Best Dovetail jig for production boxes

[Mark e Kessler]

Thanks, would you recommend the phenolic or aluminum, the 16” or the 24”? I am thinking the 16” would be adequate

[Mark e Kessler]

Thanks, do you have the phenolic or aluminum. Have you ever had an “oops” and can it be repaired satisfactorily?

I have had good experience with the Keller and would recommend it for your situation. I use mine on the router table where I feel the dust collection is much better than using it with the router hand held.

I can't speak to any of the commercial machines others are referencing but I did use the Keller once to do a job consisting of 35 large drawers made out of 12mm Baltic Birch and it performed beautifully.

[Bradley Gray]

+1 on the Keller. Get 2 routers so you don't have to change bits.

[Mark Bolton]

We have a Leigh in the shop and they are not as fiddly as people thing and I do like the ability to skew the fingers when needed if you have wide material that may have a little cup or wont pull down flat. The thing I find with the Leigh is if you dont use it regularly and your brain isnt the type that permanently retains information with regards to setup and the overall understanding of the mechanics of the jig, you will be at square one every single time you set it up and may get frustrated.

I can setup the Leigh in my sleep even after not using it for months. I like the versatility but I would agree if your not looking for a dedicated machine (smarter if your even doing modest quantities) a fixed finger jig may be better.

[jack duren]

We have a Leigh in the shop and they are not as fiddly as people thing and I do like the ability to skew the fingers when needed if you have wide material that may have a little cup or wont pull down flat. The thing I find with the Leigh is if you dont use it regularly and your brain isnt the type that permanently retains information with regards to setup and the overall understanding of the mechanics of the jig, you will be at square one every single time you set it up and may get frustrated.

I can setup the Leigh in my sleep even after not using it for months. I like the versatility but I would agree if your not looking for a dedicated machine (smarter if your even doing modest quantities) a fixed finger jig may be better.

I liked the Leigh for what it could do but knowing I was more dedicated towards cabinetry it didn't make sense to have both.

[Mark Bolton]

I liked the Leigh for what it could do but knowing I was more dedicated towards cabinetry it didn't make sense to have both.

No doubt. Cabs here as well. Dedicated dovetail machine is the key but the fixed jigs would be more foolproof. The jigs are brutal for time regardless.

[Doug Dawson]

Looking for the simplest most straightforward jig for utilitarian drawer boxes for kitchen, bath, shop etc.
I do hand cut for furniture but would like something general boxes, was looking at the porter cable or the Keller, I also saw that leigh makes one similar to the Keller.

Any comments, criticism appreciated!

If you're cutting these all day long you'll get so good at it that you won't need no stinking jig. You say utilitarian. So who cares what it looks like.

[Edwin Santos]

Thanks, would you recommend the phenolic or aluminum, the 16” or the 24”? I am thinking the 16” would be adequate

I have found that 16" is adequate. Remember, the jig can be unclamped and moved so in theory the workpiece size is unlimited.
I would get the aluminum pair even though the single double sided phenolic version is a few dollars cheaper.

Here is a thread with some interesting ways to optimize the Keller jig: https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....r-Dovetail-Jig

If you intend to cut Baltic birch, just know it presents its own challenges. In order to cut it without a ton of splintering, I had to sandwich the workpiece in between two pieces of stock so it was fully supported on the entry and exit. Again, I use the jig on the router table for improved dust collection. Here are some photos of the pantry project which used Blum Tandem undermount slides. I also included an example of cutting a very large workpiece on the router table for a big drawer which also mounted on Blum Tandems. By the way, the pantry drawers were all cut in just one evening, after preparing all parts to size the night before.

IMG_0661.jpgIMG_0662.jpgIMG_0664.jpgIMG_0687.jpgkeller tall workpiece.JPGkeller lg drawer.JPG

[Dave Cav]

Keller and two routers.

I also have a Leigh (got it at a garage sale) with two dedicated routers. Never use it, need to sell it and the routers.

[richard poitras]

+1 on the Keller Jig, Simple to use with good re-saults.

[Steve Jenkins]

Agree on the Keller. Used the 16”er for years until I ran across a like new Exrema single spindle for 500.00.

[Dave Sabo]

I have an entirely different view on this: NO JIG.

I would (and do) order almost all of my drawer boxes from dedicated drawer manufacturers. They are so efficient at it that it's near impossible to compete on an expense basis.

You can do it cheaper only IF you get free wood, don't pay or charge for your time , or all those saws , jigs, routers and bits you'll use. They"ll make whatever size and sepcies you want and send them made up or knocked down ready to assemble. I usually get small /modest orders in a week or less.

[Mark e Kessler]

I agree with you if I still had a business and I was trying to make money (the little that can be made...) when I did I ordered them assembled and prefinished, the fact that you are assembling and finishing is confusing. This is mostly for my personal projects around the house as the only thing I would/do sell now is highend furniture and machined cut dovetails will never be included there. Now that I don’t have kill myself trying to make a buck I actually enjoy building cabinets on occasion and $300-$400 for a jig will be less than then buying, my labor is free and lumber/ply is pretty inexpensive, honestly the worst part is the finishing for me

I have an entirely different view on this: NO JIG.

I would (and do) order almost all of my drawer boxes from dedicated drawer manufacturers. They are so efficient at it that it's near impossible to compete on an expense basis.

You can do it cheaper only IF you get free wood, don't pay or charge for your time , or all those saws , jigs, routers and bits you'll use. They"ll make whatever size and sepcies you want and send them made up or knocked down ready to assemble. I usually get small /modest orders in a week or less.

[jack duren]

I made money on them. How fast, how many jobs you have lined up, etc can play a role in that. i always had maple shorts laying around around from job to job. Never cost me anything. Just recycled... I got enough shorts in the shop now to do another set.

For the smaller more personal shop it's okay. I only offered it when customers were tired of high production shops that didn't offer it.
maple scraps.jpg

[Ron Selzer]

I have the Leigh D-3, only jig i have used. Very easy for me to Setup for thru dovetails on 15/16" thick, 4" to 24" wide, 12" to 64" long cherry most of the time, popular and white oak occasionally
Use two PC 690s with foot switches, keep bits in both on the shelf all the time
Bought the VRS for it after cutting the first dovetail on it.
I find it very fast to change width primarily and thickness occasionally
constantly changing from pins to tails
NO WAY NO HOW will I cut hand dovetails again.
I DO THIS FOR RELAXATION AND FUN