suggest a simple accurate dovetail jig

[Bill Stoffels]

Leigh?
Akeda?
Porter cable?
What do you think

[Jamie Buxton]

Keller.

It is dead nuts simple. In my view that's a good thing. I just want to hook boards together. I don't want to read a hundred-page instruction manual.

[Seth Poorman]

I like my Porter Cable 24" Omni Jig , Its pretty simple.
You do have to read the instructions to get started,after that your good to go.
All I use my jig for is drawers (1/2" blind DTs) never used the other templates.
Seth..

[Chris Rosenberger]

I will second the Porter Cable Omini jig.

[Mike Goetzke]

I recently got a P-C 4212 and would highly recommend it (unless you have $400+ to spend on a jig).

[Jason Morgan]

I too would recommend the PC4212. Great bang for the buck!

[Tom Hamilton]

You might consider a test drive or two in one of the woodworking stores.

My Rockler jig is fussy and, without the downloaded from a non-Rockler web-site instructions, frustrating to use. Incidentially, the Rockler instructor put me onto the downloaded instructions.

I wish I had done the test drive first! I would have probably bought a different brand.

Best regards, Tom

[Russ Massery]

Bill,
I have the Leigh D-4. I woudn't call it simple though it does have a GREAT manual. But I've alway gotten excellent results.After using a few times it get much easier to set up. The plus is you can do variable spacing and does through & blind dovetails.

[Mac McAtee]

downloaded from a non-Rockler web-site instructions, frustrating to use. Incidentially, the Rockler instructor put me onto the downloaded instructions.

Tom,
How about a link to those directions?

[tod evans]

bill, i think the simplest is the keller and the tank for production is the omnijig. the rest are targeted at folks who woodwork for sport...02 tod

[Brian Hale]

Keller, hands down. Less than an hour after you open the box you'll have your first joint done. You're not limited to the size of the jig so they can be any length you want. ~$ 150 including the 2 bits.

Brian

BTW, i got mine from Highland Hardware.

[frank shic]

stots dovetail template master if you don't have time for saw and chisel.

[Jim Becker]

Leigh was and is my choice for the best all-around router dovetail system. Although it's extreme flexibility at first might make you think it hard to use, the excellent instructions and logical methodology makes it relatively easy to get great results even the first time out. (I know of one fellow who actually did beautiful inlayed dovetails for his first time...not that I would have tried that!) The 24" capacity is great for casework.

Akeda is a very nice system and reportedly easy to use. My one beef with it is the expectation that everything should be in 1/8" increments which is not necessarily good if you are trying to maintain exact proportions in some kinds of work. It will not affect many woodworkers, but would drive me nuts. The 16" capacity is also more limiting for casework for those who want to do through dovetails.

The Keller that Brian talks about is great, especially for casework. It's only for through-dovetails, however, which may or may not work for drawers, depending on whether you want either visible joinery or will be using false fronts.

Of course, it also comes down to "what kind of dovetails do you want to do?" If you are only going to do drawers and the like, a simple, fixed half-blind system, such as the smaller PC, is a good value and proven system.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Keller.



less than half an hour, and I made this....



Yep, those are the first ever dovetails I've made.

Works like a charm, simple enough for this Stu-pid guy to use, and Dave Keller is really good to deal with, he shipped to Japan without blinking (Lots of companies will not ship outside of the US, they treat Japan like it was a foreign country or something! ).

Love mine, I need to find ways to work it into more projects!

Cheers!

[Bill Stoffels]

To all,
Thanks for the information , I like through dovetail as I will be making 10-20 humidors. does the leigh once set work well?