steverael Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Hi all. I am brand new to the Guild. I am planning on building the Primary Version of the Wall Hanging Cabinet. I chose Primary, as I've never done DoveTail joinery EVER -- either with a jig or hand cut, so I thought this would be a great time to dive in. 1. DT Jig Advice: I'm guessing I don't have time to perfect hand cut dovetails (I do have a day job); so, I am willing to invest in a Dove Tail Jig. So, I've started researching like I always do, and I am overwhelmed. I've narrowed down to the Porter Cable 4212, Leigh Super Jig, and AKEDA. The PC4212 is very reasonably priced. The other 2 are presumeably better -- and the price is commensurate -- the AKEDA is currently not available. Generally I try to buy good quality stuff so I don't repurchase things over and over; but since I've never made Dove Tails before, I'm not sure how much I should invest in this jig. And, assuming I go with the Leigh Super Jig, I was planning on getting the 12" version. So, anyone have any advice on which way to go (PC, Leigh, or Akeda -- or something else) -- and is a 12" jig going to severely limit me, whereby I will have wished to get the Super 18? 2. To mill or not to mill: Marc had posted Wall Cabinet Plan 2 based on Plywood -- with a note, "this is for those who don't own milling equipment". I do not own any milling equipment such as a planer or jointer. I already purchased my wood for Plan 1. It is 4/4 Walnut. I was hoping to just work around the plans, and just use the 4/4 for the pieces that required 3/4 stock, and just adapt where needed. Do I really, really, really need to mill the 4/4 down to 3/4? I've got the doors handled since I have Raised Panel bits. I don't see any big deal that the drawer pieces will be 4/4 vs. 3/4. Am I missing something that would mess me up? Thanks & Cheers, Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 Well, if you are comfortable modifying the plans, then you can do anything you want. But, whether you are using 4/4 or 3/4, the stock needs to be square and true. You can buy S4S lumber and that will work, as long as it doesn't warp, cup or otherwise move when it moves from the lumberyard to your shop, or when you cut it. You can also go the neanderthal route and use hand planes to true up and smooth the lumber if necessary. Lots of options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMarshall Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 Welcome to the guild, Steve. You picked a great time to jump in with the wall cabinet build just starting. Sorry I can't help with your questions about the dovetail jigs but I can at least weigh in on the stock thickness. As long as you are willing to adjust all of your dimensions slightly you should be fine. The drawer may end up looking a little chunky but it will work. The key thing is to get stock that is flat and square, even if it is a little too thick. Working with cupped or warped material will drive you nuts. Good luck on the build! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMarshall Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 Not fast enough to beat Chip! Ha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 Aaron mentioned the drawers being chunky with 1" thick wood. You might consider resawing on your tablesaw. If your blade won't go high enough, you can saw halfway through, flip the wood, and saw the other half. Then sand out the saw marks, or just put them on the inside of the drawer, where they won't interfere with your joinery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardnesd Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 I might set off the sphincter alarm hand cutting dovetails in walnut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steverael Posted January 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 Aaron mentioned the drawers being chunky with 1" thick wood. You might consider resawing on your tablesaw. If your blade won't go high enough, you can saw halfway through, flip the wood, and saw the other half. Then sand out the saw marks, or just put them on the inside of the drawer, where they won't interfere with your joinery. Well...it's 4/4 -- really 3/4" in human terms....chunky; yes. But without a planer...oh well :-/ No one will know except my wife (maybe). Anybody feel going with the Porter Cable 4212 will make me regret it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdbuilder Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 Where are you at Steve? Maybe there is a member within an hour or two's drive who can let you in their shop? Anyway, if you buy 4/4 and it is milled smooth it is going to be closer to 3/4 than an inch thick! On the dovetail jig, the 12 incher is perfect for drawers. You aren't going to need anything bigger for drawers. I wouldn't buy an 18 inch jig, it is more expensive and still not big enough for a blanket chest which is the only thing bigger than 12"'s I'd use one for but that's me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hohnstein Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 On the dovetail jig, the 12 incher is perfect for drawers. You aren't going to need anything bigger for drawers. I wouldn't buy an 18 inch jig, it is more expensive and still not big enough for a blanket chest which is the only thing bigger than 12"'s I'd use one for but that's me. Is it reasonable to assume that you could use the 12" jig on both sides of a 18"+ piece making the dovetails symmetrical from the left and right? I've never used one so I have no idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CubsFan Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 So how about the Harbor Freight Dovetail Jig? I've seen some favorable reviews of it, and am thinking that $35.00 might be a steal. Or perhaps the Jet one, which looks to be around $55? