Ready to buy Leigh, Akeda or Omnijig

If you read the very good manual that comes with the Leigh it addresses the best plan of action to minimize tear out. Basically there is a side and direction to go when exiting the back and front side of the cut. Following theinstructions and thinking about the direction that the bit spins will help you visualize and remember how to cut through the back side of the board. Concerning blind DT joints, every bit has a sweet spot depth setting, it typically is not an exact measured depth of cut so much as a depth that deliveres the desired results. Practice on scraps to determine every bit's ideal depth setting. theis is pretty much true with any DT jig. Remember, you use the same depth setting for cutting the tails and pins, you do not make depth adjustments mid stream. Start with ALL new scraps with each depth adjustment. Cutting depth on both sides of the joint have to be "exactly" equal.

I have had my Leigh for longer than the Akeda has been available and so far see no reason to change. The #1 think that I don't care for on the Akeda is all the loose parts.

These things are H U G E, take up a lot of room. There have probably been more complaints on this news group about the jig than complements. apparently some kits come with the wrong sized bits.

Basically the Leigh is a prooven performer and all the others are trying to catch up. The more expensive Leigh with infinitely adjustable fingers IMHO is the only way to go. You can buy any brand jig and get equal spacing.

My Leigh Super is for sale, I upgraded to the Akeda. I had two problems with the Leigh.

I hope the D4R is better, and as people swear by em it must be.

If you do any work with thinner stock the ability to change the dovetail angle is fantastic. 8 degrees doesn't look right on anything less than 1/2".

You can change the pin size, but you will have to go through a complicated and time consuming process of only routing on one side of the guides and then shifting them for a second pass. You can do lots of funky stuff like mixing different dovetail angles in the same joint if you are willing to put in the time to think it through and go through multiple passes. But if you want to zip through you have to keep the pins the same size.

I really like the fact that I can just pop in the guides at any time to perfectly duplicate any previous setup. If you screw up one side of something you can just replace what you wrecked, which you just can't do on the Leigh. I have multiple small production runs of different sizes to do, and setup is WAY faster on the Akeda once you have the layout worked out. With the Leigh you have to fuss around with it every time.

The clamp rail on the Akeda always stays parallel with one hand adjustment, so it is easier to switch different board thicknesses. I often have the drawer sides thicker than the front and back for my jewelry box drawers, so that is handy. However I find the cam locks on the Leigh easier to deal with than the knob when you are zipping through multiple pieces.

During setup I like that it's easy to just take the VRS right off and you have unhindered access to see if you have the bit set right. On the Akeda you pretty much have to pull out the window on the front and shine a light straight in there to be able to see anything.

I would say if the variable pin size is a deal breaker for you, get the Leigh. Otherwise they have their pros and cons, for what I do the Akeda is great.

-Kevin

I am an Akeda BC24 owner. And a very happy one I may add.

You can see my comments here,

Jim

I have the Leigh and an Omnijig. The Leigh can be adjusted to do anything you want it to, and the Omni is good at doing the same (one) thing over and over. I use the Omni for drawer boxes, and the Leigh for everything else. If you're going to do the same thing all the time, get the Omni. Otherwise, get the Leigh (or Akeda, but I have no experience with Akeda).

Yes, I talked with another sawmill creek'er, and this gal also had good things to say about the Akeda. Sounded impressive to me.

As for me I took the road less traveled .... The Chestmate (for through dovetails) =0 ) but it does work as you can see here ...

All you should ever need to know from a really unbiased, no bullshit review:

same link if the wrap scrogs:

Check it out, you will get the best review of the Akeda you will find anywhere.

Robert

Wow... nicely done! I like the box, but it should be noted how nice and crisp the dovetails are in the (white?) oak.

Good job.

Robert

I have a Leigh and really like it. However, it's complicated enough, and I don't use it frequently enough, that I have to reread parts of the manual every time I use it. One thing that helps is to slap a piece of tape on every piece, describing the orientation, the type of cut, and which end of the jig the piece should go on. Once I get it all organized, though, it goes fine. And I handle tearout by ripping slim sacrificial pieces on the table saw and backing up the piece I'm cutting. That takes care of tearout on the back side, and on the front side you can sneak up on it and then do a delicate finish cut to get the troublesome side to come out sharp. Dust extraction helps a lot to allow you to see what's going on (Leigh offers an accessory). If you use it enough to justify the expense, separate routers for the straight bit and the dovetail bit are ideal, and I'm a big fan of the D-handled router bases like the ones that Porter Cable offers for some of their routers.

