Leigh D4R Pro User Manual

Download

Page 1

For the Leigh D4R Pro 24” Dovetail Jig

Joining Tradition with Today

Dedicated Customer Support

1-800-663-8932

Page 2

CONTENTS AND STANDARDS

D4R Pro User Guide

Preface Standards, Accessories and More .............................................iii

Chapter 1 Jig Assembly, Mounting, and Using The Clamps ......................1

Chapter 2 Adjusting the Finger Assembly ..................................................7

Chapter 3 The Leigh eBush and Optional Guidebushes ............................9

Chapter 4 Basic Jig Functions and Scale Modes .......................................11

Chapter 5 Using Your Jig Safely ................................................................13

Chapter 6 Wood Preparation ....................................................................15

Chapter 7 Router Preparation ...................................................................17

Chapter 8 Through Dovetails ....................................................................19

Chapter 9 Large and Small Through Dovetails ........................................29

Chapter 10 Variably Spaced Half-Blind Dovetails ......................................31

Chapter 11 Single Pass Half-Blind Dovetails ..............................................39

Chapter 12 Rabbeted Half-Blind Dovetails ................................................45

Chapter 13 End-on-End Dovetails ...............................................................47

Chapter 14 Asymmetric Dovetails ..............................................................49

Chapter 15 Box Joints ..................................................................................53

Chapter 16 Sliding Dovetails .......................................................................59

Chapter 17 Hints & Tips ...............................................................................65

Appendix I Attaching the Leigh eBush to the Router ................................69

Appendix II Bit Selection ..............................................................................71

Appendix III Jig Parts .....................................................................................79

Appendix IV Customer Support ....................................................................83

TECHNICAL BULLETINS

Downloadable pdfs are available at leighjigs.com on the Support page for these How To’s and more for your Leigh D4R Pro jig:

• Angled Through Dovetails

• Jumbo Half-Blind Dovetails

• Inlaid Through and Half-Blind Dovetails

• Needle Pins

• Through Dovetail Pins At Less Than 1" Centers

• Shelf Holes and Notches

• Clamp Short Boards on your Leigh Dovetail Jig – Quick Method

• Clamp Short Boards on your Leigh Dovetail Jig – Adjustable Width

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

Stream to your smart phone or tablet to use in your shop as a visual reference. Find the video in the Instructional Videos section of the Support menu at leighjigs.com.

Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 3

iii

CONTENTS AND STANDARDS

D4R Pro User Guide

Your New Leigh D4R Pro Dovetail Jig

Congratulations! You now own the world’s most useful and versatile dovetailing tool (and more!). The Leigh D4R Pro Dovetail Jig will help you rout an infinite variety of joints, and all of its major functions are described in detail in this guide. A very helpful DVD is also included, but the guide is essential reading.

Important! Inches and Millimeters

The D4R Pro jig can be ordered in inch or metric versions. They’re identical except for the calibration scales. This Leigh English-language user guide shows measurements in both inches and millimeters, with “inches” first, followed by “millimeters” in square brackets. Example:

⁄4"x 51⁄2"x 8" [20x 140 x200mm]

Do not be concerned if the inch/millimeter equivalents are not exact. Just use the dimensions which apply to your jig.

To simplify the instructions, most jig illustrations show a jig considerably shorter than the standard 24"[610mm].

Where finger assembly scales overlay an illustration, the “inches” scale

➀

will be at the top, and “millimeters” scale ➁ at the bottom. Only the right hand “active” half of the scales are illustrated. For clarity, setting positions are indicated with a red line in the guide only. On the jig, the lines are black.

We recommend that you first assemble and mount the jig, carefully following the instructions in the first section of the guide. Then read the rest of the guide, following along with the basic functions and principles of operation, before you try to do any actual joinery routing. By all means, rout a few practice joints in scrap boards before you use the jig to rout a precious hardwood workpiece!

If you have any questions that are not answered in this guide, please contact Leigh customer support: Tel: 1-800-663-8932 Tech Support: [email protected] For more contact info, see Appendix IV – Customer Support

But remember: “If at first you don’t succeed, read the instructions!”

Page 4

CONTENTS AND STANDARDS

D4R Pro User Guide

Glossary of Symbols

To help you understand the instructions and illustrations in this manual, we have used a number of international symbols, plus a few special ones of our own. They are all explained below. Yo u needn’t worry about memorizing these symbols now, because they are repeated quite frequently in this user guide, and you will soon get used to them.

The Leigh jig’s guidefinger assembly can be in any one of four joint modes, depending on what type of joint and which part of the joint you are routing. Each finger assembly scale has it’s own mode icon

➀

, identifying the joint part being routed. You will also find the joint mode icon in the top left corner of most illustrations

➁

, indicating which finger assembly mode to use.

Sometimes a joint mode icon will be used to identify a board

➂

These are the four joint mode icons:

TD Tails

(tails for through dovetail joints)

TD Pins

(pins for through dovetail joints)

HB Tails

(tails for half-blind dovetail joints)

HB Pins

(pins for half-blind dovetail joints)

Page 5

CONTENTS AND STANDARDS

D4R Pro User Guide

Which Way Round Should the Board Go?

As virtually all dovetail joinery is used to make boxes, drawers and chests etc., we devised these simple (and hopefully intuitive) icons to indicate which side of a board faces inwards or outwards on the finished “box”, and which side of the board faces outward (toward you, the operator), when it is clamped in the jig.

The following symbols indicate:

This edge against sidestop

Sawcut allowance



Caution: use special care for this

operation

➀➁➂

Numbered References in text

This icon o indicates the

“outside” of a board. All through dovetail pin boards are mounted in the jig with this “outside” face away from the jig (toward you, the operator).

This icon i indicates the

“inside” of a board. All halfblind pin and half-blind tail boards, and through dovetail tail boards, are mounted in the jig with the “inside” face away from the jig toward you, the operator.

This icon j indicates boards

that are mounted both ways e.g. sliding dovetails and endon-end dovetails.

Dotted line icons

indicate the “other” side of the board in the illustrations.

Centerline of board or layout

Equals

Does not equal

Approximately

Page 6

CONTENTS AND STANDARDS

D4R Pro User Guide

Visit www.leighjigs.com for more details

Add Leigh Accessories to make your jig even more versatile.

Leigh Brand Bit Sets Offer Great Savings...and the Box Is Free!

Save over individual bit prices. Each top quality

bit set includes a box with foam insert that

accepts all shank sizes, and a handy bit chart in

the lid to list out all the bit specs.

