Hi

Anyone know much about router jigs to cut dovetails?  What features should I 
be looking for?

I've seen Screwfix, Perform & Axminster all about 50, then they seem to 
jump to 150-300.

Won't give it a lot of use, just DIY.

Any suggestions?

Dave

david lang wrote:

> Anyone know much about router jigs to cut dovetails?  What features should I 
> be looking for?
> 
> I've seen Screwfix, Perform & Axminster all about 50, then they seem to 
> jump to 150-300.
> 
> Won't give it a lot of use, just DIY.
> 
> Any suggestions?


Learn how to make them by hand, if it's just "d-i-y". Being able
to do this gives a nice run-in to all sorts of woodworking thingies,
and ain't expensive (cue someone who will tell you that you must
have about 200 worth of kit before you even think about touching
a piece of timber). Once you can cut rotten dovetails by hand fast,
you will know how easy it is to move forward.

On Mon, 12 Sep 2005 21:04:28 GMT, "david lang"
 wrote:


>Hi
>
>Anyone know much about router jigs to cut dovetails?  What features should I 
>be looking for?
>
>I've seen Screwfix, Perform & Axminster all about 50, then they seem to 
>jump to 150-300.
>
>Won't give it a lot of use, just DIY.
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>Dave
>


The question is what does "DIY" mean?   I don't really see it as a
correlation to what features, functionality, ease of use, size,
through dovetails or not, clamping arrangements and quality you want.

The low end ones like the Axminster have fixed positions and size for
the joints and are limited on material size to 275mm wide.  Typically
they won't do through dovetails.

The CMT, which is a bit better at about 80 does through dovetails, is
better made and will go up to 300mm.

The Leigh D4 is the jig by which all others are measured.   It can be
set to a range of dovetail widths, has handling capacity up to 600mm
and will do sliding and other forms of dovetail as well.    Quality is
excellent and it comes with superb documentation and an excellent
video on how to use it.
However, it does take some time to set up and will set you back about
350.

All of them will allow you to cut dovetails.  The clamps are better in
the better quality ones and the templates are machined accurately as
well rather than cast.    The rest is really how flexible and capable
do you want it to be for what you want to do.    There are functional
limitations at the low end, but if you just want to make some drawers,
could be perfectly adequate.





-- 

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

"Andy Hall" <andyh@hall.nospam> wrote in message 
news:0mtbi1ljk3mqnk2v2tij5rm2ffrjk95gjd@4ax.com...

> On Mon, 12 Sep 2005 21:04:28 GMT, "david lang"
>  wrote:
>
>>Hi
>>
>>Anyone know much about router jigs to cut dovetails?  What features should 
>>I
>>be looking for?
>>
>>I've seen Screwfix, Perform & Axminster all about 50, then they seem to
>>jump to 150-300.
>>
>>Won't give it a lot of use, just DIY.
>>
>>Any suggestions?
>>
>>Dave
>>
>
> The question is what does "DIY" mean?   I don't really see it as a
> correlation to what features, functionality, ease of use, size,
> through dovetails or not, clamping arrangements and quality you want.
>
> The low end ones like the Axminster have fixed positions and size for
> the joints and are limited on material size to 275mm wide.  Typically
> they won't do through dovetails.
>
> The CMT, which is a bit better at about 80 does through dovetails, is
> better made and will go up to 300mm.
>
> The Leigh D4 is the jig by which all others are measured.   It can be
> set to a range of dovetail widths, has handling capacity up to 600mm
> and will do sliding and other forms of dovetail as well.    Quality is
> excellent and it comes with superb documentation and an excellent
> video on how to use it.
> However, it does take some time to set up and will set you back about
> 350.
>
> All of them will allow you to cut dovetails.  The clamps are better in
> the better quality ones and the templates are machined accurately as
> well rather than cast.    The rest is really how flexible and capable
> do you want it to be for what you want to do.    There are functional
> limitations at the low end, but if you just want to make some drawers,
> could be perfectly adequate.
>
>

In order to make drawers (for my kitchen project) I purchased the
Screwfix (50?) dovetail/finger joint jig. IMHO - I got my money's
worth and it produced 'acceptable' joints { I only used the dovetails
on the front sides of the drawer carcasses with a rebated trench (dado)
for the back edge of the frame) mainly because the joints are hidden
by a screwed-on shaker style fascia. Having said all that I'm
lusting after the Trend DJ 400 dovetailing jig. IMHO the
designers seem to have considered every point of usage - variable
spacing; support of the router; wood-dust/chips containment and
extraction; workpiece clamping; etc. etc. Unfortunately it's
rather expensive  ... but if knew then (but it wasn't available)
what I know now ... that's the one I'd buy.
C'mon Camelot! 10 for three numbers isn't gonna hack it!

-- 

Brian

Andy Hall wrote:

|| The question is what does "DIY" mean?   I don't really see it as a
|| correlation to what features, functionality, ease of use, size,
|| through dovetails or not, clamping arrangements and quality you want.

It means using it maybe a dozen times a year and not being able to spend 
350!

|| The CMT, which is a bit better at about 80 does through dovetails,
|| is better made and will go up to 300mm.

Not seen that yet, thanks I'll check it out.

|| There are
|| functional limitations at the low end, but if you just want to make
|| some drawers, could be perfectly adequate.

Drawers & smallish boxes.  So if the cheaper jigs work up to 300 mm and I 
wanted a 600 mm chest, could I dovetail two boards & biscuit join them 
together?

Dave

On Tue, 13 Sep 2005 18:04:32 GMT, "david lang"
 wrote:


>Andy Hall wrote:
>
>|| The question is what does "DIY" mean?   I don't really see it as a
>|| correlation to what features, functionality, ease of use, size,
>|| through dovetails or not, clamping arrangements and quality you want.
>
>It means using it maybe a dozen times a year and not being able to spend 
>350!


Fair enough.



>
>|| The CMT, which is a bit better at about 80 does through dovetails,
>|| is better made and will go up to 300mm.
>
>Not seen that yet, thanks I'll check it out.


I'm afraid that jigs like this do suffer from incrementalism.   Each
is a bit better, larger or has more features than the last.




>
>|| There are
>|| functional limitations at the low end, but if you just want to make
>|| some drawers, could be perfectly adequate.
>
>Drawers & smallish boxes.  So if the cheaper jigs work up to 300 mm and I 
>wanted a 600 mm chest, could I dovetail two boards & biscuit join them 
>together?
>


I don't see why not, but alignment would become really critical.
Normally you would work the other way around and make up he board and
then do the joints, but I see your point.



-- 

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl