PC 55160 omnijig

[mike johnston]

I'm considering buying one. I've searched on here and other places, but most posts were from 2008 on it's release. Now that people have used them awhile what are your opinions? I have the leigh jig but have started cutting my through dovetails by hand and enjoy that very much. The Leigh seems a bit awkward to set up for halfblinds. Fixed halfblinds are all I would use the jig for. In that regard is it easier to set up than the Leigh? Besides the dust chute what other accessories would you suggest? I know I should just practice my half blinds by hand, but.

Thanks Mike

[Ethan Melad]

i have a leigh jig as well, and haven't had any problems cutting half-blinds at all. actually very easy setup, and just minor tweaking of bit/pin depth needed. i don't really think its worth spending another $500+ on a new jig that does the same thing as the leigh... which leigh jig do you have? if its older, you may have to make modifications (which look like a big pain to me) or just buy a new set of fingers, which costs a whole lot less than the omnijig. that said, i've used the porter cable jigs before and they were fine.

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

I used an Omni jig for several years. It was a very easy to use design. My only real complaint was the dovetail spacing. The manual or video claimed that it was 7/8", when it was really 57/64". I gor around this by making a layout block with all of the pins on it. This made it much easier to layout drawers that started and ended with 1/2 pins.

[Ralph Butts]

Mike I have the 24" version I think it is model 77240. As this was my first ever dovetailing jig I cannot offer anything with respect to comparisons with the Leigh jig. I have had the Omnijig for just about two years now and I am happy with it. It is pretty straight forward to setup, the supplied instructions and video are straight forward. With respect to creating fixed space half blind dovetails the setup IMHO was easy breezy. Either adjust the bit depth or the stop depth and your done. The dust shoot is a for sure accessory, I also got the dovetail bit and stop kits along with the plastic tote to hold them all after about 4 months of use. On a final note they Omnijig was on sale at the last Grizzly Tent Sale in Bellingham within the store. I don't remember what the final price was but I do remember that it was a significant savings.

[Mike Goetzke]

I got one soon after they came out. I used it for many kitchen cabinets and pantry pullouts and it was flawless. Only thing that is a pain is all plywood these days isn't the same thickness so slight tweaking of the jig is necessary. Oh- also make sour the bit is centered in the base.

Mike

[Loren Woirhaye]

If you're dropping that much on a second dovetail jig, consider a Woodrat. It has a different logic and is flexible in interesting ways.

PC is owed by Black and Decker. The people who design the stuff are first class. All the higher end stuff from PC and DeWalt is as good as you'll get without buying something from Germany.

[John Huds0n]

How much are you thinking about spending on one?

I bought the 16" version (the 55160 your thinking of) in early 2010 - and got a pretty good deal on it for $300 brand new.

Take a look at this review - I think the OP pretty much hit the nail on the head.
http://www.routerforums.com/tool-rev...ig-review.html

If you can get one for a decent price, and all your going to do is fixed half blinds, it may work out for you. It is a beast, and is very solid. Once you get it dialed in, it does what it is supposed to do. I never bought the variable finger template - its around $190 and it really seems like a pain to use, you almost need two routers. I did buy the dust chute - it is mostly plastic with a metal reinforcing bar, but it does the job

[Charles Coolidge]

I had the 24 inch PC Omni-jig and it was a PILE OF JUNK! Good design but horribly manufactured. Poorly machined, twisted, out of square and cheap. It was even poorly assembled they couldn't even bother to set the depth stops. Easily the worst tool I have purchased in years. I have the Leigh DR4 Pro with accessories now. I have not had a chance to use it yet so I can't comment on it.

[Bryan Cowing]

I purchased a 24" second hand with most bits and stops. The 24" is big and heavy. I use 2 PC 690 routers with it. I sold my Leigh D4r jig. What I like over the Leigh is the super clamping the Omni jig has, no wood slippage. I would watch the video Norm made on it
#1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-nKJksKu1g
uploaded in several sessions so you have to look for the different video segments.

[Mike Goetzke]

I had the 24 inch PC Omni-jig and it was a PILE OF JUNK! Good design but horribly manufactured. Poorly machined, twisted, out of square and cheap. It was even poorly assembled they couldn't even bother to set the depth stops. Easily the worst tool I have purchased in years. I have the Leigh DR4 Pro with accessories now. I have not had a chance to use it yet so I can't comment on it.

When these first came out there was an issue with some of the templates not being machined correctly. I sent mine in and they were repaired quickly and work like a champ.

Mike

[Steve Rozmiarek]

What I like over the Leigh is the super clamping the Omni jig has, no wood slippage. .

How in the world did you get the Leigh clamps to slip? Those things sure seem bullet proof to me.

[johnny means]

I had the 24 inch PC Omni-jig and it was a PILE OF JUNK! Good design but horribly manufactured. Poorly machined, twisted, out of square and cheap. It was even poorly assembled they couldn't even bother to set the depth stops. Easily the worst tool I have purchased in years. I have the Leigh DR4 Pro with accessories now. I have not had a chance to use it yet so I can't comment on it.

+1 on the poor manufacturing. Though expecting depth stops to be set-up is unreasonable. I get great results, in spite of the short comings. I feel like some of the screws and other materials are not up to the task and I have to take great care when setting up. The soft metals and rough castings leave a lot of opportunity for slop to work its way in. It is nice to have the option to make angled joints. Nice design, but I think the poor execution would make it difficult for the uninitiated to get good results.

[Charles Coolidge]

+1 on the poor manufacturing. Though expecting depth stops to be set-up is unreasonable. I get great results, in spite of the short comings. I feel like some of the screws and other materials are not up to the task and I have to take great care when setting up. The soft metals and rough castings leave a lot of opportunity for slop to work its way in. It is nice to have the option to make angled joints. Nice design, but I think the poor execution would make it difficult for the uninitiated to get good results.

It was NOT unreasonable imo because they bragged about the preset depth stops as a feature. This product had the stench of "can you believe some dumb customer is going to buy this junk" that's how it was manufactured and that's how it was assembled. Don't get me started on that Omni-jig I'll come unglued LOL!

[Ralph Butts]

I guess either I got really lucky or maybe some of these horror stories are based upon an older design. My depth stops were factory set and I have not had any issues like the ones noted by some of the posts. The unit is pretty heavy and it has survived a 30 mile pack up and move about a year ago to the new shop. No adjustments needed.