# Which Dovetail Jig ?



## Big Buford (May 15, 2008)

I am interested in getting a dovetail jig and have looked at websites for numerous jigs available. Many seem to be cheap "get what you pay for" types. I have narrowed it down to either the Leigh D4 or Leigh 24" Super Jigs and Porter Cable 24" model that have adjustable fingers. Each manufacturer obviously promotes their product as being the best there is. I would be interrested in hearing from anyone having and using any of these.


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

If you can afford the D4 I can see no reason not to get it. It would be my choice if money is no object.


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## Big Buford (May 15, 2008)

nickao65 said:


> If you can afford the D4 I can so no reason not to get it. It would be my choice if money is no object.


Thanks Nick!
Why do you prefer the D4 over the others? I know they are all expensive but the right tool will hopefully last a lifetime (hah! I think I said that before hurricane Katrina) and I feel it is advantageous to bite the bullet and buy quality. The models I mentioned all seem to have many excellent features and quality.
Thanks!
Greg


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## blackemmons (Apr 10, 2006)

You will find my recent purchase experiences on sawmillcreek.org. I am not allowed to post URL's so here it is:

_*I purchased a PC 4212 from Woodcraft and after six month of frustration I sold it. I realize many have had great results with this jig but I just couldn't get it to work for me. I'm sure much of it was operator error.

I then went back into two months of the research mode and decided it was going to be a Leigh or an Akeda. I watched live demo's on the Leigh and video's of the Akeda and Leigh. They were both close in my mind but, for me there was still too much room for operator error with the Leigh so I choose the Akeda. I used the KISS theory.

Dovetails are some thing I would not be doing every day and I didn't want a steep learning curve everything I got it back out. It's so easy, "Even a caveman could do it".

The Akeda has done everything I expected of it. My first through dovetails were cut within an hour after I opened the box. And....they were perfect. Tight with no gaps. That one hour includes milling the material and reading the manual.

I have since many, many boxes, Marc Spagnoulo's clocks and other project and have not have to waste a single piece of material. Sounds like a fairy tale but it true.

I'm sure it's not the jig for everyone but it works wonderful for me. The only real drawback was the price, but I got over that with my first dovetail.

I use blue tape on the back side of the material and have only had one minor tearout. I have used hard and soft maple, black walnut, oak and purpleheart.

If you want to see a couple of pics, e-mail me. I don't know how to get them up here. I'm too old to learn too many new things at once.

Here are some of the reviews that sold me, especially the one here akeda.com/reviews.web.htmlby a guy named Charlie B. He writes on a number of forums and is a guy who says what he thinks. Some others are: woodshopdemos.com/aked-1.htm, inthewoodshop.org/reviews/akeda.shtml#b

Some of the reviews are for the 16" version. I have the 24" version. I bought it because I can set it up for pins at one end and tails at the other if the material is less than 12" wide. I use two routers.

Oh.........and did I mention dust/chip collection. Virtually nothing on the floor or in the air.

I also called Akeda in Canada at 877 387 6544. The guy that invented the thing, Kevan, answered the phone and spend all the time I wanted with no sales pressure. I purchased mine from thejigstore.com/index.php. Nice folks also.

Good luck in you search.

Jim in TN *_

If you go to sawmillcreek.org and search for Jim Eller or the thread "Dovetail jig -- once again" you will find the original.

You may want to do a search for "Akeda" and see what folks say about them.

Enjoy your dovetail jig hunt.

Jim Eller
Kodak, TN


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

I'd suggest taking a close look at the details for both the Leigh D4R and the 24" PC OmniJig to see how each fits with what you actually want to do. There are some subtleties, such as the Leigh using 8mm-shank bits with an adapter collet, and apparently being limited to a 1/2" dovetail bit, which may be limiting on small projects. Conversely, the 24" PC OmniJig is physically larger than the Leigh D4R, and weighs around 60 pounds. Thus, it may be less convenient for temporary set-ups than the Leigh. 

Personally, I opted for the less-expensive PC 4212 with both regular 1/2" and 1/4" mini templates, and the limitation to 12" width boards. For larger things, or when I want variable spacing, I hand-cut. But, that's just my personal preference.


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## blackemmons (Apr 10, 2006)

*Sorry about this post. When I posted the one above I didn't think it went through because I got a message I hadn't done my 10 post thingy.*

I went through that exercise late last year. Here is my two cents in this thread.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=98823&highlight=dovetail

I haven't changed my mind. In fact, I've even more pleased because of one of the main reasons I purchased it. That being a short learning curve. I put it away before Christmas , got it back out the other day and within minutes I was cutting dovetails again. ................and ones that fit great.

Do and Akeda search for more info on this unit.

Research them all. See them in action. Then decide what is best for you. One size doesn't fit all.

Jim Eller


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

I had the Akeda jig and it is a great machine and I got virtually no dust which I loved. If I had a kitchen full of drawers I would get it again.

But it is not as versatile as a D4 or say an incra or jointech setup. Where you can get different templates and such. 

If you just want to pump out tons of drawers I definitely recommend the Akeda hands down, especially if you want dust collection, but something about that Leigh draws me to it. In a perfect world both would not be bad.


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## Big Buford (May 15, 2008)

Hello everyone!
Thanks for all the great responses. I have spent numerous hours online looking at each dovetail jig and have finally decided on the Leigh D4. I don't mind the steep learning curve since it might exercise my brain. I like the 24", the light weight and the adjustable fingers. It's expensive but quality always is.
Thanks!
Greg


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## blackemmons (Apr 10, 2006)

Nick,

I'm not sure of your comment direction.

I use mine for mostly things other than drawers.

Jim


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## woodnthings (Jan 30, 2009)

*Check out the Peachtree Jig*

Hey Guys, I noticed that no one has mentioned the Peachtree 1/2" x 30" Through Dovetail jig. I found one at $150 at a woodworking show here in Mich. It screws to a block which you then clamp your work to after centering it ...or it can be used "upside down" at the router table. Now to be honest, I haven't tried it yet, but after working with the Jet half bling jigs the last several days, I'm getting the hang of dovetailing. I think the half blinds (most of the el cheapo jigs ) are the hardest to setup.
There again, I got 2 on sale at $30 each (so why not get 2) and got the full range of templates from 7/16ths to 9/16ths on line. So once I get it setup for a 1/2" I'm leavin' it set up! The hardest parts to set are the side stops which you align to "split" the pins The screws for these are behind the clamping bar on the front...duhh ... and inaccessible without removing it, about 50 turns on a 3/8" knob times 2. I ended up adjusting them with a small block and tapping them from side to side with a "small" hammer, one case where a big hammer wasn't needed! JMHO and FYI! Geek Speak! Bill


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