Dovetail Jigs - Which one??

[jordanrossbell]

I want to get into making dovetails for my cabinet drawers. I have a few projects coming up and i would like to have this feature in my builds. I will be very new at this so user friendly is key. I have researched and found Leigh and Porter Cable to be the most widely used that I can find. I am looking at the D4 Pro and the RTJ 400. Obviously the latter is used on my router table. The width of cut is 16 inches on the RTJ400 which may limit me in the future if i want to make cabinets with dovetail joints on the carcass. It appears to be a no hassle way of doing smaller drawers though.

Leigh D4 Pro vs Porter Cable. I would assume that the Leigh is better quality. The videos ive been watching appears to tout the adjustability of the Leigh. That honestly will probably be a draw back for me. I want uniformity in my spacing and i cant imagine wanting to make it offset of each other. I like that the Porter cable will cut the pins and tails with one pass.

With all that said, what jig would you guys recommend that will give good results and is user friendly for a first time user.

 

[ChuckM]

The Keller jig is the only one that doesn't require a "rocket scientist-like mind" to figure out and operate for beginners. Watch some YouTube videos on this and others (such as Porter Canle, Leigh, etc.) to see if you agree to this observation.

Peachtree has a jig that seems to be based on Keller's design. The Leigh jig has very good dust collection option. Of course, if you use a jig long enough over and over again, even the imported bare-bone dovetail jig can do the job.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

The one I have is the Leigh, though I haven't used it for a while. I have been on a box joint kick lately.
Plus, I am just the opposite with dovetails. I just don't like the "everything equal" aspect of machine-cut  half-blinds. I like them bigger, with smaller pins, and not so equal looking.

 

[Packard]

I have a Porter-Cable jig. I use if for drawers only.  If you can live with the 12” maximum width capacity, this is a robustly built and easy to use jig.

I was never tempted to make custom dovetail spacing, so this jig worked perfectly.  Very little that can go out o adjustment.

Mine came with the guide bushing, and two router bits (1/2” shank).  I have a P-C 690, but any 1/2” collet router will work. 

I see it advertised for about $135.00 as a complete kit.

It won’t make fancy spaced joints, but the standard will make a stronger joint anyway and I got it for the strength of the joint.

 

[Sparktrician]

I use a Leigh Super 18".  It's a piece of cake to set up, once one understands the overall scenario of usage.  Since I seldom use it, I have to retrain myself every time I get it out.  The OF 1010 is delightful to use with this jig.  [smile]

 

[Mark37]

I have the Porter Cable 42xx with the half blind and through dovetail templates.
One thing to be aware of with the fixed spacing is the optimum widths are 1 1/4”, 2 1/4”, 3 1/4”, etc. other widths are doable but the proportions may look weird.
I added the Leigh Vrs1200 which works great for dust collection and helps support the router as work progresses.

As far as the PC jig itself, to get good results, cut a bunch of extra stock and make test joints until you are satisfied with the fit and the boxes don’t come out wider or narrower than intended

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bigshaw929]

I have the Porter Cable 42xx with the half blind and through dovetail templates.
One thing to be aware of with the fixed spacing is the optimum widths are 1 1/4”, 2 1/4”, 3 1/4”, etc. other widths are doable but the proportions may look weird.
I added the Leigh Vrs1200 which works great for dust collection and helps support the router as work progresses.

As far as the PC jig itself, to get good results, cut a bunch of extra stock and make test joints until you are satisfied with the fit and the boxes don’t come out wider or narrower than intended

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mark,
I have the same set up. I like that I don’t have to over think like I did previously with the Leigh jig. Just have to plan properly and make the drawers in inch increments like you stated. I’ll gladly grab the PC while I did everything not to use the Leigh.
Bill

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[derekcohen]

I want to get into making dovetails for my cabinet drawers. I have a few projects coming up and i would like to have this feature in my builds. I will be very new at this so user friendly is key. I have researched and found Leigh and Porter Cable to be the most widely used that I can find. I am looking at the D4 Pro and the RTJ 400. Obviously the latter is used on my router table. The width of cut is 16 inches on the RTJ400 which may limit me in the future if i want to make cabinets with dovetail joints on the carcass. It appears to be a no hassle way of doing smaller drawers though.