Item 1607-8 7-piece Bit Set

Item 2411-8 12-piece Bit Set

Item 5116-8 15-piece Bit Set

Combine the VRS with a Bit Set for Exceptional Savings!

The D4R Pro Accessory Kit is the best deal going.

Enjoy great savings on the 12-piece Bit Set and

even greater savings when you combine it with

the VRSD24 Vacuum & Router Support.

Item ACD24

Finally, Dust-Free Routing and Superb Router Support!

A must-have! The VRS Vacuum & Router

Support* is the ultimate dust and chip col-

lector. As an added bonus, the VRS adds

full width router support to your D4R

Pro. It’s simple to attach and the collec-

tor adapts to most popular vacuum hose

sizes.

Item VRSD24

* US patent: USPN 7,507,060 B2

UK patent: GB2446909

Page 7

vii

CONTENTS AND STANDARDS

D4R Pro User Guide

Visit www.leighjigs.com for more details

Optional Leigh Templates and Attachments

11 Sizes of Box/Finger Joints

Add an F3 Finger Joint Template* to your D4R Pro Jig to make even more sizes of strong, pleasing and easy box/finger joints. Rout perfect joints in minutes, in sizes ranging from

/32" to 1"[2 to 24mm].

Item F3 / F3M

* US Patent No. 5,711,356

Canadian Patent No. 2,146,834 European Patent No. 0698458

Six Unique Isoloc Joints, Only from Leigh

The patented Isoloc joint gives any corner joint

a very unique look. These one-of-a-kind patterns

will really set your woodworking pieces apart

from the rest. Great savings when you buy all

three templates.

Items I1A, I1B, I1C and I13 (3 pack)

Classic Multiple Mortise & Tenon Joints that Last

The Leigh M2 Attachment is the only one of

its kind. The multiple mortise & tenon joint is

ideal for “shelf to upright” construction and

produces extremely strong joints that stand the

test of time.

Item M2-24 / M2M-24

Need a Helping Hand? Use Leigh Hold-Down Clamps

Leigh Hold-Down Clamps are tough, versatile and

immensely strong! They employ proven cam-action

technology developed for the award-winning Leigh

D4R Pro and FMT/Pro. Bench clamps can be used in any

size hole and surface clamps can be mounted on any

flat surface, both on any angle. You can never have

too many clamps!

Item BHDC1 Bench Mount

Item SHDC1 Surface mount

Page 8

CONTENTS AND STANDARDS

viii

D4R Pro User Guide

Mortise & Tenon Joints have never been easier!

Leigh FMT Pro

Mortise & Tenon Jig

Item FMT Pro / FMT Pro-M

Visit www.leighjigs.com for more details

Rout mortises and tenons in 60 seconds!

Leigh Jigs make it easy: One guide, one bit, one setup for perfect joints every time. Make tables, chairs, beds, chests, cabinets and so much more!

JIG FEATURES

• 68 joint sizes from 1/16"x 1/8" up to 1/2"x5" [79 metric joint sizes from 2x 4mm up to 12 x130mm] using 21 standard guides (24 metric)

• Custom joint sizes up to 1/2"x 5" [12 x130mm] can also be achieved

• 6 optional specialty guides make square tenons, louver doors, Y-axis 90º mortise

• Single, double (in line and side-by-side), triple, quadruple joints

• Recordable, repeatable fit adjustment

• Angled and compound angled joints

• Works with virtually any plunge router

• Heavy gauge steel frame (Super FMT)

• CNC machined alumin. frame (FMT Pro)

• Multi-position clamping

• Clamp boards up to 3"x 5-1/2"[76 x140mm]

• Easy and precise joint sighting

STANDARD EQUIPMENT

• Universal sub-base that attaches to virtually any plunge router

• Two F-Clamps (Super FMT); Cam-action speed clamps (FMT Pro)

• Joint guide stand

• 5/16" HSS spiral upcut bit, 1/2" shank

• Two outrigger bars (FMT Pro only)

• Adjustable side stop fence for tenoning

• Screwdrivers and mounting hardware

• Illustrated user guide

Page 9

1 2 34

567 8

Jig Assembly, Mounting,

and Using the Clamps

D4R Pro - CHAPTER 1

Make Sure You Have All the Parts.

Before you start to assemble your Leigh D4R Pro, check to make sure you have received all the required parts.

The small carton you removed from the end of the main carton contains:

1. 1 Leigh e7 eBush (elliptical guide bushing) and pin wrench, 2 spacers

2. 2 dovetail bits, 1 straight bit, 1 collet reducer

3. 2 scale assemblies

4. 2 support brackets

5. 2 support bracket knobs

6. Square-head guide finger screwdriver

7. 4 clamp springs

4 clamp T-bolts 4 flat washers 4 T-bolt nuts 2 square nuts 1

⁄64" hex key 1/4"-20 x ¾” Machine Screw (Accessory Attachment) 1 Leigh wrench/gauge 4 jig hold-down nuts & machine screws

⁄4"-20

8. 4 cam-action speed clamps 4 cam clamp step washers

…and any other small optional items you may have ordered with your new jig. Check the packing slip for this information.

The main carton contains:

9. 1 main jig body 1 Leigh jig user guide 1 warranty/registration card

The large inner box contains:

10. 1 finger assembly on 2 bars

D4R Pro has 26 guide fingers (13 pairs)

2 lengths bridge extrusion 1 sliding dovetail fence (cross cut fence) 1 nylon stop rod 2 clamp bars

If any items are missing from your jig, contact your supplier or Leigh Industries immediately. See Appendix IV, Customer Support.

Important Note

Mount your jig securely and assemble it completely before you try to use it. Make sure you have read and understood all the material in the Safety section of this user guide before using the jig.

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

Stream to your smart phone or tablet to use in your shop as a visual reference. Find the video in the Instructional Videos section of the Support menu at leighjigs.com.

Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 10

JIG ASSEMBLY, MOUNTING, AND USING THE CLAMPS

Chapter 1 D4R Pro User Guide

35/16"[84mm]

6"[150mm]+

"[745mm]

37"[940mm]+

1"[25.4mm]

1-1 Prepare a flat board at least 3⁄4"[20mm] thick, and a mini- mum of 37"x6"[940x150mm]. Drill four

⁄32"[7mm] holes on

⁄16"x 3 5⁄16"[745x84,2mm] centers, 1"[25.4mm] in from the

front edge of the board

➀

. Countersink ➁ or counterbore the

underside

➂

if the board is thicker, so that the four 1⁄4-20x1" long

machine screws will project above the top surface by

⁄8"[9,5mm] ➃.

1-2 Turn the jig body upside-down on two blocks

➀

(to prot ect the side stops). Using the four nuts and four countersunk machine screws, bolt the base board to the jig using the two nut recesses in each end housing. Holes drilled 1"[24mm] from the front edge of the board go to the front of the jig. Now you can clamp your D4R to any bench.

1-3 With the jig right side up, insert one square nut (part #284) into each of the channels in the main extrusion. These nuts are for possible future attachment of accessories. See Chapter 9.

1-4 Insert the four clamp T-bolts into the T-slots (two at each end of the jig). Position so that the washers seat into the round milled recesses. Tighten the four clamp bolt nuts with the Leigh wrench.

1-5 Place four springs and two clamp bars on the T-bolts. Make sure the clamp bars move freely on the T-bolts.

1-6 Place one black step washer ➀ on each T-bolt with the flat side against the clamp bar. Screw a clamp lever assembly onto each T-bolt, making sure the cam lobes are between the step washer sidewalls.

Page 11

JIG ASSEMBLY, MOUNTING, AND USING THE CLAMPS

Chapter 1D4R Pro User Guide

1-7 Insert the finger assembly support brackets. Note: The right and left support brackets are NOT interchangeable.

Ensure the raised lug 2 faces outwards when the bracket is installed. For clarity, the set line

is drawn in red. The actual

lines are black.

1-8 Place the finger assembly on your bench with the guidefinger screws

➀

on top and the pointed ends of the guidefingers away

from you. Fit the scales onto the finger assembly, placing the

HB TAILS scale ➁ to the right at both ends. Do not tighten

the scale set screws

➂

yet. Note: The 1⁄4 " square half-blind pin bar

is supposed to be shorter than the finger bar. It is not inteneded to fit in the scales at both ends.

1-9 Slide the complete finger assembly with loose scales onto the support brackets. Set the bracket index line at

⁄4 "[20mm] on

the

HB TAILS scale and tighten the thumbscrews ➀. Tighten

the scale screws

➁

firmly with the hex key provided. If the scales are removed from the finger bar for any reason, follow this procedure to re-attach them.

1-10 Loosen the thumbscrews and make sure the finger assembly slides on and off the support brackets smoothly, in both the tail and pin modes. Move the outermost guidefinger at each end of the finger assembly outward to touch the scales, and tighten. If fingers do not slide easily, see note on page 7. This finger acts as an end support for the router and is not generally used as a guide.

1-11 You will operate the cam-action speed-clamps every time you use the jig, so get used to the feel of the clamps first. Use some square ended boards for practice. Make sure the end of the board is touching the underside of the guidefingers. Then slide the board over against the side stop.

90˚

1-12 Do Not force the cam-action speed-clamp. It has great leverage, and excessive force may damage the workpiece or the jig.

IMPORTANT

Page 12

JIG ASSEMBLY, MOUNTING, AND USING THE CLAMPS

Chapter 1 D4R Pro User Guide

1-13

A smooth, firm action is enough to engage the clamp.

Rule of thumb: If you can’t throw the lever comfortably by pressing the end of it with your thumb, reduce the tension. A few minutes of trial and error will help you feel the right clamp tension. Firm

thumb pressure is about right.

1-15 When engaged, the front clamp levers should point down and the rear clamp levers should point away from the operator.

1-16 If the lever is badly positioned at the correct clamping pressure...

1-17 Release the clamp, remove the board and turn the step washer a quarter turn (the step height inside the step washer is one quarter of the thread pitch).

1-18 Then adjust the clamp until the clamp lever is in the right position at the right pressure.

1-14 Do Not use the lever as a torque arm. Adjust the clamp tension only with the clamp disengaged.

Page 13

JIG ASSEMBLY, MOUNTING, AND USING THE CLAMPS

Chapter 1D4R Pro User Guide

1-19 For all but the wider workpieces, you need only operate the clamp on the workpiece end

➀

of the jig to release the board.

For narrower boards, the clamp at the free end

➁

should be just

tight enough to bow the clamp bar about

⁄8"[3mm] ➂greatly

exaggerated in this view.

1-20 Make up a spacer board. This board will be used to support the finger assembly in all front-clamping vertical board modes. The spac er board should be flat, straight and of even thickness. We suggest

⁄4 "x6"[20x150mm] by approximately 23" [580mm]

long. Note: the thickness of the spacer board has no relationship

to the thickness of the vertical board being routed.

1-21 After you have assembled and mounted the jig, you will have some items left over: 1 straight router bit Leigh No.140-8 1 dovetail router bit Leigh No.80-8 1 dovetail router bit Leigh No.120-8 1 collet reducer 1 Leigh wrench/gauge

(gauge: Ch.9)

1 accessory attachment screw (Ch.9) 1 hex key, allen wrench 1 Leigh e7 eBush (elliptical guide bushing) 1 pin wrench (eBush adjustment wrench) 1 Leigh guide finger adjustment screwdriver 2 spacers, one for single pass half-blind dovetails

(Ch.11), and

one for box joints

(Ch.15)

2 lengths of bridge piece extrusion (Ch.10) 1 sliding dovetail fence (cross cut fence) (Ch.16) 1 nylon stop rod (Ch.11) 1 fully illustrated user guide (this user guide)

Please keep all these items ready for use.

1 warranty card. Please register your warranty. You will auto- matically be entered in Leigh’s Warranty Registration Contest.

1-22 To gain height for a more comfortable working position or for routing longer boards, mount the jig to a box that can be bolted securely to a bench.

See also fig. 17-15.

■

1"[24mm]

Page 14

JIG ASSEMBLY, MOUNTING, AND USING THE CLAMPS

Chapter 1 D4R Pro User Guide

Page 15

2-1 Practice adjusting the finger assembly height. Loosen the support bracket knobs and hold them firmly. Raise and lower the assembly evenly, keeping it level, and tighten the knobs to lock it at various heights.

2-2 Do Not raise or lower one end of the finger assembly at a time.

2-3 To practice adjusting the guide fingers, put a board in the front clamp. Always raise the finger assembly slightly, approxi-

mately

⁄8"[2mm] above the spacer board and/or workpiece ➀.

