Leigh dovetail jig changes
Randy Johnson
Several years ago my Leigh dovetail jig took a trip to the floor. It had been clamped to the bench, but I had just removed the clamps to put the jig in its normal storage spot. One of the end supports got bent. I did a quick eyeball straightening job and put the jig up. The next time I tried to use it, the dovetails were loose at one end and too snug at the other.
I acquired a PM3520, and flatwork of all kinds fell to the wayside.
Then, I started playing the primitive muzzleloader game again and even the turning was falling by the wayside.
Flat work started again this past summer when I made a dovetailed corner walnut chest that was actually a cooler. I fiddled with the jig until I finally got it making good joints again. In the course of making the cooler I discovered that one of the guide fingers would not lock in place due to the nut being stripped out. It really isn’t that big a deal, I have never used all of the guide fingers anyway. Still, I would like to be able to if I ever need to.
Fast forward to yesterday. A trip to Cincy where Woodcraft and Rockler are walking distance from each other was in order. I had not been in either store for a few years, and was surprised at what I thought was a poor selection of Leigh jig parts at Woodcraft. I have been away for too long. When I bought my dovetail jig there was one model available. Now there are at least three, and I couldn’t be sure without mine handy for a side by side comparison, but it seemed like what I saw was not nearly as beefy as my old one. While at one time Woodcraft carried a wide selection of Leigh jig parts it looks like that is no longer the case, even online. In their defense, it looks like no one else does either. I sure hope that this is not a case of “new and improved” (i.e. made cheaper and not as well) making an excellent product obsolete for lack of parts.