I just purchased a new 55160 16" Omnijig, 16" variable finger template, box joint stops, storage case and dust collection. I bought everything at Western Tool for about $550. Here are my observations and comments about this jig.
Unpacking & General Assembly
The jig comes nearly fully assembled right out of the box. Everything is packed in styrofoam and was in good condition. The only assembly required was mounting the router bit depth pod (optional) and the through dovetail depth gauge. The dust collection system is a separate assembly that simply slides into the front of the jig. A chip deflector mounts on the left side of the jig with two screws. It took me about two hours to unpack, inspect, and assemble everything.
16” Variable Finger Template Adjustments
Templates included with the jig are pre-set at the factory. That means they slide nicely along the template mounting bars and do not deflect the mounting bars when the template thumb screws are tightened. However, accessory templates (like the 16” variable finger template) must be adjusted to operate the same way. The adjustment procedure is well defined in the user documentation but there is no mention of why the adjustment is needed. Basically, the goal is to adjust the position of the template end caps so that the template slides nicely along the template mounting bars and does not deflect the mounting bars when the template thumbscrews are tightened. Loosening the four square head screws on both end caps allow the end caps to slide in or out as needed for alignment with the template mounting bars. If the template end caps are to close together or to far apart the template may bind as it slides along the mounting bars; and when the template thumbscrews are tightened, the mounting bars will deflect. The goal is to correct this problem. Now that you understand why this adjustment is needed, it should be straight forward.
Template Quality Issue
Unfortunately, I ran into a problem when I installed the 16” variable finger template. I installed the template with the Through Dovetail end cap on the left side of the jig and the Half Blind Dovetail end cap on the right side of the jig. I noticed right away the Half Blind Dovetail side of the template fit loose on the square template mounting bar. I was able to move the Half Blind Dovetail side of the template slightly up and down on the mounting bar. This resulted in a fairly gross misalignment between the stop (A4 in this case) and the template stop pin on the Half Blind Dovetail side of the template. The Through Dovetail side of the template fit nicely and aligned perfectly with the A4 stop. I flipped the template end for end and confirmed the problem was related to the Half Blind Dovetail side of the template; not a problem with the square mounting bars or stops.
On closer inspection of the template, it appeared the Half Blind Dovetail end cap upper and lower castings did not fit together cleanly. Next I measured the height of the template mounting bars and slots in the end caps. The square mounting bars each measured exactly .5”. The Through Dovetail end cap opening was right at .505” and the Half Blind Dovetail end cap opening was at .59”. Apparently this is why there is play on the Half Blind Dovetail side of the template.
I decided to return the template to the dealer for a replacement. I brought the entire jig with me so I could show the dealer what the problem was and confirm the replacement template was a good fit. The folks at the dealer were very supportive and fortunately, this dealer had about 10 of the 16” templates in stock. We ended up opening three boxes before finding one that fit properly. Coincidentally, the two that did not fir properly were loose on the Half Blind Dovetail side of the template, just like the one I had.. It appears Porter Cable has a quality problem with the Half Blind Dovetail end cap castings on the variable finger template. The good news is I was able to find a good fitting variable finger template. The bad news is the dealer now has to deal with a potential defective lot of 16” variable finger templates.
Cutting Through Dovetails w/16” Variable Finger Template
My first attempt to use the jig was to cut through dovetails on ¾” thick boards. Here is the basic procedure
1. Install A4 stops
2. Install G1 template guide into router
3. Install D4 dovetail bit into router and set bit height
4. Install the black edge guide on the left side of the jig
5. Install template (tails side up and to left) onto jig
6. Install scrap and tail boards in the jig
7. Adjust finger spacing
8. Lower template onto scrap board and secure in place.
9. Cut the tails
10. Remove tail board
11. Remove, flip and install template (pins side up)
12. Install G2 template guide into router
13. Install S2 straight bit into router and adjust bit height
14. Install pin board
15. Cut the pins
16. Check the fit
17. Make adjustments as needed for a perfect fitting joint.
Wow, this is a pretty lengthy procedure; especially having to change router template guides and bits. In production, it would be best to use two routers. But it’s really not all that bad. Here are my notes on this procedure.
• Jig & Router Setup for Tails
The jig comes with a handy setup guide card as well as guide instructions on the jig. I was able to use the dovetail setup guide card to select and install the A4 stops on the jig, the G1 router template guide, the D4 dovetail bit in the router and set bit heights. This was all straight forward.
• Install Black Edge Guide
The jig comes with two edge guides; one black and one silver. The black edge guide is used to align horizontal and vertical boards with no offset. The silver edge guide is used to offset horizontal and vertical boards when making single pass half blind dovetails.