This is essential to allow the guide fingers to move freely on the guide finger bar and ensures that the fingers will be level and flush when locked up. Move the guide fingers by pushing on the

middle to slide them along the guide finger bar.

2-4 Loosen about half the guide fingers and practice unlocking, moving, positioning and re-locking them. Always press down

lightly on the center of each guide finger

➀

when tightening

the screws.

If after loosening a finger it “sticks” and doesn’t slide, see header note above.

Adjusting the

Finger Assembly

D4R Pro - CHAPTER 2

THE FINGER ASSEMBLY IS THE HEART OF THE LEIGH JIG. Spend a few minutes now to familiarize yourself with these simple adjustments.

NOTE: The first few times you use your jig, some fingers may "stick". This is normal. To "unstick", loosen the finger screw approximately 3/4 of a turn, and with the screwdriver still in the screw, press down firmly (on the screwdriver). This will loosen the finger locking wedge (you may feel a click). The finger will now move freely.

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

Stream to your smart phone or tablet to use in your shop as a visual reference. Find the video in the Instructional Videos section of the Support menu at leighjigs.com.

Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 16

ADJUSTING THE FINGER ASSEMBLY

Chapter 2 D4R Pro User Guide

2-5 Do not over-tighten the guide finger locking screws. The Leigh screwdriver provided will give ample torque for easy lock-up without strain.

2-6 Always tighten unused guide fingers before routing, as router vibration will cause loose screws and wedge nuts to fall out and be lost.

2-7 You can adjust the guide fingers by eye, or by measurement to suit a set of plans.

Note: Always lower the finger assembly down onto the workpiece before routing.

■

Page 17

3-1 The Leigh e7-Bush➀ is used to rout through, half-blind, single pass half-blind and sliding dovetails, and also box joints on the D4R Pro. The elliptical design provides precise joint fit adjustment for box joints and sliding dovetails. A round

/16"[11,1mm] guidebush (min. barrel length 1/4"[6,35mm]) ➁ can be used to rout through, half-blind, and sliding dovetails on the D4R Pro.

1 2

[11,1mm]

[6,35mm]

min.

3-2 The Leigh e7-Bush that comes with your D4R Pro is a unique template guidebush that is adjustable in size. Unlike regular circular template guidebushes

➀

, the e7-Bush is slightly elliptical

in cross section

➁

. This simple innovation effectively changes the guidebush “active diameter size” when it’s rotated, and provides benefits not possible with a standard round guidebush.

3-3 The e7-Bush (7/16") fits the router base or a guide bush adaptor in the base (see Appendix I). The ellipse/oval shape has a major axis

➀

/16"[11,1mm], and minor axis

➁

/16"[11,1mm] less .020"[,5mm]. Turning the eBush 90º in the router base changes the active diameter by .020"[,5mm] providing minute adjustment and recordable settings for perfectly fitting box joints.

⁄16"[11,1mm]

⁄16"[11,1mm] less .020"[,5mm]

3-4 Here’s how it works. In normal use on a dovetail jig, the operator does not rotate the router more than a few degrees either way

➀

. In fact, because of potential bit-to-bush eccentricity prob-

lems it is advisable to minimize router rotation on jigs

➁

1 2

The Leigh eBush and

Optional Guidebushes

D4R Pro - CHAPTER 3

The guidebush is the vital link between router and jig. All joints created on the D4R Pro are routed with the unique e7* elliptical guidebush, a Leigh innovation that provides precise joint fit adjustment for box joints and sliding dovetails. If your router doesn’t accept the e7-Bush, you can use an alternative guidebush with some limitations.

*Supplie d with the D4R Pr o. U.S. Patent No. 8,256 ,475. UK Patent No. GB2443974. Canada Patent No. 2,611,232

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

Stream to your smart phone or tablet to use in your shop as a visual reference. Find the video in the Instructional Videos section of the Support menu at leighjigs.com.

Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 18

THE LEIGH e-BUSH AND OPTIONAL GUIDEBUSHES

Chapter 3 D4R Pro User Guide

12 o’clock position

3-5 Establish the orientation in which you normally hold and operate the router on the jig. Now, up-end the router in the same orientation. Make a small scratch line or permanent ink mark

➀

on the router base or eBush adaptor at the 12 o’clock position. Learn about eBush adaptors on page 69.

3-6 Fit the e7-Bush to the router and align No.10 to the scratch mark. This setting is used for all through and variably spaced halfblind dovetails on the D4R Pro. Settings for single pass half-blinds, box joints and sliding dovetails are described in applicable chapters.

Be sure to retighten the eBush nut after each adjustment is made with the included pin wrench.

3-7 The bit goes through the e7-Bush ➀ and fits in the router collet or chuck.

3-8 The projecting part of the guidebush runs along the side edge of the guide finger. The rotating bit cuts the wood only, and touches neither the guidebush nor the guide surface.

■

Page 19

D4R Pro CHAPTER 4

Here are the very basics for understanding the different D4R Pro dovetail modes and settings.

2. TD PINS

3. HB TAILS

4. HB PINS

1. TD TAILS

THE FOUR SCALE MODES

The Finger Assembly attaches to the support brackets in four different modes to match the type of joint you are cutting.

Note: Inch scales are shown here. Millimeter scales have identical layout.

The active scale is always on the right of each scale assembly.

The inactive scale is always on the left of each scale assembly and is upside down.

Scales are color coded. Silver background for Through Dovetails. Green background for HalfBlind Dovetails.

The specific settings for each scale are fully described in the appropriate chapters.

Each scale has its own mode icon (a drawing of the joint part made in that mode).

This index line is used when setting the finger assembly scales. The line is illustrated in red for clarity, but is black

on the jig.

Always read scales from directly overhead to avoid parallax problems.

All D4R Pro jigs are shipped with “short” support brackets.

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

Stream to your smart phone or tablet to use in your shop as a visual reference. Find the video in the Instructional Videos section of the Support menu at leighjigs.com.

Watch the Online Instructional Video

Basic Jig Functions

and Scale Modes

Page 20

BASIC JIG FUNCTIONS AND SCALE MODES

Chapter 4 D4R Pro User Guide

4-1 The two clamp bars hold workpieces horizontally or vertically. The side stops align the boards in the correct position each time.

4-2 The guidefinger assembly slides on to the support brackets above the workpiece. The finger assembly is adjusted in or out using calibrated scales on each end to suit different thicknesses of vertical boards.

4-3 The finger assembly is raised or lowered using the support brackets to suit different thicknesses of horizontal boards.

