Leigh Jig Troubleshoot

[Alex Gauthier]

I was making a box for a friend last night when my straight bit #160 decided it was done with me. I have already cut all my tails and now that I've replaced the bit, I see that the fingers on the jig were moved a little due to the force of the bit striking them during the incident. I can't seem to fiddle the fingers enough to make any test pieces fit the existing tailboards that I already cut in expensive wood. I thought about trying to finish up with hand cutting them but I'm not that confident in those skills and have a deadline looming (Friday).

I was going to try to get the fingers as close as possible and then run the tailboards again but it seems like that would make things worse. Does anyone have any tricks for getting the fingers to line up the right way with the tails so that I can use the jig to cut the pins still?

[Malcolm McLeod]

I have had bits depart this life in mid-cut, but fortunately didn't impact the jig, so never tried this (but maybe...)
1. Flip the guide finger template back to the 'tails' position.
2. Loosen just the finger(s) that you suspect to have moved.
3. Re-install a tail-board that is already cut.
4. Position the respective finger over the tail and carefully center it on the tail, and re-tighten.
5. Remove the tail-board and install a new test pin-board.
6. Flip guide finger template back to 'pins' position and rout pin-board.
7. Cross your shamrocks and toss some salt over your left shoulder...???

If you kept your dovetail router bit setup, then maybe placing the router bit back in the affected pin slots can help align. Maybe?

(I learned the hard way that one of my bouts of epicyclic cerebral flatulence always conspires to force me to go back and repeat a dovetail cut, so I use 2 routers: 1 ea. for dovetail and straight bits - and keep them setup until I'm done.)

[Alex Gauthier]

Well, i tried all that (salt too) and no dice. Oh well.

I have had bits depart this life in mid-cut, but fortunately didn't impact the jig, so never tried this (but maybe...)
1. Flip the guide finger template back to the 'tails' position.
2. Loosen just the finger(s) that you suspect to have moved.
3. Re-install a tail-board that is already cut.
4. Position the respective finger over the tail and carefully center it on the tail, and re-tighten.
5. Remove the tail-board and install a new test pin-board.
6. Flip guide finger template back to 'pins' position and rout pin-board.
7. Cross your shamrocks and toss some salt over your left shoulder...???

If you kept your dovetail router bit setup, then maybe placing the router bit back in the affected pin slots can help align. Maybe?

(I learned the hard way that one of my bouts of epicyclic cerebral flatulence always conspires to force me to go back and repeat a dovetail cut, so I use 2 routers: 1 ea. for dovetail and straight bits - and keep them setup until I'm done.)

[Malcolm McLeod]

Well, i tried all that (salt too) and no dice. Oh well.

Sorry. It was (I hope) worth a shot.

If you're determined to keep the parts, I guess only other option is to shim the flaws: Either re-cut all of the impacted areas with the 'new' guide settings, assemble, and then install shims in the gaps; or glue shims in the impacted areas, and then re-cut.

.....Or re-purpose the pieces to firewood?

[Alex Gauthier]

I just started with new stock. I'll turn the ruined wenge wood pieces into a smaller box I guess! Actually, I noticed that the guide fingers themselves were distorted in the catastrophe as now one of the pin guides leaves about 1/32nd of a gap. I'll have to replace that finger I guess but in the mean time I'll fill the gap with CA glue or epoxy.

Sorry. It was (I hope) worth a shot.

If you're determined to keep the parts, I guess only other option is to shim the flaws: Either re-cut all of the impacted areas with the 'new' guide settings, assemble, and then install shims in the gaps; or glue shims in the impacted areas, and then re-cut.

.....Or re-purpose the pieces to firewood?

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