Leigh D4 Jig

[Carroll Courtney]

What do ya'll thing of the Leigh D4 dovetail jig.Just purchase one at a great price that I could not pass up.I was not in the market for one and never look at them that much except at the wood shows.Has all the items for a startup kit,except the dvd's.Anybody here have the dvd's that they might sell?How easy is it to use this? On NYW,they make it look so easy that a cave man could do it.Will they never meet me.LOLThanks again guys

[Keith Christopher]

I love mine ! It is well made and works like a champ ! You will be very pleased with it.

[Jim Becker]

Own it. Love it. Most flexible system out there for a long time, although there are finally some alternatives coming on the market. And the Leigh company is top notch for customer support.

BTW, when you buy cutters, I suggest you opt for the 8mm shank bits over the 1/4" shank bits. Yes, you need to use a bushing or 8mm collet, but they are much stronger than the smaller shank tooling and dovetail work is pretty stressful on them.

[Fred Voorhees]

I have had one for years and though I don't use it very often, when I do, it always turns out some very nice dovetails, whether they are through doves or half doves, it always does right by me. It could very well be the last dovetail machine you ever need or buy.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Good for you. Can't go wrong with the D4!

[Paul Hendrickson]

I'm going to go out on a limb and bet you got that off the Houston craiglist, and if you did then you practically stole it. Great find. That is one of those rare tools that you never seem to hear anyone complaining about, except maybe the price.

[Al Navas]

...Has all the items for a startup kit,except the dvd's.Anybody here have the dvd's that they might sell?How easy is it to use this? On NYW,they make it look so easy that a cave man could do it...

The DVDs don't really show you the techniques described in the User Guide, Carroll. I believe the DVDs are more of a marketing tool than a HOW-To thing.

You should have gotten the very useful User Guide with the D4. If not, don't despair, as you can find it all at the Leigh Support Page (http://www.leighjigs.com/support.php) .

As with almost any tool, the D4 has a learning curve; it seems steeper to some users than to other users. After you have used it for a while, a "light" goes on and you wonder why it seemed to difficult to use the D4 in the earlier days.

You will love the D4 - the more dovetails you make, the more you WILL appreciate its versatility. Please post results as you make things. And always, enjoy using the D4!


Al


Edit #1 to add: I was wrong! The D4 apparently has had an instructional video, shipping with models after I bought my D4 several years ago. From the Leigh web site: IMPORTANT! Each Leigh D4 Jig now comes standard with this instructional video. Only order if you require a spare or replacement, or if you have an earlier model jig. They also warn you that you may NOT need the video, as their User Guide is so good. And I agree!

Edit #2 to add: I forgot about the online video page (http://www.leighjigs.com/vids.php)at the Leigh web site. You might want to check out some of these, as they will give you a reference point on whether to buy the video or not to buy, especially when comparing the video to the User Guide. The use of the D4 should be virtually identical to that of the D4R.

[Richard Link]

I would second that opinion. The DVD is hardly necessary and most of the operations can be viewed in video form from the Leigh website. Don't waste your time or money hunting for a DVD. Bravo on a great buy, though. I live in houston and you can imagine my despair after purchasing and assembling the jig only to see one down the street for 1/3 the price...

Enjoy.

Rick

[Denny Rice]

Own it- Love it. I would not trade this jig for anything but just like everyone else is saying, opt for the 8mm bits they cut vibration down to min.

[Jack Holt]

I love mine. I use it mostly for box joints but do dove tail at times. I did not find the DVD I got strted br reading the destructions. not all that hard. Jack