dovetail jigs

[brooktrout]

I want to start creating dovetail joints for drawers on furniture. I've never used any of the various jigs on the market that are supposed to do such a great job. Can anyone tell me 1) do they in fact cut tight, accuracy dovetails, and 2) if so, how difficult is it to get top quality joints with them? Finally, what brands of jigs have you used and which would you recommend? Thanks

[Deadwood]

You get what you pay for that is for sure, but the Leigh Dovetail Jig is truly the best. You can make through Dovetails, Half Blind Dovetails and space everything in different increments so that it looks handmade...well almost. In any case you pay a high price for it, so it should.

The Porter Cable Dovetail Jig looked pretty good as well, from the little bit I researched into it. I was going to get into dovetails hard and heavy at one time, and then I came to a stark conclussion. I enjoy making dovetails by hand too much to retire my chisels and move on to a router.

By the way, have you ever tried making Lovetails? That's not a misspelling by the way, they are like Dovetails but the joint is shaped into little tiny hearts. It sounds complex, but they are easier to make then dovetails. E-mail me if you are interested and I will try to explain how they are made.

[Ed]

brooktrout, Welcome to the forum!

The brown truck dropped off my Porter-Cable 4212 dovetail jig yesterday. I've got it partially figured out & hopefully I'll try my hand at halfblind dovetails tonite.
The Leigh jigs are pretty much the "standard" as Deadwood said. But they do get kinda pricey by the time it's all said & done. I had been looking for a decent mid-priced jig for quite a while, it seemed to me the PC was the best bang for the buck. I got it thru Amazon.com for $136.99 plus free shipping.

Ed

[jph]

I have a Leigh jig and would highly recommend it, I can't speak for any other makes. The Leigh will cut perfect dovetails once set up.
The trouble is I  use mine so rarely I have to spend ages relearning how to use it, but I would not be without it. A great tool.

[Dan_Shade]

I have a katie-jig, it's ok, but all of the jigs are a pain.  it is nice to have 2 routers for jig work, or 1 dedicated router that you only use with the porter-cable style setups.

[pigman]

I have used the Porter- Cable jig for four years. It does a good job, but you can't change the spacing like the Leigh to give the hand cut look. I have a small router that I leave my dovetail bit in  to save set up time. I can do the dovetails in drawers in about 5 minutes counting set up.  It does cut tght well fitting joints everytime.

[shopteacher]

I have a leigh jig at home and at school. They are probably the best out there. The problem at school is when a kid picks the router up rather than slides it out.  The bit cuts into and ruins the movable fingers. I've tried repairing them with Devcon plastic steel, but they never seem to cut just right again. They also make a number of different spacer bars for finger joints( box joints) teddy bears, and such.  Problem with them is the price. I think a second bar is about 250.00 for the large jig.  Great piece of equipment although a little pricey on the startup.  Seen a number of them for sale on ebay and they do hold their value and sell quite high even second hand.
As Deadwood said " you get what you pay for" if 'n your lucky.

[beenthere]

shopteach
I resemble that move. Had a friend make a good jig out of a wood mag, and the first thing I did was lift the router. Don't know why, but certainly learned it ruins the template .  I also tried to fix it, but he made me another (he had a jig fixed up to 'cut' a new one out of plexiglass). 

I too find that a spare router with the bit that stays in it helps greatly on setup, and the joints (once set up and a lot of practice with well-planed scraps to play with) are great and tight.  Running a batch of parts at once is the way I go. Not something that I just switch on and do.   
Dovetailing seems to have its own life.

[pigman]

I would never be dumb enough to lift a dovetail bit out  of a jig while spinning. But I once forgot to put the template guide on the router. I was on the end of the the template and only ruined the bit not the template.

[shopteacher]

Pigman: Careful. Never say never.  Fate has a way of getting even with those who temp it.