a Leigh D4 clone in August of 07. The review is long, but brings up several items worth mentioning...

54 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/customer-reviews/stars-4-0._V47081936_.gif Porter Cable OmniJig vs Leigh D4 Jig, November 12, 2002
The Porter Cable OmniJig is simple in it's design, and is substantially made. The dovetail template is a fixed design. The spacing of the dovetails, are not adjustable. If you have a drawer that is 5 3/8" tall, you will have an odd spaced pin. The ideal are pins that are balanced on the top and bottom. Preferably a half pin top and bottom. With the Porter Cable jig, you could have a tail instead of a pin at one end, or odd balanced pins. The Leigh D4 dovetail jig on the other hand gives you infinite spacing capabilities. That kind of adjustability comes with a price for additional set up time. I want complete adjustability, so I can make the outside pins perfectly matched, and then balance the interior pins and tails to whatever spacing I choose. Additionally I have complete control over the size of the pins and tails themselves. It also accepts specific yet different degree angle dovetail bits.

I'm not a yeah this, and a boo that. I like the speed of the omnijig, and the adjustability of the D4. If I was building drawers in a production shop, and time is of the essence, then the PC is the choice. If I was building a custom order, with choice woods, and an even choosier customer, the Leigh would be my choice.

The Omnijig is a well made heavyweight piece, designed to do half blind joints. Through dovetails require a different optional, and expensive jig. Still not with adjustable capabilities. The Leigh D4 is lighter and also well made, comes with through, half blind, and sliding dovetail capabilties right out of the box, all at the price of the base Omnijig unit.

The PC dovetail machine was proudly pictured on the front page of the October 2002 Woodworkers Journal magazine announcing their ultimate guide. They reviewed the different jigs. With the Omnijig, they mentioned, that like, almost all half blind jigs, they are designed around a 14 degree dovetail. In order to get the depth of cut needed at that angle, the jig uses a 3/4" bit. The reviewer stated, "To me, the resulting dovetail looks rather coarse". On the other hand WJ magazine, states, " The jigs that go both ways, especially the super flexible Leigh jig, earn a space in my shop."

Myself, I bought the Leigh D4 with a complete 15 piece set of Leigh factory special router bits, that are custom designed for dovetailing (many different sizes and lengths, and shaft size) for less money than the cost of the PC Omni and optional PC Through Jig. That 15 piece set comes in 2 versions. I strongly advise you to get their 8mm and 1/2" collet bit set, instead of the 1/4" and 1/2" set, because of the substantially increased strength of the 8mm shaft, yet giving you the capabilities of the smaller pins. You will need an optional 8MM collet for your router to use them. Smaller tighter joints requires slimmer bits, and instead of 1/4" bits with more vibration, which is solved with 8mm bits that give you substantially more shaft size, while still maintaning a small enough size for the smaller template, yielding tighter spacing, and smoother cuts. That is why the international standard for the smaller shaft size is 8mm instead of 1/4". Back to the OmniJig.

If my needs grow to production standards, I will be adding the PC Omnijig to my arsenal. Quite simply the advantage to the OmniJig is that you can take your project and put it in the jig, and put out evenly spaced dovetails pre set to the restricted size of the template, without having to run sample cuts to set up the machine. If your running odd lots all day long, that is a major speed difference.
If you making large lots of the same size, the initial set up for the Leigh is no longer important, and will result in a balanced job, without the loss of time.
I really like my Porter Cable equipment, it is well made, I just think that something as relevant as the contained information should be explained, in addition to the well deserved 5 star reviews.

So that is the review. If you want to see the D4 here is the link: http://www.leighjigs.com/d4.php Norm Abrams uses the Leigh D4 on the New Yankee Workshop. I chose it for its versatility, and I am not in a production shop.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have the leigh D4 and the PC Omnijig. They are different but both will perform as advertised.

The leigh isn't as sturdy.

Other than that: Hey, you pays your money and you takes your chances.

[Jim Becker]

IMHO, the "best" currently available has been the Leigh D4/D4R. The "new" PC looks promising, however, and the Akeda is well regarded.

[Steve Roxberg]

Leigh is dropping prices on the D4R, Highland Hardware is now selling them for $399, the FMT will be dropping to $599.

You have to love competition from Domino and PC is stirring up the prices.

I love the price drops.

[Dennis Peacock]

Leigh is dropping prices on the D4R, Highland Hardware is now selling them for $399, the FMT will be dropping to $599.

You have to love competition from Domino and PC is stirring up the prices.

I love the price drops.

I agree Steve. I'm kinda wondering about the new PC setup that's supposed to be coming out in August/Septemeber of this year.

