(01-02-2018, 11:25 AM)Handplanesandmore Wrote: Almost any jig will do if you are willing to spend the time to figure it out AND them keep using it. Guarantee you will forget how to use any Leigh jig if you leave the jig collecting dust for more than a few months.
I sold my Super Leigh a year later. If you want to make dovetails, get the Keller jig. The cheaper Keller version should be good enough. I think Peachtree has something similar.
By the way, don't listen to anyone who tells you to do it by hand and go out and buy some dovetail guides, saws, etc. You could be wasting your money and be off by several hundred dollars. Instead, borrow those tools and try the dovetails by hand to see if it is really something you would want to do! Cutting dovetails by hand is easy ONLY if you have developed good sawing skill.
Simon
I cut a lot of dovetails on the table saw and clean out the waist with a band saw. I had a lot of scrap while learning and I also spent a lot of time learning how. There is a learning curve for almost everything and there is a long learning curve to a lot of things, most dovetail jigs included. I ended up making sleds to make the cuts and then numbered the sleds and wrote instructions on how to set up and use each sled.
I will say this, that most people don't read instructions slowly and carefully. They speed read and then get confused and then give up on the instructions. The instructions are good on the Leigh jig and the results are only as good as your set up and how well you follow instructions .
Most of the others have uniform spacing which dictates the width of the drawer and so on. On a lot of jigs the depth of the cutter determines the fit and the depth adjustment on some routers can be tricky to say the least.
Yes I know that somewhere, someone's router can be adjusted perfectly every time but then if you are honest it will take a test cut or three to get even that right.
I also cut dove tails by hand using a $17 Crown gents say and a couple of chisels. And true to form I spent hours developing the skills needed to saw straight down and make the cut square at the same time. If I am going to cut dovetails by hand I still have to spent some time retraining my hands and eyes. So the learning curve will be there every time you wish to use the jig if you haven't used the jig for a while. Except if you are using the porter cable jig and have a dedicated router with bit that is never readjusted or removed.
All dovetail jigs have their own quirks and learning curve. Only you can decide if you want versatility or conformity. And how much you are willing to pay for that decision.
To me woodworking is just enjoying the steps. If it take 1 day or one year it doesn't matter. My advise to you is to follow your heart and how you wish to proceed and forget what I wrote because it is just my opinion.
Tom
