I've been researching dovetail jigs since I'm interested in joinery. What model jig would the group recommend? I've seen a lot of discussion on the web about the Leigh D24 (I think?) jig. How does this compare with the Porter Cable 24" Omnijig? Does anyone have any experience with the Porter Cable model? What about any experience with the Leigh model? Can anyone provide some information/advice on this topic?
Is it really a good idea to spend that much money to make dovetail joints? One of my projects in the future, 1 to 2 years away, is to redo my kitchen and make all of the cabinets and drawers myself.
I have owned 2 DT jigs. An OLD Sears model that worked quite well with normal PC guide bushings and I have owned a Leigh Jig for about 6 years.
If you just want to make simple Blind Dove Tails, you do not need a Leigh Jig.
HOWEVER, you will have to design your drawers and projects around the jigs capabilities in that you cannot adjust the finger spacing on the cheap DT jigs. You will otherwise probably end up with a portion of a pin or tail on the top or bottom of the joint.
With the Leigh DT jig, your finger spacing configurations are limitless and you can design the drawer to fit the hole. rather than the hole to fit the drawer. There are several other jigs that can be used with the Leigh jig. The F1 box joint jig is excellent.
I recently bought, then sold, the 16" PC OmniJig. It is very well made, with a heavy cast aluminum base. The clamps use heavy steel cams that span the entire width of the jig. However, I sold it because: 1) I immediately wished I'd spent the extra $50 to get the 24" model, and 2) It requires a different template for each kind of joint, and the templates are not cheap (It comes with the half blind dovetail template - I purchased separately the 1/2" box joint template @ $80. 24" templates are undoubtedly more $). For the cost of the 24" OmniJig with a couple of templates, I figured I might as well just get the Leigh.
The PC is an old style jig with better hold. It's great if you're going to use it for a joint only, rather than pretty, or a tour-de-force, where it would be better, to my way of thinking, to do by hand. You do have to cater to it for the half-pins.
For kitchen drawers, which normally have applied fronts, I'd use a drawer joint bit. If I was trying to show off, the Leigh. Makes a lot of little boxes with pretty through dovetails quickly, though, which is why I own one.
What is your opinion on the functionality of the Porter Cable Omnijig? I notice that the 24" model comes with both the half-blind and the through dovetail. Did you feel that the 16" model operated well?
A Decorative wood front that normally matches the wood work and attached to a drawer box. Draers built like this normally have 6 pieces of wood rather than 5 pieces of wood.
The name describes its function. The joint does not lock vertically on a drawer joint. The joint adds strength to fight the tendency for the drawer front or back to pull away from the sides. Almost all bit mkers make this bit. CMT, Whiteside, Amana, Freud make good quality bits.
it in use with a rabbeted front, though, as Leon mentions, the easy way is to apply the front to the box which is the drawer.
I use this one for my shaper, but it's the same bit, really. Got it for $20 when the Green Bay Woodcraft sold out.
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're self-squaring, provide good glue surface, and mechanical resistance in the direction of strain. Only thing nicer which is cheap and easy for a guy with a router table is a box joint with an applied front.
Yes, after considerable tweaking, it performed very well. But I believe all jigs of this type require tweaking and test cutting on scraps until you're satisfied with the results. I should have mentioned that the 16" (and
*probably* the 24" too) also came with the collar and dovetail router bit.
"philly45" wrote in news:jrBGc.10020$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net:
philly45, before you buy any DT jig, I think you're going to want to invest in a couple of good books on kitchen cabinets. That will help you understand and decide how you want to approach your goal.
The ones I have and like are "Building Traditional Kitchen Cabinets", by Jim Tolpin, and "Building Kitchen Cabinets" by Udo Schmidt. wReckers have given great reviews to publications by John Paquay (sp?), a sometimes contributor here, and Danny Proulx (sp?). Good threads on kitchen cabinets are in the Google archives. I remember that Swingman has contributed excellent advice on the topic, but then, my memory isn't what it once was on certain details.
The point is, before you start buying tools, you, and any other 'interested parties' will want to make a few decisions on what the results should look like. Then, you MAY end up with fewer boxes of 'it seemed like such a good idea at the time' investments. No guarantees.
And you may end up having the doors and drawers made commercially, when you think it all the way through. Or not. But you will be better prepared to make that decision.
For built in cabinets I prefer to cut a rabbet on the ends of the sides glue them and brad nail them. Then, attach a front to match the rest of the cabinet doors. I cut the rabbets on the router table. For furniture I always use DT's or Box Joints.
Whoops -- maybe I was not clear enough in my question (at least based on my understanding of your reply). I meant to ask about using a TS for the drawer joint (as shown at the link I gave), versus using a special router bit. That being said, if you're cutting rabbets with a router, I s'pose you wouldn't use a TS for a drawer/lock joint.
BTW, what size & type stock do you typically use on your built-ins (kitchens cabs?) for the drawer (to which you then apply the front)? Thanks. -- Igor
No, I don't use a TS to cut rabbets for drawers. BUT back to your question of which I would use to make that lock miter joint, I would probably use the router table vs. the TS. It would probably be 6 of one and a half dozen of the other if considering set up time or ease of operation when considering which tool to use. I think ultimately the lock miter router bit would produce a smoother cut for this operation.
I prefer to use 1/2" Baltic Birch for the drawer sides, front and back. I attach the 3/4" thick fronts with a 1-1/8" Pocket hole "style" screw. I also try to use Accuride bottom center slides to save more space. Using this slide along with the 1/2" thick stock produces a clean and space saving drawer. When redoing a kitchen I also make the drawers go to the back of the cabinet vs. 3" to 5" shy of the cabinet back. I want the customers to get more room for their money.
Thanks. That is the info I was looking for. Also, as to the stock for the drawer sides, one reason I asked is that I was wondering if it was worth making the rabbets with 1/2" ply stock. Obviously, you think it is. Now that I think about it, I suppose, beyond strength concerns, the rabbets help keep the front piece of the drawer box vertical and flush with the sides' front edges. Thanks. -- Igor
Over on alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking with title _Goodwill Desk Rehab_ I have links to some pictures of a desk I'm working on. The drawer DT's were cut with a Hart Design(very much like PC 12"). The sides and backs are 5/8 in scrap and the rabbeted fronts are about .9 in. FWIW I'm very reluctant to crosspost to both here and a.b.p.w because last time I did that I managed to send a whole flock of identical posts...
Doesen't using 3/4" material for a front on top of 1/2" invade on the space of the drawer? Keep in mind that I have never built a full set of cupboards, only drawers for furniture but it would seem that using a TS to do a locking rabbit joint would eliminate the need for the 1/2 in the front by doing it with the 3/4 material. I've seen that you can even do it with the front rabbited for an overlap look but must admit that I've never been able to master that - I reach for the DT jig.
Truly an art that keeps escaping me. I have watched the Frank Klaus video
50 times and he makes it look so easy. It almost looks like he's using Mahogony because it seems so soft. My using oak seemed tantamont to striking a rock with a hammer - and the resulting cuts showed it. I've always respected those that can do that by hand. Kudos.
There you go Igor. The rabbets help hold every thing square during glue and nail up and also provide a stop to limit how far the backs and fronts move when indexing against the sides. The 1/2" Baltic is plenty strong and the surface is quite consistent.
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