■

Page 21

Using Your Jig Safely

D4R Pro - CHAPTER 5

Safety is not optional.

Read and follow the recommendations in this chapter.

5-4 Always disconnect the power source from the router when fitting bits or guidebushes, or making adjustments. Before connecting the router to the power source, make sure the bit and collet revolve freely in all the areas you plan to rout, and the bit does not touch the guidebush or jig.

5-1 Read the owner’s manual that came with your router. It is essential to understand the router manufacturer’s instructions completely. Always operate variable speed routers at the fastest

possible speed.

5-2 Always wear approved safety glasses. Always wear hearing protection. Protect yourself from harmful dust with a face mask.

For complete dust and waste collection, add a Leigh VRS (Vacuum & Router Support) to your jig. See page vi.

5-3



Never drink alcohol or take medications that may cause drowsiness when you will be operating a router.

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

Stream to your smart phone or tablet to use in your shop as a visual reference. Find the video in the Instructional Videos section of the Support menu at leighjigs.com.

Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 22

USING YOUR JIG SAFELY

Chapter 5 D4R Pro User Guide

5-5 Do not tilt the router on the jig. Keep the router flat on the jig assembly.

Note: The optional Leigh VRS attachment prevents router tilting. See page vi.

5-6 If you insist on removing the router from the jig while it is still revolving, always pull it straight off the jig horizontally,

and do not raise or lower the router until it is completely clear of the jig. With the Leigh VRS fitted to your jig you can simply park your router to one side.

5-7 Do not rout at face level. 5-8 Never release the router plunge mechanism when using

dovetail bits. Check if your plunge router has a stop nut to prevent

this from happening accidentally.

5-9 If you have never used your router before, be sure to follow the router manufacturer’s instructions for its use. Make plenty of simple open-face practice cuts without a guidebush before you try to use the router on the Leigh jig. You must, of course,

always use a guidebush when routing on the Leigh Jig.

■

Page 23

Wood Preparation

D4R Pro - CHAPTER 6

"Garbage In - Garbage Out"... This adage of the computer age stands equally true for dovetail jigs.

6-1 It is vital for accurately aligned joints that stock used on the Leigh jig must be prepared straight, flat, of even thickness and equal widths, with square ends and edges. Note that plywood is generally

unsuitable for routing because of tearout problems.

90°

6-2 You will want to test the jig, so prepare some 3⁄4" x 5

⁄2"[20x140mm] boards. Cut them to length as you need them for the jig tests you want to perform. Use them for practice with the jig’s various joint modes so you can see how the different modes work. Remember, though, that two boards of different

thicknesses can be joined just as easily.

90°

6-3



Dovetail joints are intended for joining end-grain to end-grain

➀

. Attempting to cut dovetails in side-

grain

➁

does not work because: A. The wood will tear out badly when routing. B. Even if you could rout them, the pins and tails would easily

break off across the short grain

➂

, either during or soon after the assembly when the boards start expanding or contracting at different rates.

■

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

Stream to your smart phone or tablet to use in your shop as a visual reference. Find the video in the Instructional Videos section of the Support menu at leighjigs.com.

Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 24

WOOD PREPARATION

Chapter 6 D4R Pro User Guide

Page 25

Router Preparation

D4R Pro - CHAPTER 7

7-1 Fit the e7-Bush➀. One is included with your D4R Pro. If the eBush is incompatible with your router, any

/16"[11,1mm]

guidebush (min. barrel length

/4", see page 70) will work for all

but box joints on the D4R Pro.

7-2 When fitting a bit to the router ➀, fit the shank as far into the collet

➁

as possible. Always rout with the collet as close to the

guidebush as possible. Usually you can’t securely grip the collet nut with a wrench

➂

if the collet is at its optimum low position. Fit the

bit so that the remaining travel

➃

between collet and guidebush

➄

will let the bit reach the required depth of cut ➅.

7-3 Tighten the collet ➁securely and lower the collet to adjust the depth of cut

➅

, but make sure the collet does not contact the

guidebush

➄

. Some smaller collets can go down into the inside

of the guide bush. Take advantage of this.

7-4 Depth of Cut: The depth of cut always refers to the actual depth of the cut into the wood beneath the guidefingers

➀

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

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Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 26

ROUTER PREPARATION

Chapter 7 D4R Pro User Guide

7-5 Depth of cut is not the distance the bit projects from the router base. This is bit projection

➁

. This guide generally refers

to depth of cut. Bit projection

➁

is always .450"[11,5mm] more

than depth of cut.

7-6

Ideally, the router collet (and bit) should be concentric (centered) to the guidebush as in figure 7-5. Regrettably, this is often not the case; the bit can be off center (eccentric to) the guidebush

➀

. The illustration shows the problem highly exaggerated. The good news: bit to bush alignment doesn’t affect joint fit or flushness; both are “adjusted out” in normal jig setup.

7-7

Concentricity problems can only arise if two routers are used for through dovetails, (one for pins; one for tails). Routers with different bit to guidebush offsets

➁

(misalignment shown highly exaggerated)…

2 2

7-8

…will cause pin to tailboard

➂

misalignment (again, shown highly exaggerated). Fortunately, some newer routers have sub-bases that can adjust for concentricity. If you don’t have this type, it might pay to stick to a single router for through dovetails.

7-9 Shank Selection/Collet Reducer

All Leigh Dovetail jigs are shipped with superior strength 8mm shank dovetail bits and a

⁄2" to 8mm collet reducer. The reducer

➃

simply slides into the 1⁄2" collet of your router ➄ (do not remove the collet nut) and the 8mm shank bit is inserted into the collet reducer. The collet is tightened as normal. The collet reducer is not required with

⁄2" [12,7mm] shank bits.

■

{

Page 27

Through Dovetails

D4R Pro - CHAPTER 8

In these instructions for the Leigh D4R Pro Dovetail Jig, we have recommended certain bits and board sizes because they are easy to work with. When you have routed some practice joints and gained confidence in your ability to get the results you want, free to use the guidebush and adaptor selection charts in Appendix I, pages 69-70, and bit options in Appendix II, pages 71-77, to plan whatever dovetail routing you need for your projects.

Start in

Through Dovetail Tails (TD TAILS) mode

ROTATE the finger assembly toward you 180°

Start with the Finger Assembly in the D TD TAIL mode and follow these steps on your jig. Grasping the simple basic concept of operation will now greatly assist you in understanding the instructions. Note that the active guide surface (against which the guidebush

runs) is indicated in red in these illustrations.