The black edge guide is used when making through dovetails. My 16” jig was shipped with the silver “offset” edge guide installed on the left side of the jig and the black edge guide installed on the right side. So I had to swap them.
Note: The Instruction Manual makes no mention about which edge guide to use when making through dovetails. I suppose Porter Cable thinks this is too obvious to mention. I made the mistake of thinking the jig was ready to go and setup everything with the silver edge guide in place. The setup didn’t look right so I switched to the black edge guide.
• Install Scrap Board and Tail boards in Jig
Clamp a scrap board in the horizontal position. Then insert the tail board in the vertical clamp and adjust to the same height as the scrap board. Make sure both boards are firmly against the black edge guide. I found this procedure much easier than the one in the Instruction Manual.
• Install Finger Template
Install finger template but make sure it sits just above the scrap board for now. The finger template is very heavy (solid and stable) and when resting on the scrap board it is very difficult to move the scrap board or finger adjustments.
Observation
I don’t care for the mechanical design responsible for raising, lowering, and securing the template mechanism. The template mechanism is heavy and does not move easily along the mounting guides on the right and left rear side of the jig. This needs to be redesigned.
• Adjust Template Finger Spacing
Adjust template fingers for proper spacing. As I mentioned above, the key here is that the template is not resting on the scrap board. Otherwise you will not be able to move the fingers.
• Lower the Template
Now lower the template onto the scrap board and make sure scrap and tail boards are properly aligned with template and each other.
• Cut the Tails
After installing the stabilizer bar (very easy operation) you are ready to cut the tails. Cutting tails was straight forward. My only comment is that it is difficult to see the cut being made which can make it difficult to follow template fingers.
Comment about Dust Collection
I was skeptical about the Omnijig dust collection system. But it works perfectly. Virtually all dust and chips were pulled out of the dust collection chute and into my 4” Delta dust collector. I highly recommend installing the dust collection system.
• Jig and Router Setup for Pin Cuts
Flip the jig to the Pin’s side and install appropriate router guide, straight bit, and adjust bit depth. No issues here.
• Install Pin Board
Simply remove tails board and replace with pins board. This assumes tail and pin boards are same thickness. Otherwise you must replace scrap board with one that is same thickness as pin board.
• Cut Pins
Install stabilizer bar and cut the pins. Cutting the pins was straight forward. As with cutting tails, it is difficult to see the cut being made which can make it difficult to follow template fingers.
• Fitting The Pins and Tails
My first attempt did not yield a good fit. My pins were too tight and the joint would not fit together. The solution to this problem is to move the template in a bit and re-cut the pins board; removing more material from the pins. This is done by adjusting the pins stops on both the left and right A4 stops. Note that each A4 stop has a pin stop (left) and a tails stop (right). Do not adjust the tail stops. I made the pin stop adjustment with the A4 stops mounted in the jig and the template locked in place. I loosened the lock nut and turned the stop out one turn and then locked it back in place. Do this on both A4 stops. Then I loosened the template and pushed it against the pin stop. This is a very fine adjustment. I reinstalled the pin board and made another cut, removing just a bit more material from the pins. The joint was still tight so I repeated the procedure until I got a perfect fitting joint. Fortunately, the router bit height was dead on so I had no other joint problems.
If your joint is to loose, you need to move the template out which will remove less material from the pins. Move the template by adjusting the pin stops on the left and right A4 stops. Unfortunately, you will have to cut new pins because too much material was removed in the first cut. I suggest moving the pin stops out more than needed (maybe 4-5 turns), cut a new tight fitting pins and then use the procedure in the preceding paragraph to sneak up on a perfect fitting joint.
Once you have the A4 pin stops dialed in they should not need further adjustments and you should get perfect fitting through dovetails every time.
Summary
• The 16” 55160 Omnijig is large and heavy. So you will need plenty of room to use and store it. The 24” 77240 Omnijig is a monster and is not practical for home use.
• The variable finger template is heavy and moving the template up and down when mounted in the jig is a three hand operation. The mechanism used to slide the template up and down needs a redesign. It does not slide smoothly and is difficult to work with.
• I had to sort through several variable finger templates to find one that fit properly. I have spoken to Porter Cable about this, but they say a loose fitting template should not cause a problem. I disagree. This is a quality issue.
• The instruction manual is pretty good but forgot to mention using the proper edge guide for through dovetails. Also, about 20% of the pages we not separated at the top and I had to cut them apart. This is a quality issue.
• The “factory set” stops that came with my jig needed adjustment. But, once they were set properly I was able to get consistent, repeatable joints. I suggest checking every stop before you use them on your projects.
• This is a production jig that works well once set up properly but it is probably overkill for most home projects.
