As you advance in woodworking, several of the more laborious and challenging skills to learn are joinery with complex joints like dovetails presenting several of the biggest obstacles. That’s the reason we come up with a list of the seven best dovetail jig reviews and offer a detailed buyer’s guide to help you get the best one for your needs.
1.
PORTER-CABLE Dovetail Jig with Mini Template Kit (4216) , Gray
Includes template 4211 for half-blind, rabbeted half-blind and sliding dovetails
Includes template 4213 for through dovetails and box joints
Includes template 4215 for miniature through and half-blind dovetails, and miniature box joints
Template alignment lines and router bit depth gauges allow for quick, easy set-up; Router bit depth gauges allow user to quickly and accurately set the depth without taking measurements
Included with jig: templates, two lock nuts, wrench, and instruction manual. Machined aluminum template provides superior cutting accuracy and long term durability
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2.
Sale
General Tools 861 Portable Aluminum Dovetail Jig, 12-inch, Woodworking, Furniture Building & Cabinet Making With Router Bit
WOODWORKING MADE EASY- All-in-one 861 Dovetail Jig produces strong, precise dovetail joints right out-of-the-box quickly and easily
SELF ALIGNING DESIGN- Ensures that both ends of the dovetail joint match up evenly every time
ADJUSTABLE- Can accommodate boards of any width and easily adjusts the dovetail interference to create loose or tight joints
DURABLE- One-piece aluminum construction with integrated clamps allow precise clamping of jig to work piece while the table router control knobs assure safe, comfortable and accurate use
INCLUDES: (1) 861 Dovetail Jig & (1) 14-degree, 1/2 -inch dovetail router bit for use with hand table or table router
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3.
Leigh D4R Pro 24" Dovetail Jig
One piece aluminum extrusion base
Easily produces handmade looking dovetail pins and tails
Accepts boards up to 24" wide
Maximum pin thickness 1-1/4"
Includes three carbide router bits
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4.
PORTER-CABLE Dovetail Jig, 12-Inch (4210)
Includes 4211 template for half-blind, rabbeted half-blind and sliding dovetails
Template alignment lines and router bit depth gauges allow for quick, easy set-up.Heavy-duty cam-type clamps with sandpaper-backed locking bars provide firm grip of wood
Router bit depth gauges allow user to quickly and accurately set the depth without taking measurements
Includes 4211 template for half-blind, rabbeted half-blind and sliding dovetails
Template alignment lines and router bit depth gauges allow for quick, easy set-up
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5.
Woodstock D2796 12-Inch Dovetail Jig with Aluminum Template
Router requires a 7/16-Inch Guide Bushing and 1/2-Inch 14-Degree Dovetail Router Bit with 1/2-Inch shank (sold seperately)
Comes with a 1/2-Inch aluminum template
Simple to set up, this sturdy, well-made jig makes 1/2-Inch half-blind dovetail joints, the hallmark of quality drawer construction
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6.
Keller Dovetail System 135-1500 Journeyman DoveTail Jig
15-inch precision-milled template
Accepts wood from 1/8 to 3/4 inches thick
Accepts unlimited widths and lengths
Back-to-back model
No test cuts, no wasted wood
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7.
Rockler Complete Dovetail Jig
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1. Porter-Cable 4216 Dovetail Jig
Pros:
Variety of characteristics to enhance ease of use and versatility
Big enough to support many workpieces
Durable metal construction
Reasonable price point
3-year warranty
Cons:
Not as accurate as higher-end jigs
Sebring Tip:
Porter-Cable has made a name for itself because of the exceptional quality of its offerings. The Porter-Cable 4216 is a great illustration of why the organization is kept in high regard. It’s big, capable, versatile, and also has an appealing price point.
One of the things which improve this jig’s versatility is its 12-inch width. It’s broad enough to support the great bulk of pieces utilized in woodworking projects. Additionally, the capability to manage stock thicknesses of as much as 1⅛ inches, it improves the scope of your tasks tremendously.
2. General Tools Portable Aluminum Dovetail Jig
Pros:
Tremendous value for money
High-quality construction
Self-aligning to improve precision and accuracy
Portable
Simple to use
Cons:
Not recommended for professional use
Sebring Tip:
You don’t need to go for low quality if you’re on a budget. The General Tools 861 is a dovetail jig to consider when you’re not trying to invest way too much for this device. It possesses sturdy construction while being ready to handle many tasks with ease.