MODE ICONS

Illustrations in this user guide include the correct mode icon for the current instruction. The icons are also used in the instruction text.

Concept of Jig Operation – THROUGH DOVETAILS

Inches Millimeters

Active

Guide Surfaces

TD PINS

TD TAILS

Now the Finger Assembly is in

Through Dovetail Pins (TD PINS) mode

Inches Millimeters

Active

Guide Surfaces

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Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 28

THROUGH DOVETAILS

Chapter 8 D4R Pro User Guide

8-4 Fit the e7-Bush or 7⁄16"[11,1mm] securely to the router and set it to the No.10 index mark

➀

. Then fit the supplied 80-8

dovetail bit to the router. Note: The e7 guidebush is not used to adjust joint tightness with through dovetails.

8-5 Clamp the spacer board in the rear clamp.

8-6 Place the finger assembly on the support brackets in the

TD PINS mode, flat on the spacer board, and with the scale set on the

⁄2"[12,7mm] setting for now. Don’t worry about the scale’s specific meaning now. Each scale’s use will be fully explained in the appropriate section.

The pins fit in the pin sockets. Joints should almost always end each side with half-pins.

Board

Tail

Board

8-2 Let’s look at how to make a simple square box. When you assemble the finished pieces with the faces properly oriented, any one of the pin ends will fit any one of the tail ends. In fact, the box can be put together in six different ways …each of the four corners will fit two ways!

8-3 Make five identical boards 3⁄4"x 51⁄2"[20x140mm] about 8"[200mm] long. Mark the inside faces of the two tail boards and outside faces of the three pin boards (you may not need one of the pin boards). Use Leigh e7 or

⁄16"[11,1mm] O.D. guidebush with:

- No. 80-8

⁄2"[12,7mm] x 8° dovetail bit and

- No.140-8

⁄16"[7,9mm] straight bit.

8-1 Through Dovetail Terminology:

➀

Pins

➁

Pin sockets

➂

Half-pins

➃

Half-pin sockets

➄

Tails

➅

Tail sockets

Page 29

THROUGH DOVETAILS

Chapter 8D4R Pro User Guide

8-7 Clamp a tail board against the left front side stop, top edge touching flush under the guidefingers, inside face

away from the jig body. Although you will cut tails first, adjust the guidefinger layout in

TD PINS mode. The adjustment screws are on top

in this mode, and it's easier to visualize the final joint pattern.

8-8 Loosen the support bracket knobs and raise the finger assembly about

⁄8"[3mm] ➀ above the boards and retighten the knobs.

This will allow easy and accurate guidefinger adjustment.

8-9 This joint layout is only a suggestion for this trial. It has a typical, traditional symmetrical layout of pins, with half-pins at each edge. The Leigh jig, however, allows for an infinite variety of joint designs, and boards of different thicknesses can also be joined to each other as shown in this illustration. Before attempting joints of asymmetrical layout, please see chapter 14.

8-11 Lock the left-most half-pin guidefinger about 1⁄8"[3mm]

➀

in from the left edge of the board. Always apply light downward pressure to each guidefinger as the finger screws are tightened

➁

This will ensure the fingers are flat and level on the bar.

8-10 Ignoring the extreme outer guidefinger next to the scale (it just supports the router), loosen the next eight guidefingers and slide them over the workpiece. NOTE: The first few times you use your

jig, some fingers may "stick". This is normal. To "unstick", loosen the finger screw about 3/4 turn. Press down firmly on the screwdriver (in the screw) to loosen the finger locking wedge (you should feel a click).

8-12 Leave three pairs of guidefingers over the board and lock the right-most half-pin guidefinger about

⁄8"[3mm] ➀ in from the right edge of the board. Judge this distance by eye: it need not be exact. The sockets and pins will align automatically.

Page 30

THROUGH DOVETAILS

Chapter 8 D4R Pro User Guide

8-16 Place the end of a pin board horizontally flush under the guidefingers and mark a thin pencil line partly across the tail board.

REMEMBER SAFETY!

8-17 Place the router on the finger assembly and adjust the router until the dovetail bit tip is level with the center of the pencil line.

Note: This means the pin socket will be half a thin pencil line deeper than the thickness of the pin board, leaving minimal cleanup after assembly. Check to make sure the bit rotates freely.

8-18 Before routing the tails, read “Hints and Tips 17-10". Plug in the router and rout out the half-pin and pin sockets. Use only light side pressure on the guide fingers. Take care not to rout unwanted sockets where there are gaps between the pairs of fingers

➀

. Rout

only between the rounded guidefinger tips. See Hints and Tips

17-20.

8-13 Space and lock the three remaining pairs as shown. Again, judge it by eye. If it looks right on the jig, the finished joint will look right. Note: Here we have shown pins of equal width, but with tails of increasing width. However, by opening up a pair of guides, the pin (and pin socket) can be widened for decorative or structural reasons as shown in the drawing inset.

8-14 Tighten any other loose guidefingers.

8-15 Rotate the finger assembly to the D TD TAILS mode, and

set it to the ≤1"[≤26mm] position on the scale. Lower the finger assembly onto the spacer board. All TD tails are routed at this

≤1"[≤26mm] setting. (The ≤1" setting allows the dovetail bit to pass completely through all tail boards.)

Page 31

THROUGH DOVETAILS

Chapter 8D4R Pro User Guide

8-19 Before removing the routed board from the jig, check by eye and touch to make sure no parts have been missed. Release the clamp and reverse the tail board in the jig, keeping the same inside face

away from the jig body. Rout the other end of this tail board and both ends of the second tail board in the same fashion, then unclamp and put them aside.

8-20 Rotate the finger assembly to the d TD PINS mode and set it one scale increment more than the

⁄2"[12,7mm] mark ➀.

Do not change the guidefinger layout.

8-21 How the TD PIN Scales Work

Dimensions inside the pin shaped panel

➀

correspond with the

diameter of the dovetail bit chosen to rout the tails

➁

. In this

example the

⁄2"[12,7mm] diameter of the #80-8 dovetail bit matches

the

⁄2"[12,7mm] setting on the scale. This also becomes the width

of the pin

➂

Dimensions in the central panel

➃

indicate which straight bit diam-

eter is required with the selected dovetail bit, i.e.

⁄16"[7,9mm]

straight bit with the

⁄2"[12,7mm], 7⁄16"[11,1mm] and 3⁄8"[9,5mm]

diameter dovetail bits.

