challagan

The PC is obviously the best deal and I could of gotten a good deal on Bob Noles jig but I will do box joints for the most part. Only occasional use of dove tails.. so that is why the 29.00 price tag looked good but as usual you get what you pay for. Been thinking about taking a class and learning to do DT's the cheap way... by hand
Thanks for all the info guys!

Corey

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Mike

Corey, there is nothing cheap about making dovetails by hand. Your time is worth money. The jigs speed the process saving you more time, so its a trade off.

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Mike
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mpphoto

I just got back from Harbor Freight's sidewalk sale.
Took another look at the dovetail jig. The display model had a metal template. I was under the impression it came with a plastic template. For the month of October it's priced at $29.99 (just like the website price) and they were giving out coupons today that would get 10% off a Central Machinery item between Oct 11 and Oct 18.

Very tempting...
Michael

bobj3

Hi Michael
WoodStock the Mfg. of the dovetail jigs makes both metal and plastic ones (guides)
I like the plastic guides over the Alum.one. because the Alum. are NOT true and hard to fix unlike the plastic ones.

If you are going to buy one take a brass guide with you and check the guides out 1st.
The guide should go in easy and be true,most use a 7/16" guide but the 1/4 dovetail and the 1/4" slot guides are the ones that are not true and need to be reworked a bit. (5/16" brass guide needed for the 1/4" fixture guide the norm)

On the standard 1/2" dovetail guide should be 1/2" but they tell you to use a 7/16" brass guide, guess why.
I just gave up and got a dovetail jig from sommerfeldtools.com that works great but it's a bit high in price but it works every time.
I just hate to rework equipment/tools to get them to work right.
----------------------

But I should say for 29.oo bucks it's hard to beat , Just some feed back from one user,,,,One of the plastic cams snapped on the front lock bar, I made a temp one out of Oak, then I send off for a replacement from HF and got it quick at no charge, I also did a bit of tweaking to keep the jig from moving from side to side when I pulled the bar down to hold the stock in place.
see the tweak fix on the fourm,all in all it's not to bad and it will make dovetails all day long once you get the hang of it.




http://www.sommerfeldtools.com/products.asp?id=164

Bj

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PodCast videos
RWS on YouTube

http://www.routerforums.com/86898-post1.html
Besure and click on the Up Arrow key ▲ on the Youtube video, you can select other youtube videos on router tables
http://www.woodworkingonline.com/?s=dovetail
Machine Cut ▼
http://www.woodworkingonline.com/200...cut-dovetails/

http://www.woodworkingonline.com/woo...podcast-store/

http://www.woodshopdemos.com/menu2.htm

Bob J.

mpphoto

I saw that one in the videos Bj, and on the website. It's a great jig and I like the idea of running it on a table but... a little too 'spensive for occassional dovetails.

If I buy the HF jig I'll be sure to look over the things you pointed out.

thanks,
Michael

buckbax

Can the HF jig be modified to make thru dovetails as well?

bobj3

Hi Buck

No, sorry to say but they do make jigs like the HF that can but they are not cheap

here's just one of them
http://www.leighjigs.com/products.php
http://www.leighjigs.com/cutters-d16.php#

======

__________________
PodCast videos
RWS on YouTube

http://www.routerforums.com/86898-post1.html
Besure and click on the Up Arrow key ▲ on the Youtube video, you can select other youtube videos on router tables
http://www.woodworkingonline.com/?s=dovetail
Machine Cut ▼
http://www.woodworkingonline.com/200...cut-dovetails/

http://www.woodworkingonline.com/woo...podcast-store/

http://www.woodshopdemos.com/menu2.htm

Bob J.

Drugstore Cowboy

I looked at both the HF jig and the Rockler jig
Looking at both jigs and the manuals for them --


I would bet a hamburger they are the same jig.

CORRECTION -

Reviewed the manuals -
The Rockler has a single stop on each side that handles both the horizontal and vertical surface. The HF has four seperate stops --
Still willing to bet the frame is the same and the template would fit.
Might have to go by HF this weekend and check that out.

IF the frames do match -- then yes - you can get a template from Rockler that will make through dovetails.

I bought the little blue Rockler jig a few months ago rather than the HF
- because I caught it on sale
- and because it came with the bit and the bushing -
- and because I just plain like the guys at my local Rockler better than the guys at my local HF.

I went back about 2 weeks later and bought the through dovetail insert.

Of course -- by the time I did this -- I had spent almost as much as I would have spent on a more 'advanced' jig from Rockler or others that came with both inserts out of the box.
Live and Learn

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Glenmore

They might work. I know the grizzly DTJ is the same as harbor freight. In fact I down loaded the manual from grizzly because the manual didn't really show how to use it from HF.

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Glenmore

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