On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:29:50 -0500, Tanus wrote:

I'd agree with Dave, but I'll add
something else. I don't own a dovetail
jig, and some of the other guys may be
able verify/refute what I'm saying about
the jigs. I've never heard anything
negative about the higher end jigs (i.e.
Leigh) but I question the need for them
for the occasional hobbyist.

I agree.


My impression of owning a jig is that
it's a godsend for someone who's doing a
lot of dovetails, but only so-so for
someone who's either new to the field or
is doing just a few dovetails.

Agree again, but need to add this:

A good jig's learning curve is not that steep for someone with lots of
real routing experience. For someone that's both new to the router
and to the jig, it can be an absolute headache. I didn't get a Leigh
jig until I had done lots of work, and found it rather easy to learn.
I did one set of test cuts when the jig was brand new, following the
manual, and it's been gravy from there.

If I think back to when I was a beginner, the jig would have been a
nightmare, and I would have wasted a lot of wood. G

I still do smaller numbers by hand simply because I really like the
ultra-skinny pins that I can't do with the jig. I can be cutting in
less than 15 minutes with the D4, so there is no longer much wasted
time to set up.

One thing I can do much easier with the jig than anything else is
dovetails in birch ply and finger joints. There are probably 50 ways
to do finger joints, but I really like the jig the best. Dovetailing
plywood can often be a lesson in futility, but it's easy with a jig
and backer stock.

For someone who wants to hand cut joinery, the most important skill to
learn is sharpening. EVERY hand tool works better when seriously
sharpened. So much of my early hand tool work was frustrated until I
learned what sharp really meant.


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