Either way, I'd love to have an FMT for making chairs. :D

[Jack Ganssle]

Based on the reviews at Amazon and other places I bought the PC 4212 along with the optional 4215 "small" template a few weeks ago for $180. Every time I go down to the shop to try it out real life interferes. It's clamped to my bench, taunting me, whispering "let's play!" I did cut one set of small dovetails with little fuss and a very good fit. It was much easier than I anticipated.

It will also cut box joints (those bits are not included) but those are not adjustable at all. My one attempt resulted in a sloppy fit, but I'm thinking that maybe I rocked the router.

The large tempate's bits are carbide tipped, but the small template bits appear to be HSS. I want to get carbide versions. The small straight bit is 3/16" so is easy to get, but the dovetail is 9/32, which I can't find anwhere. I'm currently waiting to hear back from Andewstoolworks.com on the price for a custom bit.

But my initial impressions are very favorable. It's very solidly built.

Jack

[Jason Tuinstra]

Jeff, thanks for the can of worms :)

Leigh - hands down.

[Ed Falis]

...
The Woodrat is a complete routing system which is well worth a look at - it produces fine dovetails and much more.

http://www.woodshopdemos.com/wr-1.htm...

I've had the Rat for a few years and really like it because of its flexibility. Takes some time to set up for a particular task, but when it's set, it's set. Mortice & tenon, through and blind dovetails, box joints, raised panels, grooving, yadayadyada. It's really kind of a well-equipped router table sort of thing. Anyway, if you go to their site www.woodrat.com, you can download an abbreviated manual to get an idea of what it's all about.

I'm doing some edging for the kitchen cabinets I'm building right now. I'm using the Burgess edge bits. The Veritas router table is sitting on the side of the tablesaw with the rounding bit for the edging; the coving bit for the panels is in the Rat. Moving right along if only I had more space and clamps for gluing.

After that, it'll be dovetailing and grooving the drawers, then mortice and tenon for the glass doors. You get the idea.

- Ed (amateur)

[Jeff Raymond]

You're welcome! :D

I'd had one of the first Leigh jigs and don't recall when I threw it through the the shop window. I think it was on a Tuesday.

You'd think making an adjustable, easy-to-use jig wouldn't be rocket science, huh?

Maybe lotsa guys would buy them?

Nah.

[Jerry Bittner]

Speaking of Jigs, there is a Leigh 16" with accessory pack on the clearance table at Rockler in St. Louis. I cannot remember the price on hand, but it was a fairly good deal.
I personally use the Akeda, which is on sale with it's accessory pack for around $350-$400 every once in a while. At the time, it was either between the Akeda and the 16" Leigh. I went with the Akeda because it looked much simpler to set up and I really liked the dust collection, which by the way, does a phenominal job. Now that I've owned it for 6+ months, I am still very happy with it and have made some great dovetail joinery with it, but I do have one complaint. The snap-in guides for one reason or another are sometimes very difficult to snap into place. It's almost as if something wasn't machined right on either the guides or the jig itself. I thought there was some sawdust or chips stuck in the guide holders, but still have the issue even after using compressed air to clean it out.

If I were to do it over, I would have gone with the 24" Leigh jig. I thought that I would have never needed such a big jig, but there have been a few instances where I changed a design because I didn't have the extra 8" of jig.

Good luck with your jig purchase.

Understand that Akeda has a newer larger model. I have the original and from the stanpoint of dust collection, ease of set up and understandability, its tough to beat except in price.

[Steven Bolton]

I am quite the beginner. Looking through various articles, including this forum, makes me think the Leigh would best suit my needs.

I talked to a guy who has one and he indicates that the half blinds are a little fussy to get to fit correctly. He likes the Leigh and he is a professional, but states he usually has be do a some adjusting before each new job (for the half blinds) He also states that half blinds work best if the wood is set on the right hand side of the jig, so the rotation of the router pushes the wood into the side guide and not away from it.

The joints look very nice on the things I have seen, including some on this forum. Next thing to the finest of handcut dovetails it appears to me.

Any comments are welcome, as these jigs aren't exactly given away. Are the half blinds going to drive a person nuts?


Steven Bolton

[John Lucas]

.... The large tempate's bits are carbide tipped, but the small template bits appear to be HSS. I want to get carbide versions. The small straight bit is 3/16" so is easy to get, but the dovetail is 9/32, which I can't find anwhere. I'm currently waiting to hear back from Andewstoolworks.com on the price for a custom bit.

But my initial impressions are very favorable. It's very solidly built.