The increment lines in the scale window

➄

are referenced to the index lines on the support brackets when making fit adjustments. Once the desired fit is achieved, settings can be recorded for precise setup next time.

8-22 Finished Joint Tightness

The fit of the finished joint is determined in the

TD PINS

mode. Moving the finger assembly outward

➀

increases the width

of the pins

➁

, giving a tighter fit. Moving the finger assembly back-

wards

➂

allows more wood to be routed, making the pins smaller ➃, and the joint looser. A one increment movement changes joint fit by 0.005"[0,125mm]. A one quarter increment movement changes fit by a tiny 0.00125"[0,03mm]. Most importantly, when that fine fit is achieved, it allows recordable and repeatable settings for future joints using the same router and bits (see page 28).

Why can’t there be specific, preset scale settings for each bit combination?

Cumulative tolerances in routers, bits, guidebushes and the dovetail jig, make it impossible to give exact jig settings for a precision glue joint. A fine fitting joint can only be attained by trial and error test cuts, and takes only minutes for each bit combination. Dimension lines on the TD PIN scale provides the starting point for testing.

Page 32

THROUGH DOVETAILS

Chapter 8 D4R Pro User Guide

8-25 Clamp a test pin board against the left hand side stop, outside face

away from the jig, with the top end flush under

the guides.

8-26 Place the side edge of one of the finished tail boards horizontally flush under the guidefingers and mark a thin pencil line part way across the pin board.

8-23

Why are the 1⁄2" and 11⁄16"[12,7&17,5mm] pin widths

on the same scale line?

⁄2

" through dovetails are routed using a 7⁄16

" guidebush

➀

⁄16" through dovetails are routed with a 5⁄8" guidebush ➁.

That's a

⁄16" difference in size between the two bits …and between the two guidebushes. The

⁄8" diameter guidebush for 11⁄16" joints requires that the guide

fingers be opened up by

⁄16" ➂.

This automatically makes the pins

⁄16" wider ➃ but on the same

scale setting.

8-24 Do the guide fingers have to be opened up precisely

⁄16"[4,75mm] for larger combinations?

No, just so long as they are opened up by at least 3⁄16"(4,75mm)

➀

to allow the larger guidebush to enter the tail guides. Anything more than this minimum is fine

➁

; both the pin and matching pin socket widths will be automatically increased by exactly the same amount, whatever the spacing. Varying the pin width does not affect the joint fit or the scale setting. In fact, the pin width can be varied with all bit combinations, not just the larger bits

1 2

Page 33

THROUGH DOVETAILS

Chapter 8D4R Pro User Guide

8-27 Unplug the router and remove the dovetail bit. Mount the No. 140-8 straight bit to the router. If you are using two routers,

see concentricity concerns, Figures 7-6 thru 7-8.

REMEMBER SAFETY!

8-28 Place the router on the finger assembly and adjust the router until the tip of the bit is level with the center of the pencil line. Check to make sure the bit rotates freely.

8-29 Check that the scales are set one increment above the

⁄2"[12,7mm] mark ➀. Rout out the waste between the pins.

Check to make sure no parts have been missed. See 17-1 to 17-5,

"Hints and Tips" on how to minimize tearout.

Use only light side pressure on the guide fingers.

8-30 Remove the test pin board from the jig and test it for fit in one of the tail boards. Make sure the outside faces

face outward

on both pieces. The joint will probably be too tight. A firm push

fit is perfect, perhaps a tap with the heel of your hand. But having to use a mallet means the joint is too tight to take glue.

8-31 If it is much too tight, move the finger assembly in (away from you) by one division on the scale. If it is only a little tight, adjust the scale by only half a division. If it is too loose, go to 8-33.

8-32 Replace the same pin board back in the jig, carefully aligned against the same side stop. Rout off the sides of the pins and test it again for fit.

Page 34

THROUGH DOVETAILS

Chapter 8 D4R Pro User Guide

8-37 The box should be square and in plane. If it is not in plane (i.e., the side edges of each board are not in line), then either the ends of the boards are not square, the board widths are not exactly equal, or there is a concentricity problem (see 7-6 to 7-8).

8-38 To form angled dovetails, refer to the Technical Bulletin “How to Rout Angled Through Dovetails on your Leigh Jig". You can download this bulletin from the support page of our website: http://www.leighjigs.com/support.php.

■

8-34 Once the correct fit is achieved, mark the final d TD PINS scale setting on one of the scale prints (see page 28) for future reference. Very slight variations to the scale setting may be necessary with different wood species or hardness.

8-35 Rout all four ends of the pin boards, keeping the outside face

outwards. (With luck you may not have used the fifth

board.)

8-36 Assemble the box, making sure the tail boards face the proper way, i.e. tail boards inside face in

; pin boards outside

face out

. Provided you haven't already routed out the drawer

bottom grooves

➀

, it doesn't matter which edge of any of the boards are at the top or bottom, the box will still fit together i.e. pin board “A” can be up either way.

8-33 Test and repeat as required to achieve the desired fit.

Note: If you overdo it and make a loose joint, do this test. Pull the tail board “away” from the pins

➀

so that the angled sides of the pins and tails jam

together

➁

. The gap between the bottom of the pins and the pin sockets ➂, is the amount to move the finger assembly out, (toward you). Reset the finger assembly and test again on the other end of this (fifth) board.

Page 35

THROUGH DOVETAILS

Chapter 8D4R Pro User Guide

8-39 Through dovetails are laid out in the d TD PINS mode with the finger assembly slightly raised above the spacer board. The outside face

of the TD pins is away from the jig body.

8-40 TD tail boards are clamped vertically in the jig. The inside face

of the TD tails is away from the jig body. The finger assem-

bly is in the

TD TAILS mode, set on the single ≤1"[≤26mm]

setting. There is only one setting in this mode.

8-41 Clamp TD pin boards vertically in the jig. This is the only one of the four main modes that puts the outside face

of the

board away from the jig body. The finger assembly is in

TD PINS mode, with the scale set to a recorded setting (see detailed fit instructions 8-21 to 8-34). TD pins are cut with a straight bit;

the only time a straight bit is used in dovetailing.

8-42 Through dovetail tails are always routed with an 8° dovetail bit to match the 8° guide finger. All through dovetail routing on the D4R Pro is done with the Leigh e7-Bush, or any

⁄16" [11,1mm]

diameter bush (min. barrel length

⁄4"[6,35mm]). See page 70 for

more on routers and guide bushings. The 716C or a

⁄8"[15,9]O.D.

guidebush is used for

⁄2" shank TD bits. See Chapter 9.

