mlcs master system or porter cable 4216 dovetail jig?


tcarswell

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Wow what a price tag it's a beauty though. And by the other jigs working well did you mean the porter cable TIODS?

Wait is the rtj400 only 300 shipped ? I thought leigh jigs were a lot more than that. Am I missing something like I need the original to use the router table adapter ?

It's $329 through the end of the year and then goes to $359

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I use a Leigh, an old Rockwell that just has wingnuts to tighten to hold the boards, and cut them by hand.  I have dedicated routers for the jigs-two for the Leigh, and one for the Rockwell, that are set up for no time fiddling with setup, as long as I use 3/4 boards.  I've used the Rockwell since the mid '70s for cabinet drawers-we only build one or two set of kitchen cabinets a year, and don't remember how many years/decades it's been since I bought a new bit for the router. I just never bothered to replace it since it works, and I don't have to worry about adjusting it again.  It does help to have a couple of helpers with extra hands.  We use this one outside clamped to a deck rail, and one helper uses a leaf blower to keep everything clear while we are routing.

 

The Leigh (bought from someone who couldn't figure out how to set it up) just gets used for show on a jobsite, for shop stuff, or anything I don't want to bother with cutting them by hand, but still want to vary the spacing.  I step off the spacing with dividers and use whole number parts of the whole width.  It is nice to only have to adjust the pin spacing with the two routers set up all the time for it.  For instance, when working on a big house job, the Wife wanted us to make some parts for her chicken coop, and we dovetailed the boxes in short order, to great acclaim by the family, hence the "for show" part.

 

For furniture, you can't beat the narrow pins of hand cut.

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That is so tempting I just don't know if I can justify paying double over the porter cable for something I'll use maybe 2 times a month.( I always say that and end up going with the best option anyways)

 

If you're using it that often, it's justified  ;)   That's more than I use mine.  

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If you're using it that often, it's justified ;) That's more than I use mine.

I would probably say twice a month for the first few months. Then as needed from then on. Realistically probably once a month ? It's hard for me to predict how much I'll use it because as it is now (without a dovetail jig) I'm imagining adding dovetails to everything I make. Sounds like I can't really go wrong with any of the ones mentioned here.
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I would probably say twice a month for the first few months. Then as needed from then on. Realistically probably once a month ? It's hard for me to predict how much I'll use it because as it is now (without a dovetail jig) I'm imagining adding dovetails to everything I make. Sounds like I can't really go wrong with any of the ones mentioned here.

 

No, they all do their job.

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