Weighing in at 29.4 lbs, the 861 is a very light jig you can bring anywhere with no hassle. Plus, this is just one hardy jig that can take a beating with no wincing with its all-aluminum construction. In a nutshell, you will be guaranteed its reliability.
3. Leigh D4R Pro Dovetail Jig
Pros:
Accommodates 24-inch widths and 1-1/4-inch thicknesses
Premium design & construction
High precision
90-day money-back guarantee and 5-year warranty
Ideal for professional use
Cons:
Expensive
Sebring Tip:
If you’re curious about the most effective dovetail jig that money can buy, your search is over with D4R Pro by Leigh. Featuring a premium built, the Leigh D4R Pro could well be the most flexible and most well-rounded dovetail jig available nowadays.
It’s also among the biggest. With the capability to take on stocks with widths of as much as 24 inches and thicknesses of 1¼ inches, this jig enables you to tackle big furniture tasks without stressing about your stock measurements becoming very big to deal with.
4. Porter-Cable 4210 Dovetail Jig
Pros:
Great at making sliding and half-blind joints
Accurate depth setting and fast
Simple to create and use
Durable
Cons:
Not the most versatile dovetail jig
Sebring Tip:
If you’re cutting half-blind and sliding joints regularly, you may want to think about the 4210 dovetail jig by Porter-Cable. It possesses an excellent build, is excellent at doing those kinds of joints, and is reasonably low-cost.
This device comes with template alignment aids to facilitate simplicity of use, making it a great option for novice woodworkers. Additionally, because of dovetail router bit depth gauges, depth setting must be a procedure you flow through seamlessly, therefore ensuring effortless accuracy. Moreover, it can deal with stock that is up to 12-in wide and 1⅛-in thick.
5. Woodstock D2796 Dovetail Jig
Pros:
Accurate and fast
Simple to use
Long-lasting build
Cons:
Heavy
Sebring Tip:
The D2796 is an accurate and incredibly fast dovetail jig. It has a cam-action clamp mechanism that can keep two boards in place, enabling you to reduce each in one router pass. Furthermore, it has vertical and horizontal cam action clamps to ensure that your pieces remain in place.
Rather than conventional wing peanuts, the Woodstock D2796 includes modifiable knobs to enable ease of use and better handling. Furthermore, establishing this product for usage is rather simple, as everything mounts to a benchtop with no hassle.
6. Keller Dovetail System Dovetail Jig
Pros:
Simple design that enables you unlimited cutting width
Durable
Simple to use
Affordable
Cons:
Calls for some DIY effort to secure it
Absence of a sturdy foundation compromises its precision and accuracy
Sebring Tip:
This device by Keller is among the least expensive but quality selections available. This jig includes a style that comprises a router having an external frame, which means that you will have to purchase clamps for securing it on the bench.
This basic style, nonetheless, comes with several advantages. For instance, it doesn’t restrict you to a specific width, as you can move the jig across the wood’s measurements. Additionally, because of having very few parts, this product is less prone to breaking or warping. To contribute to that durability, the comb comes with a laminate construction.
7. Rockler Complete Dovetail Jig
Pros:
Affordable
Unique dust collection system
Cons:
Design issues limiting precision
Poor instruction manual
Sebring Tip:
This device by Rockler is yet another jig well worth considering whether you’re on a small budget. It can deal with stocks with widths of as much as eleven inches and thicknesses of as much as ¾ in and is perfect for small shops or DIYers.
A unique feature of this particular jig is its dust collection process. It is composed of a vacuum that connects your template base to draw up the dust produced by the router, therefore lowering the quantity of cleaning up you’ve to accomplish. Most dovetail jigs don’t have this particular feature.
Choosing The Best Dovetail Jig
The most effective dovetail jigs clamp your workpiece in position, making it possible for you to run a router around a template. This generates an interweaving joint that seems like many bird’s tails, just like the name implies. A dovetail joint is an extremely powerful, stable joint with a good amount of surface area for gluing. This guide is going to help you pick the best dovetail jig for your workshop.
To further help you with the buying process, allow us to outline what features you ought to consider when buying the best dovetail jig.
Dovetail Jig Type
Fixed – This is the standard kind of dovetail jig that utilizes a template to guide your router when making the cuts. While the fixed dovetail jig isn’t almost as versatile on the onset, you can usually switch out the templates to create various kinds of joints. It’s also worth noting that fixed dovetail jigs are drastically more painless to use than variable dovetail jigs.