One thing that's not stressed enough when people talk about using dovetail jigs is how much it helps to hog out the waste by other means before you start cutting wood with the router. Sometimes I'll take a piece to the bandsaw and rough out the cut to remove waste. Other times I'll take a straight bit and clear out the middle of the area that the dovetail bit will finish out. The more contemplative types might use a coping saw. A lot of people don't know that it's the chips that carry the heat away from the bit, and if you drive it right into hard wood the bits tend to burn or dull quickly because the router's cutting wood in a confined space and the heat can't escape as easily. So make it easy for the router bits and the wood will appreciate it.

Tom Dacon

Before buying new, checkout Craigslist for used. There's an OMNIJig forsale in the Charlotte area for asking price $275.

Otoe

charlieb where are you on this one. You are one of the main reasons I own the Akeda.

Like Robert said, read the reviews. I called Kevan at Akeda and asked him about charlib's review. He said he doesn't know him. He has tried to contact him but he would not return his e-mails. Sounds like an independent review to me.

Here is a video of the Akeda in case you haven't seen it,

I also like the short learning curve because it is something I do not use everyday. My first dovetails were completed and hour after I opened the box and that includes mounting on the base..........and they were tight and perfect. One thing I didn't have was the mess on me and the floor. All of the dust and chips were in the DC.

It may not be for everyone, but since I started using the Akeda, my frustration with making dovetails from a jig is gone.

Jim

Here is the link to charlib's review(and others)

Here is the link to charlib's review(and others)

Why in the world would you feel like you needed to bite your tongue? The thread as started by the OP was specifically about three different jigs, asking only about dovetail jigs. Although he didn't ask about instruction on hand cut dovetails, it's all in the family in its own way, no?

Now you are to it. While your opinion is valued and appreciated, suppose that the OP tried hand cutting, and didn't think the results were worth the effort. Maybe he enjoys the other aspects of wood working more. IME, I bought a dovetail jig years ago simply because I was too embarrassed for my drawers to be assembled with rabbet cuts. Although none of them EVER fell apart, a dovetail is a better seller.

I am not at the point in my life where I will sit down and build a few drawers for a client (or for myself!) that requires a new skill set. I know they won't appreciate the extra work every time they open that bathroom vanity, and when I looked at the joints, all I would see would be bad. Besides, that extra time developing a new skill set may be going to making my own folding knives.

So to me, it kind of depends on where one is in the stream of things. One day, one day... I will have to take saw and chisel in hand and do it. Right now, I make dovetails so infrequently I have to reacquaint myself with the jig as it is.

Whoa... if I go to the shop tonight and get started, can I get the dough at the end of the week?

JUST KIDDING!!

Robert

Your absolutely right Tom. That's just what I did with my Chestmate jig. Much easier to hog the waste out on the bandsaw. Makes it easier on the tools and me.

Lenny

MikeWhy,

I really admire folks that can and do cut dovetails by hand. It's just not my thing.

I'm not a hand tool guy either. Some folks are and applaud their talents.

To me it boils down to what you like to do as a hobby. I ride a cruiser motorcycle, some folks like crotch rockets. When I was hunting I did it with a gun, some folks like bow and arrow. I play pedal steel guitar, some people can't stand it. I fish with a rod and reel, some folks use dynamite.

Again, I commend you on your ability to cut dovetails by hand.

Jim

Why in the world would you feel like you needed to bite your tongue? The thread as started by the OP was specifically about three different jigs, asking only about dovetail jigs. Although he didn't ask about instruction on hand cut dovetails, it's all in the family in its own way, no?

===== Simply, I was there once myself, and expected that I was just wasting breath and bandwidth. Gagging on those price tags was more than I could stand, though.

Now you are to it. While your opinion is valued and appreciated, suppose that the OP tried hand cutting, and didn't think the results were worth the effort. Maybe he enjoys the other aspects of wood working more. IME, I bought a dovetail jig years ago simply because I was too embarrassed for my drawers to be assembled with rabbet cuts. Although none of them EVER fell apart, a dovetail is a better seller.

