What I Like About the Keller 1601

• Construction. The 1/2" thick aluminum templates do not flex and provide plenty of support for the router. The templates should last a lifetime. The accompanying bits cut very well, though I would prefer 8mm, 3/8", or 1/2" shanks instead of their 1/4" shanks. I purchased two Jesada dovetail bits to supplement the Keller bits. The Jesada bits were 1/3 the cost, and cut very well. However, their carbide is about 1/2 the thickness of the Keller bits and they cut slightly tighter fitting dovetails.
  
  
• Absolute simplicity! Once you have setup the jig correctly, it's set! It is incredibly easy to machine perfect through dovetail joints with the Keller. Furthermore, test cuts are NOT required for each new job. Simply place the template/backer board on your work, set the depth of cut (which does not affect the joint fit), and cut away!
  
  
• No width restrictions. Since the Keller jigs are not imprisoned in a jig assembly, you're not limited by any length restriction. Simply slide the templates left/right down your work to place a dovetail where you need it.
  
  
• Handles thicknesses of 1/8" to 3/4". Keller sells a smaller cutter set (Keller 1631/1641) for thin work (1/8" to 3/8").
  
  
• No guide bushings! The Keller router bits are fitted with bearing guides, thus you do not have the issues with guide bushings that I have described elsewhere. Of course the Keller bits are significantly more expensive, but....
  
  
• You can use the tail (dovetail) template to machine box joints with an optional Keller cutter (Keller 1642, $32.00)
  
  
• You can cut angled dovetails relatively easily. I recently had the opportunity to cut dovetails on angled ends for serving trays. No problem. Worked perfectly on the first try. I suggest that you bevel the top and bottoms before dovetailing. Also, I did find a bit of a problem with compound angled boxes, that was treated nicely in the Leigh supplemental guides. More on this latter.
  
  
• The marketing information suggests that you can use the Keller to rout dovetails on curved surfaces. The manual does not discuss it. However, David Keller will send you an excerpt from a magazine article that describes it fairly well.
  
  
• You can do variable-spaced dovetails, though it requires that you mark each tail onto the pin work piece. If you were in a production environment this would be somewhat of a pain (though less so than doing them by hand).
  
  
• You can stand behind the jig while machining, thus the chips are blown away from you.
  
  
• Do not need to dedicate a workbench area to the jig. My Leigh is mounted on a workbench, taking up valuable bench space and is often "in the way". The OmniJig is mounted to its own "cabinet". The Keller is tucked away nicely in the OmniJig cabinet until I want to use it.

What I Don't Like About the Keller Dovetail Jig

• I have experienced some tearout/chipout on the sides that face away from the jig. The side towards the jig is backed up by a backer board which helps reduce tearout on the back side. However, if you machine varying thicknesses, the backer board will be cut away such that it will not provide 100% support for thinner work pieces. After receiving input from David Keller (See Next Page), I have reduced tearout to an occasional chip here and there.
  
  
• You machine one work piece at a time. In all fairness, this is typical for through dovetail jigs. Again, thanks to David Keller's suggestion, I now cut two tail pieces at a time. This saves time and ensures that the tail pieces match. I mount them face to face, insides facing out. After cutting one end, I flip them end for end, ensuring that the bottom is oriented the same as the first cut. Works great and leaves zero tearout. Also, I must add that some pro shops assign two employees to the Keller, one cutting the tails, the other cutting the pins. Working simultaneously, they can produce boxes/drawers in half the time of typical jigs. This is possible with any Keller jig that employs the separate tail/pin templates.
  
  
• Replacement Keller cutters are expensive. The genuine Keller cutters are of the highest quality, but expensive. Whiteside offered compatible cutters for about 20% less, but I understand from www.router.com, that Whiteside has stopped producing them. Jesada sells bits that will work. Their dovetail bit is an exact match including the slightly long shaft size. However, the Jesada carbide is about 1/2 the thickness of the Keller tips. The Jesada straight cutter has a slightly shorter shank so I have not ordered it. CMT sells bits for the Katie jig, which supposedly are a match for the Keller 1601.
  
  
• The manual, though 100% sufficient, could be better. It's black and white format, size, print, etc., looks primitive. It does however cover everything you need to know. An updated manual is in the works. In all fairness, as stated earlier, my manual resides in the deep recesses of a desk, 10 miles from the shop. The Keller is so easy to use, a few notes and arrows scribbled on the templates are all we need to use it.
  
  

Dovetail Jig Comparison

I originally wrote this article regarding the Keller 1601 in 2001. Since then I have acquired the Porter Cable 7116 Omnijig and the AKEDA DC-16. I have owned/used the Leigh 1258-24 (Now the Model D4) for over 20 years. Of course everyone wants to know, which jig is the best. Consequently, I wrote a comparision of the AKEDA, Leigh, Keller, and Porter Cable Omnijig dovetail jigs, including a weighted ranking that might be of some help. Be careful as you interpret the numbers--for instance, the Keller garnered a relatively low ranking, yet I use it as often as the AKEDA and more often than either the Leigh or Omnijig, and I highly recommend it. Click here to read the dovetail jig comparision article.

The Bottom Line

I highly recommend the Keller Model 1601 dovetail jig. It is easy to use and produces flawless dovetail joints without requiring the user to layout template fingers or make test cuts. If you do a lot of variable-spaced dovetails in a production environment, or if you want one jig that does everything (through dovetails, half-blind dovetails, sliding dovetails), consider the Leigh or the AKEDA DC-16. But if you want a through dovetail jig that works with 100% no muss, no fuss, or no bother, consider the Keller!

And as I stated earlier, don't discount using the Keller to produce drawers. I have read a number of articles in the trade magazines regarding professional shops that use the Keller to produce drawers for the following reasons:

1. Ease of use, requiring minimal training and downtime locating and referring to manuals.
2. One worker can cut tails and another worker can cut pins simultaneously, cutting production time in half.

Rating:

out of 5!