Variable – This is the new kind of dovetail jig, and it is typically marked as “infinitely variable” that’s technically correct. Basically, a variable dovetail jig permits you to set the placement of the various fingers to support your own “template.” While this boosts the variable dovetail jig’s versatility much higher than a fixed model’s, it would make this particular kind of jig quite tough to work with.
Templates
Templates are the guides used by fixed dovetail jigs to direct your wood router since it cuts the workpiece to make the joint. Based on how costly and well-crafted the dovetail jig is, you may have several templates out there, enabling you to create a wider assortment of various forms of joints.
Beyond providing several guides, some manufacturers double-side the templates to expand further the number of various joints you can make. Remember, several double-sided templates intend for you to cut the tails with one side and the pins with the other, and so check the directions to ensure you make use of the template properly.
Capacity
This is among the crucial attributes to think about when selecting a dovetail jig. It eventually limits the dimensions of the workpiece you can utilize and affects your power to make blind joints. The most advertised capability of any dovetail jig will be the width and decides precisely how wide the joining face your workpiece might be.
Nevertheless, the thickness or depth of the workpiece is often as important. However, not many dovetail jigs allow you to cut depths beyond one ½ inch. Although not universal, the gaps between the fingers of a template are usually ½ inch wide. However, variable dovetail jigs can certainly significantly increase or shrink distance.
Material
Based on how frequently you work with your dovetail jig, this is an incredibly important quality or one that’s good to have at the high end. For the most part, metals will be the materials you must search for, although various metals perform better for multiple parts of the dovetail jig.
When it involves the base, aluminum is quickly the most typical material used as it’s both lightweight and sturdy, decreasing the entire weight of the dovetail jig. The template & fingers, on the other hand, should be produced from steel to expand their lifetime as long as possible.
For single-piece dovetail jigs, many brands are going to use aluminum for the body and fingertips, and that isn’t inherently a lousy option, just become more cautious when dealing with it. In case you’re searching for a cheap dovetail jig, phenolic plastic material is moderately sturdy at first. However, it is going to lose structural integrity the more you use it.
Stability
Given how precise dovetail joints must be, the stability of any dovetail jig is pretty significant, though it’s not always paramount when buying the jig. This is since you can always work with your own clamps and base to secure the workpiece before cutting the wood, which increases the time it requires using the jig.
When it relates to dovetail jigs that have their very own securing method, cam lock clamps are undoubtedly the most effective as they’re not merely simple to use but hold workpiece from shifting while being cut. Some models use pressure knobs to hold the workpiece in place, which may work, though they’re less than as steady and will mar the surface of the wood.
Tips For Using A Dovetail Jig
If any wobble or play happens in the jig or workpieces, the results will not be as precise. Clamp the jig base securely to the workpiece or the table to ensure the best joints.
If the boards come from a shop, make sure to square upwards their ends prior to placing them in the router jig. Factory ends are hardly ever square, and routing them in a dovetail jig will develop a box that wobbles or does not assemble correctly. Consider running them over a jointer to guarantee that many of the surfaces are completely square. If it wasn’t, a hand plane is going to do the trick.
Alignment is everything. When you are clamping the workpiece in the jig, assure that things are square and aligned correctly. Don’t hurry and ensure that this particular part of the procedure is right. A blunder in this here will end with a poorly cut joint and two boards that do not align properly. This level is a lot more crucial when repositioning a jig to get a wider board: A tiny error here can hold joint from coming together at all.
For results that are consistent, make sure the jig or workpiece is clamped securely on the table.
Square the ends on the boards before milling them over the jig.
Ensure precise alignment, particularly when repositioning the jig on a bigger board.
Conclusion:
Porter-Cable did a superb job of more than a century to develop and provide top-quality tools. The Porter-Cable Dovetail Jig 4216 is one of them. Put this great tool to use for making the ideal drawing room or kitchen cabinets.
Porter-Cable has more than 100-year-old history, and it is a subsidiary of a Fortune 500 company. The history of the business is mirrored in its power tool products.
The Porter-Cable Dovetail Jig may be used to create different various joints, template no. 4211 is utilized for rabbeted half-blind and sliding dovetails, template no. 4213 used for making through dovetails & box joints. Similarly, template no. 4215 is going to allow you much easier construction of half-blind dovetails, miniature through, & miniature box joints.
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