Finger joint & Dove Tails Options

[Mario Turcot]

I am looking to incorporate finger joints and dove tails joinery to some incoming projects. I want to use something that will be somehow easy to setup and quick. Time is a huge factor and I don't want to spend days building table/jigs.

Here the options;
- Hand joinery, too much of a learning curve right now.
- Table saw and Incra iBox. Any other brand I should look for?
- Router table and accessories. Brand?
- Leight Jigs, would the OF 1400 fit well?
- Other options?

Thanks in advance, Mario

 

[Roseland]

Now I'm going to be controversial...

I had a cheap half-blind dovetail jig, which worked OK.  But I thought I wanted something more capable.

So I bought a Leigh D4R Pro, and went on a one-day course at Axminster.  That was a few years ago and it just sat in the corner after than.  Then a month ago I decided to get to grips with it.  The simple answer is that it is so complicated that I just don't have the patience to get up the learning curve; I'm going to get rid of it.  (Anyone in the UK interested...?)

I think that with a bit of patience and care, the Veritas Dovetail Saw Jig (which I also have) is a better solution for me, and at less than 10% of the cost of the Leigh something of a bargain.  Plus you can do dovetails that look hand-cut, with super-slim pins.

But I know there are people out there who think the Leigh is the bees knees; it's just not for me.

Andrew

 

[Mario Turcot]

Andrew, I totally agree with you. I work in the software industry and know for a fact that people that use a software once in a while forget easily the "How to". What I read about Leigh is that the instructions are outstanding... However if not use regularly it can become frustrating.

The advantage of Leigh is that you are not limited by the type of joinery compare to the Incra I-Box.

Thanks for your input.

 

[HarveyWildes]

Depends on the look you want.

Non-adjustable pin jigs like Rockler, Porter-Cable etc. give you evenly spaced, standard sized dovetails that look like your standard drawer dovetail.  You can get blind dovetails with most of those if that's what you want.

If you want to adjust the spacing between the pins, Leigh or the high-end Porter-Cable (if they are still available?) allow you to adjust the spacing and vary the distance between pins, but you are still limited to pins that are as wide as the dovetail bit that you use.  Same for Incra jigs.  I've used both Leigh and Incra.  If you are doing multiple joints, I'd give Leigh the nod over Incra.  WRT to dovetail angles, you are limited to the supported bits.  Leigh is finnicky to set up, and you need the manual in front of you the first few times (same for Incra), but after the first time, it's doable to set up and cut a small batch of drawers in an afternoon if you've done all the prep work on the boards.  If you want to do decorative joints, Incra is better.

If you want complete flexibility to do narrow pins, dovetails on angled boards, or odd dovetail angles, the only way I know to do that is to hand cut them, maybe with the assistance of a bandsaw.  Hand cutting dovetails well requires practice.

For box joints, I've got the Incra iBox and I like it.  You should be able to use it with any flat bottom, dado or box joint blades.

 

[Alanbach]

To continue the software analogy, the more flexible something is, generally speaking, the more complicated it is to set up and use. Leigh and Porter Cable Omnijig are complicated but super flexible! If you want something simpler they are available but not as multi-functional. For example Keller makes a system of dovetail jigs that are very simple to use. They only do through dovetails and the spacing is fixed. If you have a little control over the final dimensions of the dovetailed parts and you need through dovetails that might work for you. Rockler makes a finger joint jig for the router table that I like. I think they might also still make a dedicated half blind dovetail jig.

 

[chrisrosenb]

I have been using Leigh 24" dovetail jigs for over 25 years. I do mostly half blind dovetails for drawers. I keep 2 routers setup for thick & thin material. By doing this, the only adjustments I have to make is set the jig for material thickness & the dovetail spacing. I have 3 dovetail templates fixtures my D4R jig. I can setup for a total of 6 different depth drawers.

I have not used it very often for through dovetails. It does take some time to get setup for through dovetails, but with a very good Leigh manual & videos, setup time is not that bad.

I have a finger joint template for the D4R, but I have not used it.
For finger joints, I use a Incra i-Box. It has worked very well & is easy to setup. I also use the i-Box to make dental molding. 

   

 

[Birdhunter]

You might want to check out YouTube videos on router cut dovetails and the various jigs.

You are right on the learning curve on hand cut dovetails. I’ve been learning, buying chisels, buying saws, buying mallets, and scrapping wood for a month. I can now product decent dovetails consistently. It’s still a tedious process but oddly satisfying.