======== The first ones will always suck, as simple and basic as they seem after the fact. My premise, though, is that dovetails are simple and can be readily mastered. I really don't place much value in the handwork of itself. No one has to know I cut them by hand as much out of laziness as to snub my nose at the cliche. I'm just tired of tedious setups. It really is as much or more work to set up the jig and router to make a few drawers, than to mark and saw a few lines.

As to learning the skill... Seriously, two weeks of evenings and 6' of 4/4 hardwood, 2 or 3 inches at a time. I used #2 common cherry I had on hand.

I set out initially looking just to pass the time. Along the way, I learned to use handsaws, and found myself liberated. It's all in the saw. If it starts bad, it'll never fit. A bandsaw comes closest, but it still can't easily cut pins. Think of a dozuki as an easily portable, infinitely flexible bandsaw, more than adequate for joinery. I even resaw small boards by hand sometimes, just because I can. So, it's really not the dovetails that I'm writing about. It's really about handsaws. Fast, easy dovetails were just a bonus, even if it started out as the idea. (How more basic can you get? ;)

But the point, after all that, is that hand cut dovetails are fast and easy, less work rather than more. Depends how many you're making, of course. For a coupla dozen dressers... I'd have to think about it. ;)

I am not at the point in my life where I will sit down and build a few drawers for a client (or for myself!) that requires a new skill set. I know they won't appreciate the extra work every time they open that bathroom vanity, and when I looked at the joints, all I would see would be bad. Besides, that extra time developing a new skill set may be going to making my own folding knives. ========= I appreciate a good knife. That's why I buy them. ;) If it were a matter of learning to hammer forge my own Damascus, using the forge and other tools I already had on hand, I might consider it. The startup cost, fume extraction, ... Do you see? I had an el cheapo handsaw just lying around.

So to me, it kind of depends on where one is in the stream of things. One day, one day... I will have to take saw and chisel in hand and do it. Right now, I make dovetails so infrequently I have to reacquaint myself with the jig as it is. ======== ;)

Whoa... if I go to the shop tonight and get started, can I get the dough at the end of the week?

JUST KIDDING!! ========== Of course you can. NO kidding!! Sell the jigs and the bits. ;) I think there might be one interested buyers within earshot. (For sure, I doubt I swayed them at all.)

"MikeWhy" wrote in news:BRrbl.116$ snipped-for-privacy@flpi143.ffdc.sbc.com:

This hits home... Just last weekend I decided I was determined to cut at least one set of dovetails by hand just to say I had done it and I figured it would be a good learning experience also. Well it was a learning experience alright. I learned that a sharp carbide bit turning at high RPM is the way to go. Next time I get that wild hair I'll buy a dovetail jig.

After hogging out what I could using a band saw, I set after it with a newly purchased dovetail saw from Lee Valley. I was able to cut following the lines amazingly well. I was really impressed with myself. Then I got out the hammer and chisel to start cleaning them up.

The only parallel I can think of is similar to chopping wood with an axe. You ever swing an axe, hit the mark, and then can't pull the axe back out? That is exactly what it was like working with hard maple.

I worked for somewhere around 5 hours or so making sure I didn't screw up and take too much off and ruin it. I never did that but I was still working on the first joint and it still didn't quite fit together. Close but no cigar. It looked really good but it wasn't quite there yet.

I have a lot of admiration for someone with the patience and talent to do that because I certainly don't. Since I left myself an extra inch on the board just in case, I sawed the damn thing off and started over. Decided on a box joint instead. Built the jig and had all of the joints cut in about

YMMV

Larry

On the off chance you'll try it again... I don't bother to hog out with a saw. Saw down to the gauge line, and just cut the marking gauge line with the chisel. It *is* rather like axing out wood. Cut straight down at the line, then chip back to it to pop out a wedge of the waste wood. Repeat a couple of times, each time taking out another bite, just with like an axe. Flip to cut from the other side when you get halfway. There is a little bit of art in knowing how far the chisel will drift back toward the gauge line, but mostly it's just brute Neanderthal at its primal best.

"MikeWhy" wrote in news:wzwbl.133$ snipped-for-privacy@flpi143.ffdc.sbc.com:

I'll probably try it again, when I have more time, but it'll be softer wood. Can't waste a nice dovetail saw...