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What is the Best Dovetail Jig?

Is there a best dovetail jig? In my humble opinion, I say No. Just like it is impossible to say there is one best automobile, I cannot categorize one dovetail jig as being the best. I recently read an advertisment where Scott Phillips has designated the AKEDA as the hands down best jig available. It's good. Very good. But I do not agree with anyone saying it, or the Leigh, or the [place name here] jig is the absolute best dovetail jig. I have purchased five dovetail jigs over the past 20 years. Peter Collins of Woodcraft kindly provided us with the AKEDA DC-16 free of charge for the purpose of this review. Consequently, I have had the opportunity to use these jigs to produce dovetails for a wide variety of projects. I find that each jig has its strengths and weaknesses.

All of the popular dovetail jigs produce perfect fitting joints. Period. Consequently, base your decision regarding which jig is best or the best jig for you on the features you're looking for and your specific priorities. For instance:

Here is a run down of the dovetail jigs for which I have the most experience:

Leigh D4
I purchased our Leigh 1258R many years ago as my first dovetail jig, and frankly it provides just about everything you could want from a dovetail jig. The Leigh D4 (or 1258R With the D4 upgrades) does it all and does it well. I recently disassembled and reassembled the Leigh and have been using it side-by-side with the AKEDA. It remains at least tied for the most versatile jig out there, all things considered (variety of dovetails and layouts, dovetail geometry, and so forth). It provides infinite joint fit adjustment capability and only the WoodRat provides a greater range of cutter diameters and angles (half-blind joints only).

On the downside, it lacks dust collection, routing half-blind dovetails require you to make and fit filler blocks, and though it handles assymetrical layouts, doing so requires two left and right setups. I often say I would love to have a dime for all of the unused or only slightly used Leigh dovetail jigs sitting under workbenches collecting dust. But with all that said, if you want the absolutely most flexible, do-it-all dovetail jig, and you are willing to put up with the setups and test cuts, and will either use the jig frequently or don't mind reading the user's guide, the Leigh is still a great choice. Check out our Leigh 1258R/D4 review.

AKEDA DC 16 and BC 24
The AKEDA jigs benefit from being a newer generation tool, designed by someone who has designed dovetail jigs and other woodworking jigs for professional shops for many years. The AKEDA provides the versatility of the Leigh with the ease of use of a fixed jig like the Keller and PC Omnijig. It is simply a joy to use. Its ergonomics such as the one-handed clamp, router guide rails, and its dust collection capability are second to none. Its ease of initial setup is second to none. Its overall ease of use is right there with the Keller and PC Omnijig. It may be the best all around performer and the best choice for woodworkers who don't want to mess around with a dovetail jig, don't use the jig every day, don't like reading through user's guides, yet want to produce a variety of flawless joints.

One feature of the jig I especially appreciate is how quickly you can produce a drawer using a combination of half-blind dovetail joints (joining the sides to the front) and through dovetail joints (joining the sides to the rear). The jig allows you to share the tail layout for both sets of tail joints, the only difference being the clamp bar position. The two sets of pins use their particular guide fingers, but share the same layout pencil marks. During video taping, I produced a drawer using half-blind and through dovetails in less than 15 minutes, including setup! Check out our AKEDA DC 16 review.

Keller 1601
The Keller is the most basic and easy to use through dovetail jig we own. If you want absolute simplicity, this is perhaps the jig for you. It produces a perfectly tight fit without testing, every time. It has unlimited width capacity and is an absolute pleasure to use. I love its bearing guided router bits (versus the guide bushings of the Leigh, AKEDA, and Omnijig). I like the fact that the debris exits away from the operator. The Keller can be used with a hand-held router, or you can flip the Keller upside down and use it on a router table (similar to the Katie). You might consider adding Keller's Pro-Clamp kit, as it greatly speeds up and simplifies using the Keller (although my experience with the Pro-Clamp kit is that it is less than perfect). Oh, and the Keller is one of the most commonly used dovetail jigs in commercial shops.

On the downside, using the Keller to produce variable-spaced dovetails is time-consuming and it does not do half-blind dovetails. However, if you're planning on producing drawers with applied fronts, the through dovetail joint produced by the Keller will appear as a half-blind joint once the false front is applied. Check out our Keller 1601 review.

