Finger Joint Jig

[Jim Guy]

I'm thinking about buying a finger joint jig.
I know many are going to say - "Make you own"
I already have one I made myself and I'm not very happy with it.
I already own Leigh's dovetail jig and use it alot and really like it.
The cost of Leigh's finger joint attachment is over $300.00
I'm not saying I won't pay that, I just wanted some input if others thought that was a good choice.

What are you using and how do you like it?

[David Wilson]

Jim
I have 2 finger joint jigs. One for table saw to use with dado blade and one for the router table. I built them and am satisfied. I probibly trashed 2 or 3 before I got them to my satisfaction. Cost was way under $300.00.

Just my 2 cents

[Dennis Peacock]

Hey Jim,

Is your homemade jig fitting poorly? Too sloppy? Too tight? You'd be surprised at a little adjustment and it will fit just right. I spent all of $0.50 on my finger joint jig and I use it for my high-end boxes. Of course, I had to adjust it at the spacing pen with a single piece of masking tape for a nice slip fit.

[Jim Becker]

Leigh has some downloadable instructions on their site for using the regular template for some basic box-joints, if I remember correctly. But there is a lot more flexibility in rolling your own. It does take a little fiddling to get the fit perfect, but once you have it nailed, each and every one will be right on.

[Ken Salisbury]

You can make a good one for less than 50¢. Here is one of several I have that is 10 yrs old.

[Ellen Benkin]

I know the Leigh jigs are supposed to be the best in the world, but $300 seems like a huge rip off for something most of us can build for ourselves. If you have a table saw, you already have the miter gauge anyway!

[Jim Guy]

Alright, alright - you guys have talked me into it. I'll spend some more time on my shop made jig. If everyone else can build one of those things and be happy with it, I guess I should be able to also.

Thanks for everyone's input.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Jim,
Do a search for the Lynn jig, I made one of those and it is amazingly accurate and flexible. Not too hard to make either, if you look at the finger joints the guy has made on his website you will be impressed.

[Dave Richards]

Jim, glad you'll give it another go with your shop made jig. Is your jig for the tablesaw or the router?

[Jim Guy]

Dave - the shop made jig I have is for the table saw.
I have made one box with it and the joints were pretty good but it seemed to take so long to get it adjusted correctly.

[Dan Gill]

Eagle America had a router table top jig (actually three jigs for three different size fingers) for $50.

I, too, have had difficulty making a shop-made jig that worked. Although I've only had one try. I'll try again one of these days.

[Hal Flynt]

I went searching and this site may be dead http://www.netexperts.cc/~lambertm/Wood/lynnjig.html

BUT I found this one, and since I haven't seen the original, I'm not sure of it
http://www.leestyron.com/lynnjig.php

[Dave Richards]

Jim, if you are interested in making a different one, perhaps for your router table, you might look at the March 05 issue of American Woodworker. They have a plan in there for one that is pretty easy to set up and use.

I have the plastic version of it from West Oaks Woodworking (now defunct as far as I can tell). I suspect it is the same as the one Dan mentions and I believe someone in Canada is selling the same thing.

Actually I like the looks of the one in American Woodworker better than the one. I expect I'll build the AW one and dump the plastic version.

g'luck.