Gifkins Jig query

[Ray153]

I have pretty much convinced myself that life cannot possibly continue without buying a Gifkins Jig. Amazing how easily I can talk myself into pretty much anything when I want to.........
Seriously now, I have looked at plenty of pics of completed work posted here and elsewhere on the net. I have bought and watched the DVD that Roger Gifkins has made and am well impressed. My impressions have all ranged from favourable to well chuffed with what I have seen. My last remaining niggling doubt is this........
All the DVD demonstrations are using pine and another reddish timber which strikes me as fairly soft. All the pics I have seen seem to be in woods I have not worked before or are pine. I know that the average softwood is a little giving in dovetails and will compress to a degree to absolutely ensure a tight joint. Hardwoods aren't quite so forgiving and I am wondering just how fine the tolerances are in the Jig when time comes to assemble the hardwood joint.
Are the tolerances claimed with the insertion/removal of the paper shims equally good with hardwoods given the lack of "give" when assembling a too tight joint? Will putting another shim in make the joint too loose or has the experience been of the forum that the tolerances are spot on?

[Gumby]

Interesting post since I've just finished making a Gifkins jig demo for our forum video collection.
(http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=35496)

I have used spotted gum on a small box and timber doesn't get too much harder than that. Using the jig, it fitted perfectly. :D The demo vid I made used Jarrah for the dovetails and is a delight to work with. I can't remember the name of the timber I did the pins with but it worked fine, even though I cut too fast and took a small splinter off the end of one pin.

I've also changed backing boards and made my own using some MDF. It was slightly different in thickness and quality to the boards Roger sells so I had to put in nearly all the shims to get the fit right. Without giving you exact measurements, I found that the difference when adding one shim was just about what I expected and very precise. I can't see why you couldn't add shims of your own, like some A4 photocopy paper for instance. You could really tweak it using something that fine.

I take your point about the pine. But I made a box to keep the jig in using the plans in Roger's book and didn't change the shims from the setting I had to do this video. Both were spot on. :D

[jmk89]

I was the guy who bought the jig and all the accessories from Don Barton (DPB) recently.

I played around with the kit on the weekend, using the hardwood that recently was for sale to Forum participants. While I would like to be able to say that the reason that there were inaccuracies in the experiments was the kit and unsuitability for hardwood, that would be a lie - it was me. If you use the jig properly and have the right cutter in your router (ie a sharp one), it will be as good on hardwood as it is on pine.

In other words, if you use hardwood, you should adapt your techniques to suit the nature of the material. But the jig will do as good a job on this material as on any softer material, if you make those adaptations ( principally, make sure that the cutter is sharp and don't try to make it work any faster than it wants to - which is what you would do anyway, isn't it:D )

Cheers

Jeremy

[jaspr]

I really like the Gifkins jig. I'm pretty new to woodworking and I was looking like a practised professional after only my first dovetail drawer. Admittedly it was in pine, but the fine adjustment possible with adding and removing the paper shims is something else.

Roger mentions it in the DVD, but I can't remember the figure he quotes for the thickness of the shims - something in thousands of millimetres (or probably inches?!), I think. Remove/add just one and you barely notice the difference. The point I'm making is that I would imagine you'd be able to snug the joint up for any wood. I'm pretty sure that Roger uses a wide range of Australian hardwoods in his boxes.

And I agree about the sharp cutter requirement. Roger advises putting his bits aside only for use with his jig. You want them sharp!

[Bluegum]

Yep I'm keen to get hold of a gifkins as well. After asking the question to the forum a while back then seeing it in action at the Brisbane wood show, I'm as keen as the rest to get hold of one. Now all I need to do is put a bit of cash together.