PC Omnijig 5116/7116
The PC Omnijig is built like a tank. The ground cast iron surfaces of the base are impressive. The initial setup of the jig is very easy (get the video). Using the jig could not be simplier. Since you cut two work pieces at a time (front/side or back/side), time spent dovetailing is cut in half compared to the Leigh and similar jigs. Also, since you cut the two adjoining work pieces at the same time, proper fit is assured and chipout is minimized. As a dedicated half-blind dovetail jig, it has no peer, short of buying a Dodds Dovetailer machine. For additional cost, you can purchase templates to cut "traditional" through dovetails, box joints, and so forth. I have not purchased nor used these templates, and have not figured them into the equation of this treatment of dovetail Jigs.

On the downside, the PC Omnijig, at least in its standard configuration, does not produce variable-spaced or asymmetrical half-blind dovetails. Consequently, you size the drawer (7/8" increments) to the jig, not visa-versa. Furthermore, the included and specified 1/2" 14° cutter produces a shallow, bland-looking, dovetail joint. The joint is reasonably strong, and it is similar to the joints you see in "mass-produced" kitchen drawers, but it is not as aesthetically pleasing as the joints produced using the Leigh, AKEDA, or WoodRat. This is not to say you don't have options. I have discovered (and contrary to popular belief and statements on other web sites/magazine articles) that you can use different cutters to produce a much more pleasing-looking joint. Click Here to read my article regarding cutter options. And while you're at it, check out our PC 4112 review. (A review of our 7116 Omnijig is in the works.)

My Choice?
If I was required to choose only one jig from this lot, and fortunately I do not have to do so, I would choose the AKEDA BC 24. The overall ease of use of the AKEDA, across the broad variety of dovetails it produces, is amazing. The "ergonomics" of the jig including the one-handed clamping, snap-in guide fingers, and dust collection are icing on the cake. The Leigh comes in a close second, having perhaps an advantage in its capability to fine tune the fit and provides slightly more flexibility in layout since its fingers are not indexed. However, that infinite adjustment makes it near impossible to recreate a previous layout--which is a snap with the AKEDA.

The following table is my attempt at rating the features of the jigs. Rating these jigs is a difficult task. For one the PC Omnijig offers significant additional capability through the purchase of optional templates, and the Keller will do just about anything you can imagine with through dovetails, at the price of additional manual effort. Again, all of these jigs perform their stated tasks perfectly well. Click on the ratings highlighted in blue to access additional information regarding the rating.

A Ton Of Jigs To Choose From

Don't discount making through dovetail joints by hand or the hybrid method employing both the bandsaw and hand. If you're not doing a ton of through dovetail joints, doing them by hand makes sense. If you're a novice at making through dovetail joints by hand, buy or rent the Dovetail a Drawer video by Frank Klausz. Actually, this video teaches more than just dovetails. I found his general woodworking techniques to be very enlightening.

Here is a run down of dovetail jigs you might consider:

• AKEDA DC 16 and BC 24 Through and Half-Blind Dovetail Jig
  The AKEDA DC 16/BC 24 jigs from AKEDA Jigs Incorporated certainly are must-consider dovetail jigs. Without any adjustments, the DC 16 produced flawless, variably-spaced through dovetails for a box on my first try. I had the same experience with my first drawer. The jigs come through on their promises: no adjustments, excellent dust collection, virtually no installation setup, dovetail layout is easy and repeatable. It is quite simply a joy to use. Also, I like the geometry of the dovetails. They're more aesthetically pleasing than most machine-produced dovetails.
  
  
• Leigh D4 Through and Half-Blind Dovetail Jig
  The Leigh dovetail jig from Leigh Industries, Ltd. has long been considered one of the best dovetail jigs on the market. I have had one for many years and would not part with it, especially for its ability to rout asymmetrical dovetails. Leigh offers an extensive array of accessories that allow you to mill mortise and tenons, a variety of box joints, and decorative joints.
  
  
• Porter Cable 16" and 24" (5116 and 7116) Dovetail Jigs
  The Porter Cable #5115 and #7116 Omnijigs run $350 and $400, respectively. They are among the most robust jigs on the market. Porter Cable offers a variety of optional templates to compete with the Leigh as being the most versatile dovetail jig available. Someday we'll get around to publishing a review regarding our 7116 Omnijig.
  