Leigh D4 Pro vs Porter Cable. I would assume that the Leigh is better quality. The videos ive been watching appears to tout the adjustability of the Leigh. That honestly will probably be a draw back for me. I want uniformity in my spacing and i cant imagine wanting to make it offset of each other. I like that the Porter cable will cut the pins and tails with one pass.

With all that said, what jig would you guys recommend that will give good results and is user friendly for a first time user.

Jordan, to be blunt, ALL dovetail jigs produce dovetails that look terrible. Bland, mechanical and really, really scream out “made by machine”. Yet dovetails are prized joinery .., because they are associated with handwork and craftsmanship. So learn to make them by hand. Cheaper too.

Yes, I know this sounds daunting, but really it is not. You could do it as I did 25 years ago: I started with a jig from Lee Valley (Veritas) and this gave me an understanding of what was involved. Then I progressed to using a dovetail saw, and it just got better. Now it is automatic (I am just a hobbiest) but I can add dovetails where machine jigs cannot go. There are no limitations.

Here is an example of my current project, twin nightstands …

Note that these drawers have curved fronts.

There is another “tiny” drawer at the rear …

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[ChuckM]

Snip.
I’ll gladly grab the PC while I did everything not to use the Leigh.
Bill

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I did a similar thing by...selling my Leigh jig. It was frustrating to relearn the steps everytime I wanted to cut some dovetails after not using the jig for months.

Cutting dovetails by hand suits me because I use the joinery not more than once or twice a year. If I had to do a lot of dovetails on an ongoing basis, I'd sure use a router and jig, and became an expert in that jig (regardless of what brand it was).

 

[Mark37]

[attachimg=3][attachimg=4]To add to my earlier post, here is the PC dovetail jig with the Leigh attachment.  Without it, dust & chips are real mess.  Leigh did a great job designing it to work with the PC setup.

I mentioned that test cuts are needed to make sure you  have the template positioned, and the bit at the right depth of cut.  The instructions cover this.  The second photo is an example of what happens if you don't have it dialed in.

 

[jeffinsgf]

If you're looking to follow the KISS principle, any half-blind comb-style jig will do. My suggestion is to not fall into capacity envy. If you want dovetails for things like a blanket chest, you will not want half-blinds. So, if you're using this jig strictly for drawers, how many are you going to make that are more than 12" deep?

Check out the used market on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. If I were looking for a new comb jig, I would buy an older used Porter-Cable OmniJig. I found an ELU on FBM about a year ago, and it's a nice unit, but I sometimes wish I had held out for the OmniJig I was watching for. On the other hand, I'm making very nice half-blind dovetails for less than $50.

 

[Steve1]

I have the Leigh SuperJig (similar style to D4 Pro). 
It works.  Makes decent dovetail joints.
Hard for me to compare it to others because I have not used them.
But it is true that it is a bit complex.  Any time I use it (not frequently) I have to go back to review the instructions because set-up and use is not obvious.  Make extra pieces of scrap the same thickness as your drawers because test cuts are required.

I had not see the RTJ400 before, but it looks like an interesting device.  For what I do, I wouldn't worry about being limited to 16".

 

[twistsol1]

I've been using the Sommerfeld Katie Jig for about 15 years and it is nearly foolproof. Marc Sommerfeld has videos on youtube that have complete instructions, but they are about 50/50 instruction/sales. I highly recommend it as a much cheaper alternative to the Leigh, and nearly as capable. You can even string 2 or 3 of them together to make 24 or 36 inch dovetails.

I also have an old Porter Cable 4112 that only does fixed spacing half blind dovetails. I don't used it often, but if I need the one trick it does, it works well.

 

[smorgasbord]

I've been experimenting with using the tablesaw for cutting tails. Using a thin kerf blade, may get one reground to have a flat bottom. There are lots of videos on the process. You can also use the tablesaw for cutting pins, or you can match a router dovetail bit angle and cut the pins (which are usually spaced further apart) with a router. Someday I dream of using my small CNC to cut them.