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steverael Posted January 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the feedback. I've gone with the Porter-Cable 4212. It seemed to be a reasonable compromise. Can't wait to get the build going!!!! Cheers, Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKen Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 Steve, I am in the same boat! I was also looking at the PC, Rockler and Leigh. Was wondering how it was working out. Also, some of the reviews I have seen point to the jigs leaning to a PC router, which I don't have. What are you using for a router? Chad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steverael Posted January 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 Steve, I am in the same boat! I was also looking at the PC, Rockler and Leigh. Was wondering how it was working out. Also, some of the reviews I have seen point to the jigs leaning to a PC router, which I don't have. What are you using for a router? Chad. Hi Chad. Funny you should ask. I actually just cut my Dovetails yesterday! I have no regrets with the Porter-Cable 4212. I wish money was no object; I might have gone with the Leigh. Or Akeda. However, I feel the PC is a nice compromise. I did some test runs with the PC4212 Through Dovetail template -- and was actually shocked how good they came out without any practice. I tested out on Pine. Then yesterday, I took a deep breath, and routed all 4 pieces of the case; using Walnut -- keeping my fingers crossed. All came out reasonably well, considering I've never done Dovetails before. They might not be as perfect as Marc's -- but I'd say they are 99%. I wound up getting the PC 690LR router at the same time. I actually have a 20 year old Ryobi R-500 plunge router, and I was figuring I'd have to buy either a new base to hold the template bushing -- so, rather than do that, I'd figure I could justify getting the PC Router. I didn't want to invest any more money in a 20 year old router. Also, I figured that I could get the Dovetail Jig and a new Router for less than the Leigh would cost. A PC Router is not required, as long as whatever you have can accept the standard Porter-Cable template bushings. There also are places on the web that can sell you a router base to accept the Porter-Cable bushings. I guess if your router isn't as ancient as mine, it might be worthwhile to get an adapter. I think purists might go with the Leigh -- but add up all the accessories, and one needs to be making a lot of dovetails to justify that IMHO. BTW - Rockler has just put their jig on Sale and is offering a free Dust Collector. I'm not sure if you get the router bits like you do with Porter-Cable's jig. I suggest you look at the Reviews of the Rockler Jig vs. the PC Jig before you decide. One thing that is kind of a pain with the PC Dovetail Jig -- no Dust Collection. So be prepared to wipe a couple of inches of sawdust off your shirt & pants after each cut. Minor pain -- but not a show stopper in my opinion. Also, visit the Porter-Cable website -- they have a Supplementary Manual that describes a lot of cool stuff you can do with the jig. Not saying it can do what a Leigh can do; but it can do more than just what is in the basic manual. Aside from the Dust creation -- it's a pretty nice jig. I don't know if you've seen this video yet -- they use the PC Jig and do make some comparisons to the Rockler jig: http://www.woodworkingonline.com/2007/04/30/podcast-20-machine-cut-dovetails/ Good luck. Let me know what you go with! regards, Steve 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdbuilder Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 Is it reasonable to assume that you could use the 12" jig on both sides of a 18"+ piece making the dovetails symmetrical from the left and right? I've never used one so I have no idea. No, the 12" width is the max that will fit in the jig. Now the one Charles Neil sells doesn't have all the bracketry so you can slide that one down a wide side for multiple cuts indexed off the last couple of pins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKen Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 Steve, At the risk of blindly following the herd, I also bought the 4212. I read a bunch of the reviews from the Rockler site, and there where several complaints about the bits breaking during use. Pouring over the instruction manual, and getting ready for test pieces later in the week. I had seen the video, but at your suggestion watched it again. Great help. Thanks for the advice! I will let you know how it goes. Chad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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