Thread: Using Dovetail jigs

I would suggest that the simple (but effective) jig is the Giffkins.

The road that I am going is the Incra system as it seems to offer the best value for money ..... a highly accurate router table fence in addition to a joint maker.

Thanks for your reply. I am thinking of purchasing a JET dovetail jig. These have a number of different combs available to help match the size of joint to the scale of the project. The question I have for the forum is. How is the dovetail router bit guided with the correct clearance without a series of sleves attached to the base of the router. The fingers on almost all the dovetail jigs I've seen are made of aluminium and are susceptable to wear if the shank or arbor of the router bit is in contact with the fingers.
I've visited JET's web site and there is no information on the use of the equipment at all.

Without seeing the Jet I assume that it is like the genric dovetail jigs that can be picked up for as low as $70 now.

There should be a bearing on the router bit so it doesn't damage the comb.

I've bought a Carbi Tool bit with a bearing and coller on the arbor but this only suits the 1/2" comb.

get a woodrat, no extra combs to buy, just draw new pencil lines, also does most other joinery

Originally Posted by doug the slug

get a woodrat, no extra combs to buy, just draw new pencil lines, also does most other joinery

Yeah but at $1200 it a bit out of reach for most people

Originally Posted by Wood Butcher

Yeah but at $1200 it a bit out of reach for most people

$1100 if you talk to them nicely. now add up the cost of an incra or leigh jig and all the accessories, different combs etc, then if you like the mortise and tennon jigs that are out there that you dont need when you have a woodrat, not to mention making your own dowels of any size from any timber you want, profiling, planing, the list goes on

Don't get me wrong, from what I have seen they could be a great addition to a workshop and if I had the money and a permanent workshop I may consider it. It's just a lot of money:eek:

The school that I have been doing prac teaching at considered getting one of the woodrats but reasoned that it was more important to teach base hand skills. It was interesting seeing yr12 Furnishing students opt to do drawer dovetails by hand rather than using a jig by choice.

Originally Posted by doug the slug

now add up the cost of an incra or leigh jig and all the accessories, different combs etc,

Not having a go at the Woodrat but the Incra light is only about $320.00

Sure you need a router table so if you have to include that it may add up but the way I see it is that the router table is another tool all together and would be useful even with a Woodrat jig.

Just my thoughts ..... I may be wrong.

Originally Posted by Sir Stinkalot

but the way I see it is that the router table is another tool all together and would be useful even with a Woodrat jig.

Just my thoughts ..... I may be wrong.

there is something in what you say, however most things that you can do with a router table you can also do with a woodrat. i have both so that puts me in the happy situation of being able to choose which one im more comfortable with or will produce the superior result. mind youm the more experience i get with the woodrat and the more jigs i build for it the shorter the list of things i prefer to do on the router table becomes.

it does take a while to set up the woodrat to do all you want it to, whereas a lot of the dovetail jigs can be used pretty well straight out of the box, but to me thats part of the charm of the beast; you set it up to do it your own way. I doubt there are two woodrat owners who have their machines set up identically unless they have just bought stock-standard accessories, and even the inventor encourages you to make your own