Next Steps
I will work through each and every joint possible on this jig and make notes. If there is an interest I will post those notes here.
Unpacking & General Assembly
The jig comes nearly fully assembled right out of the box. Everything is packed in styrofoam and was in good condition. The only assembly required was mounting the router bit depth pod (optional) and the through dovetail depth gauge. The dust collection system is a separate assembly that simply slides into the front of the jig. A chip deflector mounts on the left side of the jig with two screws. It took me about two hours to unpack, inspect, and assemble everything.
16” Variable Finger Template Adjustments
Templates included with the jig are pre-set at the factory. That means they slide nicely along the template mounting bars and do not deflect the mounting bars when the template thumb screws are tightened. However, accessory templates (like the 16” variable finger template) must be adjusted to operate the same way. The adjustment procedure is well defined in the user documentation but there is no mention of why the adjustment is needed. Basically, the goal is to adjust the position of the template end caps so that the template slides nicely along the template mounting bars and does not deflect the mounting bars when the template thumbscrews are tightened. Loosening the four square head screws on both end caps allow the end caps to slide in or out as needed for alignment with the template mounting bars. If the template end caps are to close together or to far apart the template may bind as it slides along the mounting bars; and when the template thumbscrews are tightened, the mounting bars will deflect. The goal is to correct this problem. Now that you understand why this adjustment is needed, it should be straight forward.
Template Quality Issue
Unfortunately, I ran into a problem when I installed the 16” variable finger template. I installed the template with the Through Dovetail end cap on the left side of the jig and the Half Blind Dovetail end cap on the right side of the jig. I noticed right away the Half Blind Dovetail side of the template fit loose on the square template mounting bar. I was able to move the Half Blind Dovetail side of the template slightly up and down on the mounting bar. This resulted in a fairly gross misalignment between the stop (A4 in this case) and the template stop pin on the Half Blind Dovetail side of the template. The Through Dovetail side of the template fit nicely and aligned perfectly with the A4 stop. I flipped the template end for end and confirmed the problem was related to the Half Blind Dovetail side of the template; not a problem with the square mounting bars or stops.
On closer inspection of the template, it appeared the Half Blind Dovetail end cap upper and lower castings did not fit together cleanly. Next I measured the height of the template mounting bars and slots in the end caps. The square mounting bars each measured exactly .5”. The Through Dovetail end cap opening was right at .505” and the Half Blind Dovetail end cap opening was at .59”. Apparently this is why there is play on the Half Blind Dovetail side of the template.
I decided to return the template to the dealer for a replacement. I brought the entire jig with me so I could show the dealer what the problem was and confirm the replacement template was a good fit. The folks at the dealer were very supportive and fortunately, this dealer had about 10 of the 16” templates in stock. We ended up opening three boxes before finding one that fit properly. Coincidentally, the two that did not fir properly were loose on the Half Blind Dovetail side of the template, just like the one I had.. It appears Porter Cable has a quality problem with the Half Blind Dovetail end cap castings on the variable finger template. The good news is I was able to find a good fitting variable finger template. The bad news is the dealer now has to deal with a potential defective lot of 16” variable finger templates.
Cutting Through Dovetails w/16” Variable Finger Template
My first attempt to use the jig was to cut through dovetails on ¾” thick boards. Here is the basic procedure
1. Install A4 stops
2. Install G1 template guide into router
3. Install D4 dovetail bit into router and set bit height
4. Install the black edge guide on the left side of the jig
5. Install template (tails side up and to left) onto jig
6. Install scrap and tail boards in the jig
7. Adjust finger spacing
8. Lower template onto scrap board and secure in place.
9. Cut the tails
10. Remove tail board
11. Remove, flip and install template (pins side up)
12. Install G2 template guide into router
13. Install S2 straight bit into router and adjust bit height
14. Install pin board
15. Cut the pins
16. Check the fit
17. Make adjustments as needed for a perfect fitting joint.
Wow, this is a pretty lengthy procedure; especially having to change router template guides and bits. In production, it would be best to use two routers. But it’s really not all that bad. Here are my notes on this procedure.
• Jig & Router Setup for Tails
The jig comes with a handy setup guide card as well as guide instructions on the jig. I was able to use the dovetail setup guide card to select and install the A4 stops on the jig, the G1 router template guide, the D4 dovetail bit in the router and set bit heights. This was all straight forward.
• Install Black Edge Guide
The jig comes with two edge guides; one black and one silver. The black edge guide is used to align horizontal and vertical boards with no offset. The silver edge guide is used to offset horizontal and vertical boards when making single pass half blind dovetails.
The black edge guide is used when making through dovetails. My 16” jig was shipped with the silver “offset” edge guide installed on the left side of the jig and the black edge guide installed on the right side. So I had to swap them.
