Keller Jig Upgrade for easy accurate Dovetails

[martin felder]

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The Keller 1601 Dovetail jig has always been my go-to jig for drawers.  It is limited to through dovetails of even spacing, but I like the simplicity and precision.  David Keller makes a nice video demonstrating use and setup.  The original use was with a hand-held router, and with or without under router base dust collection attachments, it makes quite a mess.  I liked the idea of using it with a router table and had a couple of ideas to facilitate setup and insure accuracy. 

My jig starts out with each component of the jig template (pins, tails) mounted to a piece of wood 28 x 5 x 1 3/4 (I used maple, has to be totally flat, square, straight etc).  Those pieces of wood are modified to have dados for T-track (available at Woodcraft or elsewhere).  Then, there are 2 blocks of wood, one on each side that attach and slide along the track, secured with knobs.  Having 2 knobs for each block better secures the block as a stop.  Those blocks-stops are attached to Destaco clamps.

The 1601 Keller Jig has dovetail spacing of 1 1/8 inch increments.  If I want the drawer sides to look as shown in the picture, I can do that if the width is 2 1/4, 3 3/8, 4 1/2 etc, and I have that written down.  If you look at the blocks with the red knobs, I keep that fixed in a position that allows this appearance.  The block with the black knobs can slide to correspond to the width of drawer desired and locked down.  Then, for each piece, the Destaco clamp nicely facilitates clamping and unclamping.  I have the clamp set to have just the right amount of pressure with 5/8 thick wood, my go-to preference.

Any time I need to make dovetail drawers, I just line up the wood against the block with the red knobs, slide the other block up against the wood, lock it down, clamp, and I am good to go (being sure to have the router bits set to the appropriate height).

I suppose I could add handles-knobs to grab during use, but it is fine for me as is.

I hope that is of help to some of you.

 

[Mario Turcot]

Thank you Martin  [cool]

Q: Are the router bits that come with the kit are special to the jig or you can use any dovetail bits?

Wait, they have a bearing??? if so, the height is a no brainer right?

 

[martin felder]

Keller sells the bits.  I believe Whitesides makes the bits for David (Keller).  Yes, they both have a bearing.  That is what guides the bit along the template.  However, that has nothing to do with the height of the bit.  That has to be set.  To set the height of the bit, you add up the thickness of the template plus the thickness of the wood and then just a tiny bit more to allow for sanding.

 

[sancho57]

That is a pretty slick set up. I saw the Keller jig being demonstrated at a woodshow in Costa Mesa Calif. Though they quit having the shows out west I still remember how easy it was to use. That jig you made makes it even easier.

Guess I got to look into getting one.

I havent had a DT jig in years. Never get them to last and hate having to set up the router everytime I needed to use it.

So now, I make my drawers using thru dominos.

 

[martin felder]

I would think a Keller would last a lifetime.  It is just 1 template for the pins and 1 for the tails.  Unlike the Leigh and others, no knobs or moving parts.  The only thing that is ever in contact with it is the bearing of the bits.

Router setup could not be more simple.  For each bit, you set the height to be the thickness of the wood plus 1/2 inch for the template thickness and add 1/32 to allow for sanding (make each board 1/16 over).  You can write this down on the jig.

Those new Woodpeckers setup blocks could come in handy for the height setting.

 

[butzla]

Pretty slick indeed.  The problem with the Keller, however... and correct me if I'm wrong, Martin,  is the jig's dovetail spacing is fixed so you have to make your drawer height conform to the jig's spacing.

 

[Cheese]

Just ran across this on the Keller web site. Handy for doing multiples at a time. It's the Keller Pro Clamp Kit.

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[Michael Kellough]

Where do you get those clamps?

 

[Cheese]

Where do you get those clamps?

Here...
https://kellerdovetail.com/models/clamp.html

 

[martin felder]

Jim, you are correct.  You do have to have the drawer height conform to the spacing.  As I mentioned in my post:

The 1601 Keller Jig has dovetail spacing of 1 1/8 inch increments.  For it to look right, you want the drawer front, back, and sides to be  a height of - 2 1/4, 3 3/8, 4 1/2 etc.  I have that info written down on the jig to remember.

I generally do not find that I need to have different spacing as I generally make inset drawers with false fronts. 

I used to have the Keller clamping kit, but for me, I like the jig I made better.  For me, it was an upgrade.  Personal preference.  I find that the advantage of the greater ease of clamping outweighs the disadvantage of not being able to do more than 1 board at a time.  Also, I like being able to index the boards to a stop rather than scribing and shifting the wood to align and then clamp. 

