Bobby V

HI
I am a entry level woodworker here and still setting up shop. I’m about to choose a dovetail Jig and I like the Rockler for the $$ but I’m wondering if I can justify the $$ for the Porta-cable 4212. I would appreciate any advice.
Thanks
Bobby V

Itchy Brother

I have the porter cable that u mention and am satisfied with it but have only made box joints with it.Itchy

Bobby V

Thanks Itchy

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Bobby V

mwhafner

I have the PC 4212, and highly recommend it. Make sure you download the supplemental manual.

Bobby V

Thank you for the tip

__________________
" Thank God we're not getting all the government we're paying for "
That's correct ... I said God
Bobby V

Texas Sawduster

The PC is a good one. I have a different brand with shaped templates to make curved designs. I would recommend that you get some good chisels and a good dovetail saw and try that as well. It will help you to develop your dovetails to be able to cut them by hand. It really is easier than it looks.

Bobby V

I think trying by hand is something that just needs to be done. I would love to be able to create a tight fitting dovetail by hand but I have always found the idea rather intimidating. I'll say this,,, the best thing that has come out of my question of which to buy is finding this great support team. I find myself coming here and just reading and reading and reading LOL
thanks guys

__________________
" Thank God we're not getting all the government we're paying for "
That's correct ... I said God
Bobby V

wicked

Do you want absolutely perfect joints of varying designs? The you need a Leigh Super Jig. They come in 12,18, and 24" widths and you can additional templates for different design templates. I don't know where you would obtain them in the States but mine came from Lee Valley tools. They have their own website of course and will send you a free DVD which shows all the attributes of the Leigh jigs. Take a look, what have you got to lose
Wicked

mwhafner

I would recommend the D4 over the Super Jig offerings. It is not a lot more money, and the D4 is far easier to use and offers more options. Nothing wrong with anything Leigh makes, just my personal preference.

For a beginner, I would still recommend the PC. It offers the best, IMHO, bang for your buck.

Dovetail jigs are great for production work, but hand-cutting is a very rewarding skill to have. When you factor in the setup time, I can usually cut a couple of drawers by hand in the same time it takes to setup and dial in a jig.

wicked

Hi mwhafner. I'm in Canada and I have heard of the D4. What is it?
wicked

woodnthings

Most typical jigs hold the workpiece between side plates which limits the width of the material. This one is "free standing" an can be used metal side or fingers down on a router table with a bushing or the workpiece can be clamped to the block, (not provided) and the router moved across the jig in the familiar fashion. BTW I own the 30" wide one. Here's the link:
http://www.ptreeusa.com/ptree_dovetail_system.htm
bill

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mwhafner

The D4 (D4R is latest version), is one of Leigh Industries' product offerings - http://leighjigs.com/d4.php

The D4 offers several joint template options that I don't think are available with the Superjigs. Fit adjustment is done on the jig, where I think you have to adjust the guide bushing on the Superjigs.

The one limitation of the D4 is that you can't cut "single-pass" half-blind dovetails. That is the reason that I have kept the PC, and about all that I use it for anymore. I think that the Leigh Superjigs have that capability, but I am not sure.

wicked

Yes the super jigs do have the capability of single pass bling dovetails but I also like that it cuts sliding dovetails really well. It works very well for cabinet shelves and gives a really finished look. I haven't had a lot of time to experiment with it but the DVD sure gives very good instruction and illustration but the accompanying manuals really set this apart from other jigs. Everyone has their personal preferences but for someone like me who had never used a jig before, I really found the jig itself very easy to set up using the instructional manual.

rustbucket

I bought a Leigh D4R a couple of years ago. I had never used a jig before that one, and I don't regret my decision. The instructions are very good, and the jig itself is very versatile. I like the fact that you can vary the size and spacing of the pins and tails. That gives you a little artistic freedom when building the drawers. They don't look as machine cut as the even spacing of most dovetail jigs. It's a great jig once you learn how to use it properly.

I recently picked up a router bit depth guide from Porter Cable to use with it. It's the one on the Omni-Jig. I haven't set it up yet, but will do so this weekend. I'm hoping that will cut down on the fiddling with the bit depth.

To all you hand-cut dovetail guys out there: I will learn to make them! I only have to finish my wife's kitchen first