Thread: Best Router jig

Depends on what you want from it.

Superjigs give you the ability to position tails wherever you wish within the jig width but because the fingers are one piece you cant change the tail width. The D series Leigh jigs use two part fingers so you can tweek the tail width as well.

Gifkins and similar jigs will give you fixed spacing tails, though you can buy a range of combs to give different spacings.

The basic jigs tend to not even offer a choice of combs to vary spacing.

Leigh provide excellent (but lengthy) manuals and videos to get you using the jig, some others are very iffy.

I bought a 12inch superjig, and wish that I had gone to 18 or 24 inch because they support templates for fancy joints where the 12 in doesn't. Leigh also suggest setting out the fingers for one side of the overall component on one side of the jig and the opposite side on the other side of the jig. This means that a 12 in jig would be set up for two sides of less than about 51/2 inch each for normal use.

Hope this helps you.

Before you put your hand in your pocket, think about what the dovetails are going to be for and where they'll be within the intended finished product.

If, for example, you intend to make drawer boxes using dovetails for strength, but will only ever see them when the drawer is open, they could easily be half-blind or fixed spaced joints without any problem.

If, however, you intend to make the dovetail a feature of the project, which will be a major part of the overall appearance and would benefit from custom placement and/or spacing, that's a different matter altogether.

For the first example, practically any jig will do the job, given the overall dimension restrictions of the jig that are unlikely to affect drawer construction.

For the second example, however, only top-of-the-range jigs will do the job - which means expense. I use a Leigh Industries D24 jig, which you will definitely not grow out of! I've expanded it over the years to include all their templates, including finger joint and all the Isoloc™ templates. You get what you pay for with Leigh and the jig comes with the finest instruction manual and DVD you'll ever see.

Attachment 187597 Attachment 187598

I used decorative Isoloc™ joints for a full-extension kitchen drawer set, simply because I wanted to, but if it had been in "real" wood instead of MDF, it would have looked stunning.

You get what you pay for in dovetail jigs, as in most other things.

Ray

I don't think you can go past the Gifkin's dovetail jig, designed, developed and made here in Australia. Highly recommended.

The main thing when working with this style of jig is to have a dead flat router table

Bearing in mind of course the Gifkins jig can only make through dovetails, it does not do blind dovetail joints. Nevertheless a great jig and gives excellent results usually straight out of the box.

And of course if your willing to work on a router table then an incra will do everything that a leigh will do except handle VERY long pieces of wood.

Ultralites are well priced nowdays.

INCRA Ultra Lite Fence System

You might get a better price elsewhere.

I have to agree with Ray!

I have a Leigh Super 18 and its an awesome piece of kit, the DVD and manual are first rate!! Actualy the best I have ever seen, I just got a Jet JPT 310 Combo machine and they might as well have scribbled on the back of a fag packet.

I am a relitive novice and got through dovetails right first time..........

Box joints are a breeze too, the trinket and jewelery boxes I have made for family and friends have gained me ledgendry status within my friends and family (they think I cut them by hand!!) if only they knew! bwahaha!

I have heard the gifkins is good, at the end of the day you get what you pay for and the Leigh ticks all the right boxes for me.

At the very least learn to cut them by hand it will make you a better woodworker, I am trying that now and its very rewarding.

Good luck

Bryan

incrementaltools have the ultralite on sale for $129 quote discount code ult2

Just in case anyone cares.

Thanks for all your help. I have made the decision and while I was initially thinking the Leigh 12" superjig I have now settled on the 18" version - thanks to the good advice

Now I just need to find someone selling it for a decent price. I also need to find a good router to use with it

Have a look at the WWW show at Homebush this weekend if you can get there