 

[Michael Kellough]

If “time is a huge factor”, you can’t beat a series of Dominos, which look pretty good to me.

 

[WillAdams]

I think that with a bit of patience and care, the Veritas Dovetail Saw Jig (which I also have) is a better solution for me, and at less than 10% of the cost of the Leigh something of a bargain.  Plus you can do dovetails that look hand-cut, with super-slim pins.

I bought this a while back to use on a project:
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/75378

and it worked quite well. Highly recommended.

 

[jarbroen]

If you want to crazy on a special setup you can get the Hybrid Pantorouter.
I went crazy and bought one last year.  I researched the crap out of things like the Leigh Pro jig.
The limitations on that were length of piece you're working on and the jigs that are available.

With the HPR(hybrid pantorouter)  I was able to make tenons on 6.5' 2x4" to make a railing.
I've used it for a bunch of other projects - shop carts, walnut side tables, etc.  It's very easy to setup.  Box joints are ridiculously easy.
If you're crafty at making templates you can route all kinds of crazy shapes.
And simple mortise and tenon joints are really straight forward, quick setup time and easy to repeat.

It's definitely not a toy, I mean tool, for everyone.  To me, it beats having to pull out a router, assemble a guide and some jigs.
I just put in whatever template, set the thickness and width of the piece and I'm ready to start testing the cut.

 

[waho6o9]

William Ng's accurate finger box jig ^ it worked well for me.

View attachment 1

Good luck on the dovetails as I haven't a clue.

 

[Mario Turcot]

Thank you all for your comments. I was not expecting that many inputs in a such short time.

William Ng's accurate finger box jig ^ it worked well for me.

I believe I watched that video 4-5 times. The only disadvantage is the flexibility but I agree it's an easy one to build and almost free.

I lurked on the LV jig & saw for a bit. I'm just not ready to do it that way.

I have been using Leigh 24" dovetail jigs for over 25 years. I do mostly half blind dovetails for drawers. I keep 2 routers setup for thick & thin material. By doing this, the only adjustments I have to make is set the jig for material thickness & the dovetail spacing. I have 3 dovetail templates fixtures my D4R jig. I can setup for a total of 6 different depth drawers.

I have not used it very often for through dovetails. It does take some time to get setup for through dovetails, but with a very good Leigh manual & videos, setup time is not that bad.

I have a finger joint template for the D4R, but I have not used it.
For finger joints, I use a Incra i-Box. It has worked very well & is easy to setup. I also use the i-Box to make dental molding. 

Right now the Incra I-Box seems to be the cheaper P&P. The Rockler jig is even cheaper but require a router table.

 

[Mario Turcot]

If “time is a huge factor”, you can’t beat a series of Dominos, which look pretty good to me.

Actually I made a box using dominos to carry 5 gals water when I go refill them. The store I go asked me to make a dozen of them. The dominos are nice but since it's to sell I want it to be stronger.

 

[ejw1234567890]

I haven’t used one but have the Gifkins dovetail jig is on my wish list.  If you have a router table, it seems like a great compromise between simplicity and flexibility.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mario Turcot]

I haven’t used one but have the Gifkins dovetail jig is on my wish list.  If you have a router table, it seems like a great compromise between simplicity and flexibility.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Agree, seems to be a very easy to use jig. Some flexibility and size limitation and price... wow  [jawdrop]

 

[gunnyr]

Several years ago I built the Box Joint Jig from Issue 8 of ShopNotes Magazine.  It is simple and easy to use. 

[attachimg=1]

I first used it with my dado set which cut little ears that don't look very good.  I now have the Olshun Box and Finger Joint Set that cuts nice flat bottom grooves, greatly improving the appearance of the finger joint set. 

 

[tallgrass]

Have you thought about the INCRA set up? which you can use on your router table when not making dove tales? Just a thought. Means you will be using it far more often. More use per dollar/hour.

 

[lwoirhaye]

Woodrat and similar systems are interesting.  Definitely quirky but very flexible in terms of what they can do.  Better for dovetails than finger joints I think.

I first learned to cut dovetails on my band saw.  It was easier than I expected.  Michael Fortune allegedly does production dovetailing on the band saw using blades that have been sharpened a few times because the set and kerf are reduced.

Matthias Wandel has some clever design ideas for finger joint jigs.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Been learning (indirectly) from Michael Fortune since Fine WW mag was printed in B&W. He is a very smart and ingenious guy.