Joinery 'systems' get together (JSGT)

[fletty]

Hi,
When I was a brat a three wheeler was a trike, a bike had two wheels.
Regards

Good point Hugh! As my grandurchins are twins AND one of them has a 'cultured' lisp, around here they are known as "twikes"!

[ian]

Hi,
When I was a brat a three wheeler was a trike, a bike had two wheels.
Regards

and neither was made of plastic

[dropstix]

Hi all, What was the general consensus on the Leigh dovetail jig? Expensive, no doubt, but it looks versatile and the results seem impressive.

[FenceFurniture]

Hi all, What was the general consensus on the Leigh dovetail jig? Expensive, no doubt, but it looks versatile and the results seem impressive.

Too much buggerising around for far too much money! You can buy an Incra Positioner for the same dough.

Didn't hear a single person say they wanted one.

[dropstix]

Thanks. I'll hunt down a few Incra videos.

[ian]

Hi all, What was the general consensus on the Leigh dovetail jig? Expensive, no doubt, but it looks versatile and the results seem impressive.

caveat -- I wasn't at the GTG

yes the results are impressive and the variable spacing is great, but let's be honest, the Leigh Jig is really a production tool. Set it up and then knockout a dozen dovetailed items.
Ideally you will have two permanently set routers -- one for the tails, the other for the pins.

The Gifkins is less mucking about, especially for finger joints.

For one or two DT items, it is really hard to beat doing them by hand.

[dropstix]

Looked at a few Incra videos. Boy some of that incra gear looks almost surgical. I need a router table now? That means a bigger shed. S'pose I could buy an extension on the table saw but again, not sure if have the space. Incra looked like a lot of dial changing and not much of a visual set and forget type of jig, which I kinda liked about the regular jigs. But the Incra fence could be used for other things too.

My current DT jig is mainly for half-blind DT's and is fixed, so is an easy and cheap way to knock out DTs in a single-pass. But it's annoying that I can't change things, make variable widths, nor longer joints.

Regarding production, funny you should mention that, Ian. I was recently given a bunch of native timbers in sacks while helping a farming family move after the bank told them to sell. The timber was 'grandads' who has long since passed. Long story short, I plan on doing a batch run of jewellery boxes - about a dozen or more, from the various timbers, and gifting them back to the family so everyone has something from the old family farm. That said, it might be the one and only time I do such batches; time ain't on my side much these days.

Regarding needing multiple routers. I seem to have collected three over the years. Sometimes people sell their stuff off so cheap I can't resist ;-) That said, I did splurge recently to buy a 18v trim router and am now wondering if I could set that up to do dovetails too.

[fletty]

Looked at a few Incra videos. Boy some of that incra gear looks almost surgical. I need a router table now? That means a bigger shed. S'pose I could buy an extension on the table saw but again, not sure if have the space. Incra looked like a lot of dial changing and not much of a visual set and forget type of jig, which I kinda liked about the regular jigs. But the Incra fence could be used for other things too.

My current DT jig is mainly for half-blind DT's and is fixed, so is an easy and cheap way to knock out DTs in a single-pass. But it's annoying that I can't change things, make variable widths, nor longer joints.

Regarding production, funny you should mention that, Ian. I was recently given a bunch of native timbers in sacks while helping a farming family move after the bank told them to sell. The timber was 'grandads' who has long since passed. Long story short, I plan on doing a batch run of jewellery boxes - about a dozen or more, from the various timbers, and gifting them back to the family so everyone has something from the old family farm. That said, it might be the one and only time I do such batches; time ain't on my side much these days.

Regarding needing multiple routers. I seem to have collected three over the years. Sometimes people sell their stuff off so cheap I can't resist ;-) That said, I did splurge recently to buy a 18v trim router and am now wondering if I could set that up to do dovetails too.