Note: The Instruction Manual makes no mention about which edge guide to use when making through dovetails. I suppose Porter Cable thinks this is too obvious to mention. I made the mistake of thinking the jig was ready to go and setup everything with the silver edge guide in place. The setup didn’t look right so I switched to the black edge guide.
• Install Scrap Board and Tail boards in Jig
Clamp a scrap board in the horizontal position. Then insert the tail board in the vertical clamp and adjust to the same height as the scrap board. Make sure both boards are firmly against the black edge guide. I found this procedure much easier than the one in the Instruction Manual.
• Install Finger Template
Install finger template but make sure it sits just above the scrap board for now. The finger template is very heavy (solid and stable) and when resting on the scrap board it is very difficult to move the scrap board or finger adjustments.
Observation
I don’t care for the mechanical design responsible for raising, lowering, and securing the template mechanism. The template mechanism is heavy and does not move easily along the mounting guides on the right and left rear side of the jig. This needs to be redesigned.
• Adjust Template Finger Spacing
Adjust template fingers for proper spacing. As I mentioned above, the key here is that the template is not resting on the scrap board. Otherwise you will not be able to move the fingers.
• Lower the Template
Now lower the template onto the scrap board and make sure scrap and tail boards are properly aligned with template and each other.
• Cut the Tails
After installing the stabilizer bar (very easy operation) you are ready to cut the tails. Cutting tails was straight forward. My only comment is that it is difficult to see the cut being made which can make it difficult to follow template fingers.
Comment about Dust Collection
I was skeptical about the Omnijig dust collection system. But it works perfectly. Virtually all dust and chips were pulled out of the dust collection chute and into my 4” Delta dust collector. I highly recommend installing the dust collection system.
• Jig and Router Setup for Pin Cuts
Flip the jig to the Pin’s side and install appropriate router guide, straight bit, and adjust bit depth. No issues here.
• Install Pin Board
Simply remove tails board and replace with pins board. This assumes tail and pin boards are same thickness. Otherwise you must replace scrap board with one that is same thickness as pin board.
• Cut Pins
Install stabilizer bar and cut the pins. Cutting the pins was straight forward. As with cutting tails, it is difficult to see the cut being made which can make it difficult to follow template fingers.
• Fitting The Pins and Tails
My first attempt did not yield a good fit. My pins were too tight and the joint would not fit together. The solution to this problem is to move the template in a bit and re-cut the pins board; removing more material from the pins. This is done by adjusting the pins stops on both the left and right A4 stops. Note that each A4 stop has a pin stop (left) and a tails stop (right). Do not adjust the tail stops. I made the pin stop adjustment with the A4 stops mounted in the jig and the template locked in place. I loosened the lock nut and turned the stop out one turn and then locked it back in place. Do this on both A4 stops. Then I loosened the template and pushed it against the pin stop. This is a very fine adjustment. I reinstalled the pin board and made another cut, removing just a bit more material from the pins. The joint was still tight so I repeated the procedure until I got a perfect fitting joint. Fortunately, the router bit height was dead on so I had no other joint problems.
If your joint is to loose, you need to move the template out which will remove less material from the pins. Move the template by adjusting the pin stops on the left and right A4 stops. Unfortunately, you will have to cut new pins because too much material was removed in the first cut. I suggest moving the pin stops out more than needed (maybe 4-5 turns), cut a new tight fitting pins and then use the procedure in the preceding paragraph to sneak up on a perfect fitting joint.
Once you have the A4 pin stops dialed in they should not need further adjustments and you should get perfect fitting through dovetails every time.
Summary
• The 16” 55160 Omnijig is large and heavy. So you will need plenty of room to use and store it. The 24” 77240 Omnijig is a monster and is not practical for home use.
• The variable finger template is heavy and moving the template up and down when mounted in the jig is a three hand operation. The mechanism used to slide the template up and down needs a redesign. It does not slide smoothly and is difficult to work with.
• I had to sort through several variable finger templates to find one that fit properly. I have spoken to Porter Cable about this, but they say a loose fitting template should not cause a problem. I disagree. This is a quality issue.
• The instruction manual is pretty good but forgot to mention using the proper edge guide for through dovetails. Also, about 20% of the pages we not separated at the top and I had to cut them apart. This is a quality issue.
• The “factory set” stops that came with my jig needed adjustment. But, once they were set properly I was able to get consistent, repeatable joints. I suggest checking every stop before you use them on your projects.
• This is a production jig that works well once set up properly but it is probably overkill for most home projects.
Next Steps
I will work through each and every joint possible on this jig and make notes. If there is an interest I will post those notes here.