How a router jig's template, guide bush and bit work as one set is explained in the dovetail jig guide, and the joint itself in dovetail joints. Choosing a jig starts with the joints you want to cut and the widest board you will join.
Match the kind of jig to the work
| Work | Kind that suits it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Drawers with half-blind fronts, in quantity | Fixed-template router jig | One spacing, cut quickly once set up |
| Through dovetails with spacing you choose | Adjustable-finger router jig | Fingers set to your layout; Leigh's cuts through and half-blind joints |
| Wide carcases | A jig with the capacity | Leigh's D4R Pro takes boards up to 24 in; check every jig's figure |
| Box joints and sliding dovetails as well | An adjustable jig that lists them | Leigh's cuts both with its e7 bush |
| A few joints, or no router | A saw guide for hand-cut dovetails | Veritas's guides hold the saw at a set slope; see cutting dovetails by hand |
Planning guidance from what the makers state. Not a ranking.
A small or portable jig trades capacity for size; read the widest board it takes and the joints it lists before choosing one for a project. For a first jig, start from the joint you need most: a fixed template asks the least set-up for its one spacing, while an adjustable jig asks more set-up in return for more choice.
Specifications to check
| Specification | Why it matters | Example: Leigh D4R Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Joints it cuts | Decides whether it suits your projects | Through, variably spaced half-blind, single-pass half-blind, rabbeted half-blind, sliding dovetails, box joints |
| Capacity | The widest board in one set-up | 24 in |
| Spacing | Fixed by a template, or set by you | Adjustable fingers |
| Bush supplied | The bush must fit your router's base | e7 elliptical bush; a round ~7/16 in bush for all but box joints; adaptors for some routers |
| Bits supplied or named | The bit sets the slope and must match the template | Leigh's own straight and dovetail bits, with a collet reducer |
| Documentation | Set-up is the hard part of any jig | A full user guide with chapters for each joint |
Leigh's figures are for its D4R Pro only; read the same specifications from any other jig's manual before buying. Not a ranking.
Your router decides some of it
- Bush fit. The jig's bush has to fit the router's base, directly or with an adaptor; Leigh lists adaptors for routers that will not take its e7 bush.
- Collet. The bits a jig names have a shank size; the router's collet must hold it, with a reducer if supplied.
- One router per joint. Leigh warns that cutting pins and tails with two routers whose bits sit differently in their bushes misaligns the joint; plan to use one.
- Routers are compared in how to choose a router.
What each kind cannot do
| Kind | Cannot | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-template router jig | Change the spacing, or cut beyond its template's length | Choose the template for the boards, or an adjustable jig |
| Adjustable-finger router jig | Skip the set-up: every joint is laid out and set | Allow time for its manual's set-up and test joints |
| Saw guide | Cut the joint for you | Practise layout and sawing; see how to cut dovetails by hand |
| Any router jig | Cut plywood cleanly, by Leigh's account | Solid stock prepared flat and straight |
General limits of each kind. Not a ranking.
Safety— Unplug the router to fit bits and bushes
Leigh's manual has the router disconnected whenever bits or bushes are fitted, and the bit turned by hand to check it clears the bush and jig before the router is plugged in. See woodworking safety rules.
Before buying a dovetail jig
- The joints you want are on the jig's list
- Its capacity covers your widest board
- Fixed spacing suits you, or you want to set your own
- Its bush fits your router, or an adaptor exists for it
- The bits it names fit your router's collet
- You have read its manual's set-up for your first joint
Hand-cut dovetails are taught in how to cut dovetails by hand. The other joinery tools are mapped in the pocket hole guide.
Sources
Specification-based: Leigh's figures are for its D4R Pro, from its user guide; fixed-template jigs are described by how the kind works, because no such jig's manual was publicly available for review. Bushes, bits and capacities are each maker's own. Nothing was tested and none is ranked.
- 1.
D4R Pro Dovetail Jig User Guide. Leigh Industries (distributor-hosted copy).
Used for: An adjustable-finger jig with a 24 in capacity cutting through, variably spaced half-blind, single-pass half-blind, rabbeted half-blind, sliding dovetails and box joints; supplied with an e7 elliptical guide bush and Leigh's own straight and dovetail bits and a collet reducer; a round ~7/16 in bush with a 1/4 in barrel usable if the router cannot take the e7, except for box joints; e-Bush adaptors for some routers; stock prepared straight, flat and of even thickness, plywood generally unsuitable; a full user guide with a chapter for each joint.
- 2.
22-102 Dovetail bit. Freud.
Used for: Dovetail bits sold to suit popular jigs, so the bit is chosen to suit the jig, not the other way round.
- 3.
Dovetail Saw Guides — instructions (INS-622_B). Veritas Tools Inc. (Lee Valley), 2018.
Used for: Saw guides that hold a handsaw at a set dovetail slope for hand-cut joints, each to one ratio.
About this buying guide
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