best Dovetail jig system for 1400 router?

[Diana]

I am looking at buying the Leigh DR4 jig, but have read with much alarm that the 1400 router is not a good fit and the attachment recommended by Leigh does not help any.
What do you suggest I do. I am building a new kitchen with dovetail and half dovetail joints and need to purchase the best jig to suit my router.

 

[sw1211]

Welcome to the FOG.  This topic has been discussed in quite a bit a detail.  Here's one thread, http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=5924.0

If you try the search feature above with "Leigh Dovetail" as the search string there will quite a few other threads to read on the subject.

 

[Notorious T.O.D.]

Get the Leigh....it is simply the best jig going and it will work with your 1400 fine until you decide if you need a non plunge router to use with it...

Best,
Todd

 

[bonesbr549]

I am looking at buying the Leigh DR4 jig, but have read with much alarm that the 1400 router is not a good fit and the attachment recommended by Leigh does not help any.
What do you suggest I do. I am building a new kitchen with dovetail and half dovetail joints and need to purchase the best jig to suit my router.

I have the 1400 and the d4r.  It will work just fine with that router.  I use two routers with my d4r.  I have a PC and the of1400.  It makes it simpler to set up both bits then just go.  Keep in mind that if you use the collet with dovetail bit and it slips up you will be in a world of hurt.  I lock mine down and dont worry about it myself.  If you get the d4r, go ahead and get the extra vrs attachment it makes the whole thing easier.  To be honest any fixed base router will do as long as the bit is centered in the base which is extremely important.  I used a pc 690 as my second router till i got the 1400, now the 1400 & the PC890 does the job. 

Good luck.

 

[Diana]

thank you for your information. We dont have Porter Cable in Australia, what other makes as a fixed based router would you suggest? we have dewault, makita,festool,bosch. But also no PC890.
Do you suggest the Leigh router bits, or the festool bits?
Again thank you for your help

 

[ROb McGilp]

Hi Diana and G'day from Melbourne.

I have the Leigh D4R and recommend it wholeheartedly. I don't know who told you the OF1400 wouldn't work with it, but my understanding is that this is not right.
Perhaps if you give Anthony from Ideal Tools a call, he can clear up any misconceptions. His number is 1300 769 258 and web address; http://www.idealtools.com.au/. For DT's I use the Leigh or CMT router bits, they seem to work best. For finger joints I use the Leigh Spiral upcuts. You get much cleaner results
I also suggest that when you buy the D4R, you get the finger joint template as well. Excellent results (see below)

Regards,

Rob

 

[bonesbr549]

thank you for your information. We dont have Porter Cable in Australia, what other makes as a fixed based router would you suggest? we have dewault, makita,festool,bosch. But also no PC890.
Do you suggest the Leigh router bits, or the festool bits?
Again thank you for your help

Any router with decent quality that you can adjust the base to make sure the bit is centered in the collet will do.  I use a setup cone to ensure it's dead center if its not, you will know you will get an unexplained gap or a bind in one or more of the pins or tails.  Don't get to caught up on hp, since my old 690 worked ok and its not a huge router.  I'm using the 8mm standard bits that came from leigh with zero issues.   It's more about the setup than the power of the router imo.  One thing I do that does help and reccomended.   I use a tite-mark marking gauge to score the edge of the wood and it keeps the blowout under control and gives that hand cut look.  I love mine.  I still intend to learn to do them by hand one day, but for now it can't be beat.   It also helps to watch the videos on youtube before you cut.  I do it every time as I don't use it all the time I it helps refresh the brain as to how things are supposed to go.  Take care.

 

[fshanno]

I have a Super 18 and a 1400.  They work fine together.

If I were you I'd check out the other options before I bought a jig.  There are some decent contraptions that cost around $100 and produce dovetails suitable for kitchen drawers and do it just as fast as anything you can buy from Leigh. 

How about this for a strategy. Get a decent fixed spacing jig for your router for around $130.  Go ahead and build the kitchen with that.  Very few people care if you have variably spaced dovetails on a kitchen drawer that has metal slides, even nice Blum under mount slides.  Then invest in a high end dovetail saw and a nice set of bevel edge chisels and a sharpening system.  I bet you can learn to make beautiful needle pin dovetails that no router jig could produce.