 

[4nthony]

Not sure where the OP is located but I found this D4R with accessories on my local Craigslist for $400.
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/tls/d/fullerton-leigh-d4r-pro-dovetail-jig/7611366503.html

Seems like a pretty good price.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I want to get into making dovetails for my cabinet drawers. I have a few projects coming up and i would like to have this feature in my builds. I will be very new at this so user friendly is key. I have researched and found Leigh and Porter Cable to be the most widely used that I can find. I am looking at the D4 Pro and the RTJ 400. Obviously the latter is used on my router table. The width of cut is 16 inches on the RTJ400 which may limit me in the future if i want to make cabinets with dovetail joints on the carcass. It appears to be a no hassle way of doing smaller drawers though.

Leigh D4 Pro vs Porter Cable. I would assume that the Leigh is better quality. The videos ive been watching appears to tout the adjustability of the Leigh. That honestly will probably be a draw back for me. I want uniformity in my spacing and i cant imagine wanting to make it offset of each other. I like that the Porter cable will cut the pins and tails with one pass.

With all that said, what jig would you guys recommend that will give good results and is user friendly for a first time user.

Jordan, to be blunt, ALL dovetail jigs produce dovetails that look terrible. Bland, mechanical and really, really scream out “made by machine”. Yet dovetails are prized joinery .., because they are associated with handwork and craftsmanship. So learn to make them by hand. Cheaper too.

Yes, I know this sounds daunting, but really it is not. You could do it as I did 25 years ago: I started with a jig from Lee Valley (Veritas) and this gave me an understanding of what was involved. Then I progressed to using a dovetail saw, and it just got better. Now it is automatic (I am just a hobbiest) but I can add dovetails where machine jigs cannot go. There are no limitations.

Here is an example of my current project, twin nightstands …

Note that these drawers have curved fronts.

There is another “tiny” drawer at the rear …

Regards from Perth

Derek

[member=4358]derekcohen[/member]
Those are some good looking dovetails, just like I like them, wide tails and small pins. Those are obviously hand-cut, a router can't get them that small. Fantastic.
I still do mine with a Leigh jig, but adjusted to make the pins as minimal as can be.
We do some at work, once in a while. It's usually quite a few each time though, so the company bought a Grizzly machine. They are the usual machine made, equal spacing, but it's fast.
Lately, I have been into box-joints, which the Leigh can also do, but I never have.
I do them with the Shaper Origin, but that is way beyond the scope of this thread.
The real beauty of it though is that the width of the parts doesn't matter at all. It can be any random size you want and the machine compensates for it. You could literally make drawer parts that are 6 3/8" wide and cut box-joints to exactly match that. All it takes is a bit diameter that is smaller than the pins themselves.

 

[jordanrossbell]

Some great suggestions here! Thank you! I will probably go with the porter cable jig with leigh attachment. Really appreciate all the help!

 

[morts10n]

You might look into the Akeda dovetail jig as well. A completely different approach with that one

 

[Packard]

I've been experimenting with using the tablesaw for cutting tails. Using a thin kerf blade, may get one reground to have a flat bottom. There are lots of videos on the process. You can also use the tablesaw for cutting pins, or you can match a router dovetail bit angle and cut the pins (which are usually spaced further apart) with a router. Someday I dream of using my small CNC to cut them.

Dovetail joints cut with a dovetail jig will be faster and easier than a box joint or a dovetail made on the saw.

The table saw is perfectly suited to make box/finger joints, and they are generally more than strong enough for drawers. 

But cutting the dovetails with a saw blade would leave the bottom of the cut looking a bit rough.  It would probably require some cleaning up with a chisel. 

If all I had available was a table saw, then I would make finger joints.  Lots of videos on that too.

 

[smorgasbord]

But cutting the dovetails with a saw blade would leave the bottom of the cut looking a bit rough.  It would probably require some cleaning up with a chisel. 

For cutting pins, all you need is a flat bottom rip blade - pretty easily available.

As I said, for cutting the tails I'm considering having an 8º bottom ground into a thin kerf blade. Today, yes, I do clean up with a chisel but I don't know any method other than the tablesaw with ground bottom blade that can cut pins just 1/16" wide at the narrowest part that doesn't need a chisel.

Here's the thin kerf blade I'm currently using:https://www.infinitytools.com/10-laser-thin-kerf-saw-blade-1-16-kerf