Jack

I am one who loves carbide tipped bits, but in the case of small dovetails, they are not possible so the bits have to be HSS. What surprised me is the quality of the cut using the HSS....smooth as the babies...you know. I do know they will not have the life that the carbide will have but so far I havent worn any out. The smaller bits are almost impossible to find with 1/2" shaft, but there is quite a selection with 8mm shafts. These are really nice bits. You can either use a collet adapter or get an 8mm collet. PC has one that fits all their routers. I dont remember what it cost but it wasnt that much.
For 8mm bits, try http://www.thecraftsmangallery.com They are the US dealer for Woodrat which uses a lot of these small HSS bits.

[Gary Keedwell]

From what I understand, you can get a sharper edge from HSS then from carbide. Trouble is that the HSS will not last no where near as much as carbide...it is a trade-off.:(
Gary K.

[John Lucas]

John, do you know very much about the new PC Omnijig? There site doesn't say very much, at least that I can find, and I wonder if it will have different templates like the Leigh.

I only know what I saw from the IWF and that was 3 minutes or so of the product manager. It was definietly intriguing. I asked PC to send me one for review and they will and I will get on it immediately, BUT it is slated for an AUgust release and I am not sure wether they will have one for me much before that roll out. Yes, it will have different templates but they have tried to make things color coded and easier. I can't wait.

[Corey Hallagan]

I use the Gifkin Jig and the Incra Jig.

corey

[George Broughton]

Has anyone seen or heard of or use the jointech jig. Very similar to the incra set up.

[Lewis Perry]

I have the jointech system and I find it very difficult to do dovetails on it. In fact I'm trying to decide on which dovetail jig to buy--Leigh or Akeda. Maybe my problem with the jointech is me and the fact that I haven't used it enough to be familiar with it but I gave up on trying to do dovetails on it. The guy demonstrating it at the woodworking show made it look easy. But its not for this old guy!

[Jeff Raymond]

Thanks everyone for all your thoughts. Didn't know it would stir so many hearts and minds.

There was a set of router bits with the Leigh that was thrown out the window which were just terrible.

You'd think that it would be a DUH to have top-quality bits, carbide even?

[John Gornall]

Leigh has lots of new stuff check the website. I'm going to get the new D4 dust system and router support - looks great.

[Aaron Beaver]

Thanks everyone for all your thoughts. Didn't know it would stir so many hearts and minds.

There was a set of router bits with the Leigh that was thrown out the window which were just terrible.

You'd think that it would be a DUH to have top-quality bits, carbide even?

So the bits that Leigh sells are not any good? I was thinking about getting some, maybe even on of the sets they sell, but if they are that bad I will stick with the regulars.

[Greg Funk]

So the bits that Leigh sells are not any good? I was thinking about getting some, maybe even on of the sets they sell, but if they are that bad I will stick with the regulars.
All of the bits I have bought from Leigh have been of high quality and carbide tipped. I use the 8mm bits.

Greg

[Denny Rice]

You cannot beat this Leigh jig, this jig is made of such high quality it will probably outlast me, and with the recent price drop to 399.00 the price is right. I have had mine for about 2 yrs with no problems just perfect dovtails. Then there is the "Norm factor" if its good enough for Norm A. its good enough for me.:)

[Russell Tribby]

As unbelievable as this sounds all of if is true. I bought the Akeda jig about a year and a half ago when Woodcraft ran their special. I immediately worked to set it up. The main reason I went with it was it's ease of use and repeatability. After a couple of unsuccessful frustrated attempts at creating some simple half blind joints I put the jig on my shelf. I decided to call Akeda for some help because I could not get the joints to fit. They kept coming out loose and I could not make any more adjustments to the router to correct it. I was using a Bosch 1617 that I had had for awhile. According to the Akeda manual I needed to lower the bit in order to snug up the fit. The problem was that I couldn't lower the bit anymore without using part of the actual bit shaft to do some of the cutting.
I got a call from Akeda a couple of days after I left a message with them. Responding to my call was the president of the company, Kevan Lear. Kevan spent nearly 1 hour on the phone with me trying to figure out the problem. He ended up sending me 2 new bits and 2 new collars thinking that the parts that came with the jig may have been undersized or oversized. Unfortunately none of these solved my problem. I finally ended up buying a new router and ......voila! The whole time it was my Bosch router that was causing the issue.
I now love using the Akeda jig. I am equally pleased with it because of the service that was provided by Mr. Lear. Over a series of 3-4 phone calls he spent a couple of hours on the phone with me trying to fix a problem that was eventually attributed to the router I was using. Additionally he ended up sending me well over $40 worth of accessories free of charge. Kudos to Mr. Lear and Akeda for what has been the best customer service I have ever received.

[John A Walker]

I favour the Leigh, but there is one other jig I use for run of the mill drawers for kitchens and workshops etc.
The Keller.

Pros.

Easy to set up and use.
Doesn't use guide bushes, but has a special pair of bearing guided cutters

Cons.