It is true that other jigs offer certain advantages, like control of spacing and both half blind and through dovetails etc. 

I find that for drawers in cabinets and furniture, I like the Blumotion under mount slides, 5/8 drawer thickness, and a 3/4-1 thick false front.  That is my go-to drawer.  For that, I can make dovetail drawers very accurately and easily and quickly with no setup other than the router bit height (that is not so hard with setup blocks).  For those who want more flexibility, other jigs (or hand cut) would be a better option.

 

[ChuckM]

A little off-topic - I saw Keller's demos in person several times, his jig being the only of its kind -- totally non-plastic, at least until 6 or 7 years ago.

One US woodworking supply company made an imported(?), plastic version of his basic jig, and people started flocking for the cheaper jig that was everything the same (I believe) except the fingers were not aluminum. That company even did the same kind of dovetail demo just booths away from Keller. I believe that forced Keller to release his phenolic version to stay competitive. Tough world when a big guy goes into your niche market.

I one time owned a Leigh Super Jig, but it was sold after collecting dust (used only once for some test cuts). You totally forget the steps/settings if you don't use it regularly. I decided to learn handcut dovetails and haven't looked back since. But if I had to start again with machine-cut dovetails, I'd definitely go with Keller's, despite its limitations.

 

[cubevandude]

According to this article:https://kellerdovetail.com/reviews/r-woodshop-1992.html
You are only limited by your imagination or creativity level.

 

[Mario Turcot]

Waiiiiiit a minute! I am so feakin visual that in my mind you absolutely need a router table, which I don't yet  [eek]

Than I watched that video
Keller jig
Think I'm going to pull the trigger as an after christmas gift  [big grin]

I believe this is the most comprehensive and easy dovetail jig you can have. Makes the router center bit a non issue  [cool]

 

[martin felder]

David Keller had the first video on VHS where he demonstrated how to use his jig.  I had that.  When DVD came out, I "upgraded".  In David's video, he shows the use of the jig with the template fastened to a block of wood (common to all jig variations).  In that video, he clamped the wood to the jig, and the wood plus jig was secured with a vise.  A marking knife was used to mark, and a hand held router was used.  I see he still has this video for sale
https://kellerdovetail.com/models.html

I think he should put his video online as for whatever he would lose in video sales, he would more than gain by selling more jigs but that is just my own opinion.

That video was my guide, and it was how I first made dovetails with this jig.  However, I hated the mess.  I then found a Leigh router vacuum attachment

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It is now discontinued.  Still messy!

Then I noted that people were starting to use dovetail jigs with router tables, which would make a lot less mess and be easier and add stability (even a D-handle is not quite as stable as a router table).  That is when I shifted to my current jig.

That jig adaptation in the video is very similar to mine.  Really, the jig is David Keller's and everything else is a variation on how you clamp the wood and if you want to use a hand held router or router table.  I like having 2 T tracks with 2 knobs per stop,  and using 1 as a fixed stop, and using the Destaco. 

 

[Mario Turcot]

Reviving this thread.

Since I have now a router table, I revisit the dovetail options. Unfortunately, the Keller jig is not available in Canada. The keller website only ship in the states and I haven't found any  online distributor that ship north. Another option I found is the basic Gifkins package. I also consider the Leigh RTJ400. The Leigh comes more complete with clamping and 2 sets of bits. Any have experience with the leigh?

 

[BigDan]

Reviving this thread.

Since I have now a router table, I revisit the dovetail options. Unfortunately, the Keller jig is not available in Canada. The keller website only ship in the states and I haven't found any  online distributor that ship north. Another option I found is the basic Gifkins package. I also consider the Leigh RTJ400. The Leigh comes more complete with clamping and 2 sets of bits. Any have experience with the leigh?

Wow!  That Gifkins is a bit pricey for what you get I think.  Recommend this Katie Jig.  I have made 40-50 drawers in the last few months and it really works well.  There's a Youtube vid of it here...Video.  It has the ability to do fixed through dovetails like the Keller, You can also buy a replacement plate for it to do Half blind DTs and you can also buy individual forks for custom spaced dovetails and box joints.  Base Jig for through dovetails it $239.00.  I really like it's simplicity and if you watch the video, you will see how easy it is to use on a router table.  Cheers!!!

Have a great day.
Dan

 

[Mario Turcot]

Thank you Dan, that jig is very similar to the Keller and Gafkins but a lot cheaper. For me anyways. The adjustable fingers & tails is a nice feature.

The two things I don't like, bit using a bearing and the clamping system. I'm very sold to the Leigh I guess. Leight being too pricey for now, unfortunately  [crying]