[Ashore]

I use mine with tassi oak and jarrah a fair bit and have had no probs, I do use pine for storage boxes, drawer internals etc and still no probs
The only advice is to make a bench with two routers,( that is not the most expensive types ) as dedicated to the grifkin gig so that you can cut a dovetail whenever without fiddlying about with changing bits, setting heights etc

Rgds

[dazzler]

I love my Gifkins.......:D

Just remember to scribe a line along the dovetails and nick your palm on the router bit and then you have 'handcut' dovetails

Handcut...get it...:p

[Ray153]

Thanks to you all for your responses. It is one thing to read/view the makers opinion about his product and another to read/view the opinions of unbiased opinions or experiences.
I am by no means casting aspersions on the inventor/maker/businessman that Roger undoubtedly is. I believe that he has put together a brilliantly engineered and extremely well thought out tool that he can rightly be proud of. I am just a slightly sceptical person when it comes to claims made by those with a vested interest or bias in getting you to purchase their product.
Again, thanks for your time and thought in the responses I got, much appreciated

[Just George]

I can't see why you couldn't add shims of your own, like some A4 photocopy paper for instance. You could really tweak it using something that fine.



I used project card from the newsagent - it's thicker than paper and is similar in thickness to the shims the jig comes with...

[Just George]

Yep I'm keen to get hold of a gifkins as well. After asking the question to the forum a while back then seeing it in action at the Brisbane wood show, I'm as keen as the rest to get hold of one. Now all I need to do is put a bit of cash together.

I have just done my tax and am about to upgrade from the Gifkins to a Leigh, so I may have something you may be interested in. It has been an awesome jig and well worth the money I paid.

[sea dragon]

George,
If doing your tax means you can afford a Leigh jig,
a) do you do tax for others with like success; or
b) do you give praise to your accountant and treasure and share him/her?
Is there a (c)?
Only perhaps that I am still aspiring to a Gifkin jig, too.:o
CJ

[Just George]

George,
If doing your tax means you can afford a Leigh jig,
a) do you do tax for others with like success; or
b) do you give praise to your accountant and treasure and share him/her?
Is there a (c)?
Only perhaps that I am still aspiring to a Gifkin jig, too.:o
CJ

B - I am an apprentice so am on a low income and can claim TAFE training and the purchase of tools and eductaional materials. I use the same accountant firm each year eventhough the person I see changes. I tell them what I can claim and they tell me "yes or no", I also itemise everything for their benefit, I can also show the receipts should they ask to see them.

[Carry Pine]

Ray, like the others I swear by my Gifkins jig. My main error was to make the joints too tight on a Tassie oak box and needed a floor jack to separate the box before gluing. The dovetails held together through it all. I say experiment with the shims and write it down somewhere- don't trust your memory.

Carry Pine

[A192K]

hi ray
i have used the jig for 2 years now,and have made boxes from Lancewood ,Jarrah,Mahogny,
i have to say this jis is as good as it gets for this style dovetails,it is accurate smooth and above all it is so easy to use.
you will not be dissapointed
kind regards paul

[Auld Bassoon]

In my view, the cutting of dovetails (or many other fine joinery types) is more difficult with a softwood like pine as it does compress, whereas a hardwood will keep rather better to the line that you cut.

[Auld Bassoon]

I love my Gifkins.......:D

Just remember to scribe a line along the dovetails and nick your palm on the router bit and then you have 'handcut' dovetails

Handcut...get it...:p

Charlatan! :D

[gazaly]

I love my Gifkins.......:D

Just remember to scribe a line along the dovetails and nick your palm on the router bit and then you have 'handcut' dovetails

Handcut...get it...:p

In the immortal words of Homer Simpson:

Woo-Hoo...In your face, darksiders :D

D'oh....

[Mr Brush]

I've built some drawers from 10mm ply (with a solid timber front), and used the mighty Gifkins to dovetail all the ply together. After lots of experimenting, I finally came up with a method to give perfect dovetails with this material.

The jig itself takes care of breakout at the back of the cuts, thanks to the replaceable backing board supplied, but I found it very useful to clamp a thin (3-5mm) piece of scrap MDF on the FRONT of the workpiece as well. This prevents any breakout as the cutter enters the workpiece - essential when working with ply, as otherwise the edges flick off as the cutter hits the wood. The same technique might be beneficial when working with other tricky timbers.

I'm currently building a dedicated 2 router bench for my Gifkins, based on a pair of cheap Aldi routers !! :D

[Ray153]

Placed an order for the Gifkins yesterday as I couldn't wait and I will not be able to get to the Wood Show as suggested. Now that I have spent the hard earned, I wish it would hurry up and get here....... Not blaming anyone except good old slow Ozpost..........

[gazaly]

Congrats Ray, your gonna love it!

Don't forget to post some piccies of your work :)