router jigs

[Head clansman]

Hi guys

In my working days i had to cut all dovetails by hand, now I'm at the stage soon I'll want to start making all the units for in my workshop , when that's complete cupboards and every thing that go's s in the house as well.

lets stay in the workshop for now, The unit will vary from 600mm deep base units and tall power tool storage-unit with sliding shelving to wall Hung tool cabinets and every other thing that you can think of etc plus a new bench as well which most of the units i want to be dovetailed for the extra strength.

So as i said i cut all by hand in the past but now i want to treat myself to one of these dovetail router jig, I've never used one before so what are they like easy to use , whats the recommended sizes, the do's and don-ts, makes , and models, prices etc.

[jasonb]

I don't see much use for DT joints in what you have in mind, really only needed for draws and then there are other ways to do the draw boxed for workshop quality items.

For Proper draws I have a Leigh D4 but one of the new shorter ones will do most things unless you are going to be DTing a lot of carcases. The better quality Trend one looks reasonable too.

Jason

[Head clansman]

Hi Jason

yes i am going to be DT the carcases as these are going to holding a lot of weight and there made from MDF There will be sliding shelves and a drawer unit like a mechanics tool box with about a dozen drawers quite high plus the tall units will house all the power tools and another will house all the small machine shop machinery and one other to house all sort of thing nut bolts paint varnish etc I have full sets of tools in all trades and there weight is considerable, lastly my carpentry tools will be in wall hung cabinets for easy access and we all know how heavy that lot can be .

[Scrit]

Personally I wouldn't put DTs into MDF - it's only a posh cardboard when all said and done. Dowels, biscuits or carcass screws are all stronger when used in conjunction with the right glue IMHO

Scrit

[engineerone]

without doubt dt's in mdf are a way to long term disaster.

as scrit says it is a kind of cardboard

thing is that the pins would be very weak .

biscuits or dowels are much more sensible and better designed for the kind of use that you have in mind. i have some old mdf bookshelves that are still around and secure after 15 or so years.
dt's are really only for real wood
paul

[Keith]

Dovetailing MDF with a jig will kick up vast amounts of fine dust too

Confirmat screws give a very strong joint in MDF, dead easy and quick to use too

[salvage]

If your into dovetails for interior finish work I wouldn't bother with any of the cheaper (axminster etc ) jigs , if you've got the budget go for Liegh

www.leighjigs.com/home.php

[wizer]

DT's are over-rated....

[Head clansman]

Hi guys

Thanks for your input , I hear what you say , don't agree with some of it though but have taken it on board & I'm giving it thought, any way that's not what the tread was about was it, it was about the jig itself , type size ease of adjust-ability dust extraction etc, so come lets here your thoughts as to which is the best & why, what comes as standard and what is extra.

[engineerone]

personally i still think the woodrat is the way to go.

although it was originally sold as a dovetail machine, i find it
much better than a normal router table for moulding

since i am not as brave as jason i don't have a spindle moulder,
so the rat works for me. ;D

paul

[Head clansman]

hi paul

woodrat ? any website link paul

[Head clansman]

Hi Paul

just found it on there own website and have just spent a 1/2 hr or so watching there video very impressive indeed ,only thing i couldn't find was a price any idea.?

[engineerone]

if you check the store and then click europe
you will find the latest one the 900 seems to be about
400 quid, but then of course there is the price of the
cutters if you want their hss ones.

mind you there may be other places to look

paul

[Head clansman]

hi paul

thanks .

[Head clansman]

hi guys

well Paul thinks the wood-rat is the best, I was impressed with there video , I'm going to stay open minded for now, unless you guys can show me something better.

[jasonb]

For batches of draws I think the Leigh is the quicker machine to use when it comes to DTs and finger joints. The RAT is a little more versatile for mortices, tennons etc.

The latest Leigh comes with the dust collector for the router and the front support should make it easier to use. I got it mainly for the fact that the DTs can be adjusted to whatever spacing you like.

All the leigh vids are here

And in true Blue Peter style here & here are a couple I made earlier

Jason

[Head clansman]

Hi jason

nice neat work , I like the saw blade in the other pic wow .

[Keith]

Another vote for the Leigh D4, once set up it is very quick for batch runs.

Jason the new router support/dust collector is retrofittable; Axminster sell it for £53.

Keith

[engineerone]

i think that many people see either the leigh or the rat as not
really suitable for major batch production.

however the real difference is that the rat offers more flexibility in what else you can do for a similar amount of money

paul

[jasonb]

By "batch" I mean enough draws for say a kitchen or Libruary that a small one or two man shop is likely to get on a basis of once ever month or so.

Its a big jump to be able to justyfy the cost of even a manual dedicated DT machine like this

Jason

[Keith]

I was at a workshop a couple of years ago and they had a young apprentice making an absolute mountain of drawers, and I mean a big mountain ;D

..with a D4

[wizer]

To those in the trade: Are dovetails requested by your customers?

[Keith]

I find most people don't ask what sort of joints it will have, although occasionally I do get asked if it will have "proper joints"

;D

[Head clansman]

Hi keith

nice one keith , i know what your saying

[wizer]

As I thought Keith, I don't know one of my friends (millionaires among them) that I could confidently say they'd know what a dovetail joint was.

I'm not suggesting they shouldn't be used, I just wonder if they are necessary is some cases.