79 - Slant Front Tool Cart, страница 12
HMIMIMiaBw Leigh Dovetail Jig When it comes to cutting dovetails of all shapes and sizes, this jig can handle it all. One of the hallmarks of fine furniture is the dovetail. Whether it's through dovetails that join the wide panels of a cabinet together, or half-blind dovetails that keep a drawer front in place through repeated openings and closings, you can be sure a dovetail is a sign that a project is built to last for generations. Hie biggest problem is the time it takes to cut dovetails by hand — especially when you have a lot of them to cut. To solve this problem, it's a good idea to consider using a dovetailing jig. Now there are a lot of dovetailing jigs on the market, but if you're looking for a way to cut just about any type of dovetail arrangement you can think of (and maybe a few you haven't), then you don't need to look any further than the Leigh D4 dovetail jig shown above. The Leigh jig is arguably the most versatile dovetailing jig available (check out the Closer Look on the opposite page). It's strength is cutting through dovetails in a wide range of material thicknesses from '/s" to 1 '/i" and up to 24" wide. You can even cut a host of other dovetails, like half-blind dovetails for drawers and sliding dovetails for cabinet work, using the same jig. But what 1 think is the best feature of the whole jig is that I can arrange and space the dovetails just about any way I'd like. I'm not limited by the fixed spacing and size of most conventional dovetail jigs and the templates available. FINGER ASSEMBLY To allow for this, the "template" on the Leigh jig is adjustable. Instead of a fixed template, there's a reversible assembly with a set of "half" fingers and a pair of dual scales, like you see in the first two margin photos on the opposite page. One end of the half-finger controls the tail location and spacing, while the opposite end of the finger handles the pin. The dual scales help you accurately position the assembly depending on which type of dovetail joint you're cutting. To lav out the dovetails, you loosen the fingers and slide them along the support bars to match 12 ShopNotes No. 79 |