Only cuts through dovetails
The jig is made in three sizes to cope with varying thicknesses of timber. This makes it a somewhat expensive outlay to begin with.

If I want half-blind dovetails with this jig, I take the face off the drawer front to make a 3/16" thick 'veneer' Make the drawer with through dovetails and glue the front, over the tails, to form the 'lap'.


One could also just plant a false front on the drawers of course.

Regards
JW (UK) :)

["Gary Smith"]

I've only had the new Omni Jig for less then a week, but I can tell you with no doubt that it is as good as the D4 and much easier to use! I've owned both and the Omni will become the jig of choice very soon for new buyers that are thinking of spending that kind of money!

I got an acceptable joint out of the box the no additional set up from the factory!!!!!!!

[Steven Bolton]

I've only had the new Omni Jig for less then a week, but I can tell you with no doubt that it is as good as the D4 and much easier to use! I've owned both and the Omni will become the jig of choice very soon for new buyers that are thinking of spending that kind of money!

I got an acceptable joint out of the box the no additional set up from the factory!!!!!!!

What degree are the bits that come with the unit? You say you have had the Leigh and this is better? Wow.

Steve Bolton

[J. Z. Guest]

It seems to me that if you want just one dovetail jig that will do almost anything, it has to be a high-end Leigh or Porter-Cable. Other jigs do either just through or just half-blind dovetails.

The one I chose was the Pins and Tails jig by MLCS. It is a through dovetail jig kind of a copy of the Keller, but only $50.

["Gary Smith"]

What degree are the bits that come with the unit? You say you have had the Leigh and this is better? Wow.

Steve Bolton


No I said, it is as good as..........and easier to use. However it probably is better, just didn't want to start a war over which jig is best!

Different bits are provided depending on which templet. I do beleive that on the half blind fixed it is a 7 degree.....but I'm not sure. The bits come marked......like D4 or S1 and etc.

["Gary Smith"]

Here are photos

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e98/oaksmith/Finished%20Shop/IMG_1309.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e98/oaksmith/Finished%20Shop/IMG_1308.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e98/oaksmith/Finished%20Shop/IMG_1307.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e98/oaksmith/Finished%20Shop/IMG_1306.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e98/oaksmith/Finished%20Shop/IMG_1305.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e98/oaksmith/Finished%20Shop/IMG_1304.jpg

[Paul Johnstone]

Here's some stuff I learned..

With a router table based dovetail system (Incra and Jointech), you have to plane the wood down to a specific thickness. This may or may not be a limitation.

I bought a used Woodrat a while ago. I haven't set it up yet, but you can do arbitrary thickness and spacing.. There are no templates, which is both good and bad. Another advantage of the woodrat is that it is awesome at making sliding dovetails. Also, you can climb cut (run the router the "wrong" way), since the wood is clamped down. This reduces tearout. Those latter two reasons were my main reason for buying the woodrat.
You may want to wait for the new Router Boss as well if you are going that direction. I don't think we are allowed to post links, so just do a serach.

I have no experience on the Liegh, PC or other traditional dovetail jigs, so I really can't compare those..

[John A Walker]

Hi Gary...

I see that your jig is mounted with a wall close behind it. Are all work pieces worked vertcally in this jig please?

Regards
John
:)

["Gary Smith"]

Hi Gary...

I see that your jig is mounted with a wall close behind it. Are all work pieces worked vertcally in this jig please?

Regards
John
:)

No they are not...........the jig is mounted of a table with castors, easy to move if you need to. When I'm doing a lot something I'll move over and use the dust collection hose from the jointer. If you look close you can see the jointer to the right of the planer.

[John A Walker]

Thank you Gary.
I was surfing for details of the jig but there was nothing very useful to me. It seems there is a dearth of suppliers in the UK in any case, so I should have to buy from the USA. That can be an advantage on current exchange rates... :) but the sheer size of the parcel would attract attention from our Customs and 'Excuses' Department. I shall have to stay with the Leigh for the moment, although I was looking for a jig that has it's features, but which would save me space.
(I work from a single car garage of just 144.5 square feet; not even big enough for a car! );)

Thanks again Gary

Regards
John

[Mark Kosmowski]

I am happy with my PC 4212. It is quick and easy. It is not the most versatile jig, but me, a total beginner, was able to make a first drawer (half-blind, solid face, plywood sides and back, for the shop) that works and looks reasonably good (some plywood blowout - cheap, old construction ply that was free leftovers from my folks home improvement project) in about an hour. This was my very first use of the jig and my first drawer build, dovetails or no.

It would be hard to go wrong with a PC4212 to start and then a more expensive, maybe harder / longer to use jig for fancier stuff later if needed.