  
• Porter Cable 12" 4112 Half-Blind Dovetail Jig
  The Porter Cable #4112 dovetail jig runs about $100 and is for my money, the best dedicated half-blind dovetail jig around. Click here to read my PC4112 review.
  
  
• Keller Through Dovetail Jig
  The Keller is considered by some as the easiest-to-use through Dovetail jig. I agree! Models run $150-$450. I purchased my Keller 1601 from Seven Corners Hardware for $189.00, which is considerably less than the show price ($209) or the suggested retail price ($249). Check out the Keller web site! It provides some great info and a gallery of work from Keller users!
  
  
• Woodrat Dovetail/Joinery Jig
  The Woodrat is perhaps the most unique dovetail (joinery) jig on the market, and thus appears to have the largest learning curve. I have not used the jig, but it gets high points for versatility and creative/artistic capacity. Setups appear to be more complex than typical jigs. Runs in the neighborhood of $500.
  
  
• RBI Wood Tools
  RBI sells a PC 4112 look-alike for $100.
  
  
• Hartville Tools Model 12378
  The 12378 is another PC4112 look-alike for $100. Hartville sells aftermarket cam-action clamps for the 12378 that also fit the PC 4112.
  
  
• Woodhaven Dovetail Jigs
  Woodhaven sells a variety of dovetail jigs including their new top-of-the-line jig that can be used in the conventional mode or on top of a router table.
  
  
• Sears Craftsman Dovetail Jigs
  Don't laugh, my father uses one of the cheaper models with excellent results. I recently gave him my old Woodstock Intl jig so he might retire the Craftsman, but don't count on it.
  
  
• Woodstock Intl Half-Blind Dovetail Jig W1099
  This jig, also sold by Harbor Freight (Central Machine) and others, runs between $40 and $60. It works pretty well.
  
  
• Katie Jig
  A relatively new jig that has received good reviews. It runs $250 plus. Marc Sommerfeld demos the Katie at the Woodworking shows. Impressive in that you can clamp a tail and pin board in the jig at one time (given you're cutting them on a router table). This ensures the alignment of the top/bottom edges and could be a real time saver if you had a two router setup like Marc Sommerfeld has at the shows. One drawback I saw in the demo is that the tails/pins top/bottom orientation is swapped on each end, unless you had two setups. If you get a chance to attend the WW Shows, look at the side of Marc Sommerfeld's drawers and you'll see what I mean. Functionally sound, but......
  
  
• Stots Dovetail Template Master
  You use this template master to make dovetail and box joint jig templates. You can use it to make templates of virtually any size. It runs about $50 plus another $30 for the router bits if you don't have them. I want to try this tool, but I just have not had the time to fool around with it. Review coming soon.
  
  
• Incra and Jointech Router Fence Incremental/Positional Jigs
  I would not consider the Incra and Jointech jigs for production work, but they work well if you are up to the setup. They work as advertised, but are time consuming to setup and use compared with dedicated dovetail jigs. For what it's worth, I prefer the Jointech positioner over the Incra. The Jointech is more roubust, uses leadscrew technology instead of the incremental racks, templates are easier to use, provides built-in centering, and their fence construction and design is excellent.
  
  

• The $19.99 Half-Blind Dovetail Jig
  The Popular Woodworking September 1999 issue ran an article on a $19.99 half-blind dovetail jig. Click here to view the article in PDF Format. The author (Troy Sexton) explains how to make a simple router template to machine the pins. The tails are cut on the bandsaw. The price of "$19.99" includes $11 for a 23/32" diameter template guide and $8.95 for 1/2" 14 degree a dovetail bit. You probably already have these items. The simplified process:

  1. Rip a 5/16" thick template the same width as your drawer pieces.
     
     
  2. Use a dado to cut notches on one end of the template. One notch per tail.
     
     
  3. Clamp the template to the back side of the drawer front.
     
     
  4. With your router sitting on top of the template, run the router in and out of the notches.
     
     
  5. Use the cut pins to layout the tails.
     
     
  6. Cut the tails on your bandsaw.

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