Dovetail Jigs - Which one??

[Crazyraceguy]

Yes, they're predictable looking and factory looking. Close the drawer and you won't know.

Hand cut DT's carefully measured and laid out are also predictable and boring where in days gone by nothing was measured and it was all done by eye which is what Frank Klausz does. I know Derek and others disagree with that approach but it is traditional to do it that way because the DT was used solely for its mechanical properties and not to look pretty.

I think the real difference between the half-blinds done by the typical jig is that the pins and tails are exactly the same. For me, that's the offensive part.
I don't think the pins need to be as small as some people cut them, it's the wider tails (the difference between them) doe it for me. They can still be totally symmetrical, yet not boring.

[member=4358]derekcohen[/member] I think the reference to "backdraft" would be "clearance" as in the walls might be cut a bit wider at the bottom and still tight up on the surface, where you can see them.

 

[derekcohen]

Yes, they're predictable looking and factory looking. Close the drawer and you won't know.

Hand cut DT's carefully measured and laid out are also predictable and boring where in days gone by nothing was measured and it was all done by eye which is what Frank Klausz does. I know Derek and others disagree with that approach but it is traditional to do it that way because the DT was used solely for its mechanical properties and not to look pretty.

Chris, I think that we can agree that styles change in furniture. The dovetail in drawers was probably humble and used purely for its mechanical properties, but over time has become a symbol of handmade excellence. It was so two hundred years ago on high end furniture. It has become even more so today. Nevertheless, it is still a stylised component, and each person will prefer it a different way. FK’s examples were one way, held in high esteem more due to his personality than their aesthetics. Too coarse for my tastes. Compare his dovetails with those of Jim Krenov.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Cheese]

Cheese, I do not know what you mean by "backdraft". If you mean any complications, then the answer is "no". All has been tight and solid since I built this bench 11 years ago. I do a great deal of hand tool work, and it gets a constant work out.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek, I was just wondering if you drafted the walls for additional clearance for ease in fitting the dovetails. I've done that sort of thing when fitting new treads to an old staircase. Even a 1/2º draft will really help and it will not be seen from the top.

Kind of like this.

[attachimg=1]

 

[derekcohen]

Cheese, I know what you mean. I use the term "undercut". But, no, I did not do that here.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[ChuckM]

Some dovetailers, including me, chisel a light chamfer on the inside edges to ease the assembly:

[attachimg=1]

 

[krudawg]

I have the Leigh (or is it Lee now?) D4R. It sits unused as I usually always cut them by hand (not that I'm good at that, but I do).

However, I bought a Y-peeler and finally got fed up with my "builder cabinets" because it wouldn't fit in the comically awkwardly sized drawer. Gutted the boxes, installed new rail/stiles (the island had 6" wide stiles like why...), installed full-extension slides wherever there was a drawer or I wanted a sliding tray drawer.

...but I'm not gonna hand-cut 38 drawers/trays for my kitchen.

So I've been tinkering with the D4R to re-learn it. Works well. It's a shame it's awkward to use multiple routers due to concentricity issues with the guide bushings (with a single router, the concentricity issue cancels out).  So I couldn't use the OF-2200 has a second routers due to its LAUGHABLE guide-bushing insert. The MFK-700 has a screw-in base, but is visibly not concentric. The OF-1400's mount with Leigh/Lee's bushing is dead perfect. (Not sure why 'dead' and 'perfect' became an adage together, but here we are)

There's a thread on FOG about (the OF-2200 guide-bushing base and the Leigh/Lee jig). I like his solution fixing a router adapter to the insert. Sadly, buying JUST the adapter seems impossible without yet-another set of bushings making it $30 if you want the brass one. But it fixes a billion-dollar router's shortcomings so  [scratch chin]

Moral? don't use a Y-peeler

For those who need a review of the Leigh D4 Pro Jig, I highly recommend watching this 7 part series on youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDBusvahyxA&t=5s 
This is an absolute reference guide on the Leigh Jig.  I've never seen a YouTube video that is so helpful