Dovetail jigs are a must-have tool for any woodworker. They help you make a perfect dovetail every time, while helping you save on tools, too. It can be hard to decide which jig is right for you, though. Here are some things to consider when buying a jig.
General Tools 861 Portable Aluminum Dovetail Jig
The General Tools 861 E-Z Pro Dovetailer II Dovetail Jig is a no-fuss, do-it-all solution to your dovetail woes. Not only is it capable of producing high-quality, professional looking dovetails, but it is also remarkably portable, allowing you to work in a variety of environments and on a range of budgets. As a bonus, the 861 also comes with a handy user’s manual and a free set of dovetail blades. Moreover, the jig is compatible with both table and hand-held routers. With a price tag of under $100, this jack-of-all-trades tool is an ideal choice for the do-it-all DIYer.
There are several other notable dovetail jigs on the market, but the 861 stands out for its impressive list of features. Among its many gizmos, you will find a 14-degree dovetail router bit, a dovetail kit, and a dovetail cutting board.
Porter-Cable D4R Pro
The Porter-Cable dovetail jig is a sturdy, accurate and versatile tool. It allows you to make dovetails and box joints with woods that range from 1/4 to 1 1/8 inches thick. There are three templates available to help you create the joint you want.
Porter-Cable’s dovetail jigs are designed with heavy-duty cam-type clamps, sandpaper backing and a one-piece steel base. They are capable of handling 12-inch stock widths.
Another feature of the Porter-Cable dovetail jigs is the ability to produce consistent, evenly spaced dovetail joints. This makes the jig ideal for furniture projects. You can also make dovetails with different sizes and shapes.
A Porter-Cable dovetail jig has a 3 year warranty. You can use the jig with both 12″ and 8″ router bits. Using the dovetail jig is surprisingly easy even for beginners.
Leigh 4DR Pro
The Leigh D4R Pro dovetail jig is a versatile jig designed to cut dovetails in a variety of ways. It can produce through dovetails, half blind dovetails, sliding dovetails, box joints, and more. This is a top of the line jig that offers incredible versatility.
The D4R Pro is ideal for woodworkers at all levels of experience. With its adjustable guide fingers, horizontal stock control, and precisely adjustable router guide system, it can perform a wide range of joinery.
In addition, the Leigh D4R PRO comes with a full set of accessories, including an e7 eliptical guide bush, a single pass dovetail spacer, and a nylon stop rod. These features allow the jig to accommodate boards of up to 24 inches in length, with a width of up to 1-1/4 inches.
Woodhaven D4R Pro
A dovetail jig is a tool used for making box and half-blind dovetail joints on wood. This is one of the most common joints in woodworking. However, dovetail joints are a time-consuming process. To make the job easier, a dovetail jig is designed to give the best precision in connecting the workpieces.
Dovetail jigs come in a wide variety of styles and designs. For instance, the Leigh D4R Pro Dovetail Jig offers unparalleled versatility. It is able to produce box and half-blind dovetails, as well as rout equally spaced half-blind dovetails.
The Leigh D4R Pro Dovetail jig also comes with several handy accessories. These include a single-pass half-blind dovetail bit, as well as box and sliding dovetail bits. Also included are two sets of a variety of templates for making a variety of different dovetail joint types.
Rockler D4R Pro
A dovetail jig is a tool that makes perfect-fitting joints. Some products make joints with a fixed template, while others offer variable spacings. The size of the joint is determined by the width of the template.
Dovetail jigs are made from either steel or aluminum. In general, aluminum will give you more accurate passes, but it will weigh more. If you want to save money, you can choose a plastic-based jig.
Choosing a quality dovetail jig is important. It should include a durable base and clamps. Lower-quality hardware can shift while in use, resulting in less accurate joints.
There are several brands that manufacture dovetail jigs. The Leigh D4R Pro is a high-end model that can be used with Infinity Tools bit sets.
Misaligned parts of a dovetail jig
A dovetail jig can be a great tool. But if the alignment of parts is not perfect, problems can arise. There are a few ways to fix the problem.
Check the wood thickness. Some jigs are designed to handle only woods of a certain thickness. Make sure the wood is thick enough to make a proper dovetail joint.
Use an alignment stop to properly position your workpieces. Alignment stops are adjustable and should be flat against the workpieces. The goal is to have the workpieces be offset a half inch or so.
If you are using a half-blind dovetail jig, you might be able to get away with a minor offset. However, if you are planning to use the jig to make a more complex joint, you might need to adjust the jig settings.