That's a lovely thing you're planning to do dropstix, good on you! The jointing get together was to help woodworkers decide what is best for them and what suits their situation and budget. I reckon the best for your situation (as it is for me) is definitely the Gifkin. The benefit of the Leigh is variable spacing and being able to create a set of dovetails to suit any width of material BUT, if you have a sackful of the timber, you can design the boxes around a width suitable for the Gifkin ....... and off you go?
Re a router table, the Gifkin works wonderfully with a router sticking through a simple sheet of MDF. That's how I started?
fletty

[DaveTTC]

That said, I did splurge recently to buy a 18v trim router and am now wondering if I could set that up to do dovetails too.

The 18v is great for quick small jobs but beware of getting it hot on longer runs. Speaking from experience you can cook battery from heavy work and it will become useless.

Cant wait to see your work

DaveTTC
The Turning Cowboy
Turning Wood Into Art

[dropstix]

Thanks for the 18v advice, which I will keep in mind if I try the trim router on dovetails (was mainly for little edge/corner reliefs, setting door hinges, etc). Is timely advice too, because I recently bought an 18v planer which doubles as a metal detector with sacrificial blades (the blades are cheaper than the buzzer/thicknesser knives). It chews through a full battery charge faster than any other cordless tool I have ever used. But it sure is handy at cleaning off the years from demolition timber, preliminary straightening, exposing those nails hiding in plain view ready to ambush a newly sharpened set of thicknesser knives.

Thanks for the compliment fletty. Am not quite sure why but I have a thing about timber returning to those who have a connection with it. I don't get mushy about many things but timber seems to bring out a cosmic and herbal hippy side.

It would have been fantastic to come along to such a jointing GTG and try different tools/ideas and discuss the pros and cons. Essentially, in my case, it would be 'shut up and learn'. Maybe if there is another one in Oz I might be able to organise cheap flights and visit family while over there. That's a good point about having the luxury of fitting the boxes to the jig. Took a look at the Gifkin jig. Certainly has more options than the one I'm currently using.

[DaveTTC]

For light work the 18v should be great.

I have an 18 v planer and successfully destroyed 3 near batteries in single day. Lesson learnt. Ouch $$$$$

DaveTTC
The Turning Cowboy
Turning Wood Into Art

[ian]

Regarding production, funny you should mention that, Ian. I was recently given a bunch of native timbers in sacks while helping a farming family move after the bank told them to sell. The timber was 'grandads' who has long since passed. Long story short, I plan on doing a batch run of jewellery boxes - about a dozen or more, from the various timbers, and gifting them back to the family so everyone has something from the old family farm. That said, it might be the one and only time I do such batches; time ain't on my side much these days.

That's a lovely thing you're planning to do dropstix, good on you!

definitely want to echo what fletty said !!

I reckon the best for your situation (as it is for me) is definitely the Gifkin.
...
if you have a sackful of the timber, you can design the boxes around a width suitable for the Gifkin ....... and off you go?
Re a router table, the Gifkin works wonderfully with a router sticking through a simple sheet of MDF.
That's how I started?

I reckon that fletty is right on the money.

design your boxes around just one of the Gifkin templates.
use half of a quarter sheet of MDF as your router table.

and you should be good to go.

[Lappa]

A jig similar to the Gifkins, in that it's used on a router table, is the Leigh RTJ400. Had anyone got one, used one?

Additional comment:
I'll move this to the Router Jig Forum

[Sawdust Maker]

A point to remember is the Gifkin was a box maker and he made that jig (series if jigs?) to aid him in that work.
It is one of those few commercial jigs designed for a particular type of work, small boxes

[fletty]

Sitting inside but enjoying the low Sun AND a glass of red reminded me that D3 also made this little cabinet.....

image.jpeg image.jpeg

...... which I know as the prophesy cabinet. Not because of the crystal leadlight but because when she was making it she had no specific use in mind BUT, just before she finished it, I left my job and was given 8 wine glasses as a farewell gift....... and they fit PERFECTLY into the cabinet