[6,35mm]

[11,1mm]

8-43 Here is a quick reference selection chart for through dovetail bits and guidebushes. Please study the bit and guidebush selection appendixes for a full explanation.

■

QUICK REFERENCE REMINDERS

Thickness of

Tail Board

Thickness of

Pin Board

Dovetail

Bit

Straight

Bit

Guidebush

Diameter

/8" - 1"

[3-26]

1" - 1

/4" [26-32] No.100 No.150

Leigh 716C

/8" [15,9]

/8" - 1" [16-26] No.90 No.160

/2" - 13/16" [12-20] No.80-8

No.140-8

Leigh e7

/16" [11,1]

/8" - 5/8" [10-16] No.75-8

/4" - 1/2" [6-13] No.70-8

/8" - 3/8" [3-10] No.60-8

/8" - 1/4" [3-6] No.50-8

Numbers in brackets are millimeters

Page 36

THROUGH DOVETAILS

Chapter 8 D4R Pro User Guide

PROJECT SETTINGS

INCHESMETRIC

Page 37

D4R Pro - CHAPTER 9

The following procedures considerably expand the D4R Pro jig’s versatility. However, before attempting them, thoroughly master the techniques of Through Dovetails in Chapter 8.

9-1 LARGE THROUGH DOVETAILS

The procedures for using bits 90 and 160 or 100 and 150 are identical to the previous figures, except that a Leigh 716C or

⁄8"[15,9mm] OD guidebush is used, and each guidefinger must be

at least

⁄16"[5mm] apart. Use the Leigh wrench gauge (3⁄16"[5mm]

thick) to make sure there is enough separation. Note: Because the 716C or

⁄8"[15,9mm] guidebush is used, the closest possible pin

centers using these bit combinations is 1

⁄8"[35mm], instead of

1"[25,4mm].

9-2 SMALL THROUGH DOVETAILS

Bits 50-8 and 60-8 allow you to create tiny through dovetails in material

⁄8"[10mm] or less in thickness. This procedure is an extra

bonus: the Leigh jig was not originally designed for it. The

TD PINS scale does not go down far enough, so you have to space the boards away from the jig face with a shop-made block

➀

fitted

with its own side stop

➁

(see 9-4). Use the e7 or a 7⁄16"[11,1mm]

O.D. guidebush for these small joints.

9-3 Use the same block with side stop when cutting the tails to ensure correct alignment of the pin and tail boards.

9-4 Make the block with its side stop out of 1⁄2"[13mm] stock as shown. Bore two

⁄4"[6mm] holes, countersunk for a flat head screw (part no. 287) to allow the blocks to be used at either end of the jig.

6"[150mm]+

"[20mm]

"[3mm]

"[13mm]

"[140mm]

"[40mm]

Large and Small

Through Dovetails

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

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Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 38

LARGE AND SMALL THROUGH DOVETAILS

Chapter 9 D4R Pro User Guide

9-5 Remove one front cam clamp, lower the clamp bar and attach the block to the jig face using the screw (No. 287) into the entrapped square nut. Replace the clamp bar and cam clamp.

9-6 For boards up to 1⁄4"[6mm] thick use dovetail bit 50-8 and pin bit 140-8 with the e7 or a

⁄16"[11,1mm] guidebush. To cut pins matching the sockets made with bit 50-8, begin with the setting shown here. Cut test pins in scrap stock and test for fit. Adjust as necessary.

9-7 For boards up to 3⁄8"[9,5mm] thick use dovetail bit 60-8 and pin bit 140-8 with the e7 or a

⁄16"[11,1mm] guidebush. To cut pins matching the sockets made with bit 60-8, begin with the setting shown here. Cut test pieces in some scrap stock and test for fit, then adjust as necessary. Record the actual settings for bits 50-8 and 60-8 on these scale reproductions below.

Note: You may also rout joints in boards

⁄16" to 3⁄8"[8,0 to 9,5mm] with bits No. 70-8 and 140-8 without the use of the shop-made block.

PROJECT SETTINGS

INCHESMETRIC

Page 39

Variably Spaced

Half-Blind Dovetails

D4R Pro - CHAPTER 10

The following procedures considerably expand the D4R Pro jig's versatility. However, before attempting them, thoroughly master the techniques of Through Dovetails in Chapter 8.

ROTATE the finger assembly toward you 180°

TD PINS

TD TAILS

Now the Finger Assembly is in

Half-Blind Dovetail Pins (HB PINS) mode

MODE ICONS

Illustrations in this user guide include the correct mode icon for the current instruction. The icons are also used in the instruction text.

Inches Millimeters

Active

Guide Surfaces

Start in

Half-Blind Dovetail Tails (HB TAILS) mode

Inches Millimeters

Active

Guide Surfaces

IMPORTANT! The most commonly misunderstood aspect of routing half-blind dovetails is how the dovetail bit’s

depth of cut is used to adjust the joint fit, and how the angle of the bit affects that depth of cut. Review this chapter for a clear understanding of this concept.

Note: The Leigh e7-Bush or any 7/16" [11,1mm] guidebush with a min. barrel length of 1/4"[6,35mm] (see page 70), and any one of the bits listed on the next page may be used for half-blind dovetails. See Appendix II, Half-Blind Bit Selection, Page 75, for a full description on how to select an appropriate bit.

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

Stream to your smart phone or tablet to use in your shop as a visual reference. Find the video in the Instructional Videos section of the Support menu at leighjigs.com.

Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 40

VARIABLY SPACED HALF-BLIND DOVETAILS

Chapter 10 D4R Pro User Guide

➀

Pins

➁

Pin sockets

➂

Half-pins

➃

Half-pin sockets

➄

Tails

➅

Tail Sockets

Depth of Cut

Tail Board

Pin Board

Bit selection is critical. You need to select a specific dovetail bit for your half-blind dovetail project, depending on the pin board (drawer front) thickness you are using.

• Choose one of the five

⁄2" [12,7mm] diameter dovetail bits shown above. Check bit selection in Appendix II.

• Depth of cut must be as specified for each of the five bits illustrated above. Note: Leigh bits 101-8, 112-8

and 128-8 are optional.

• Raising the bit above its specified cutting depth will result in loose joints and may damage the jig, bit and/or guidebush. A lower setting will result in tighter joints that may not fit together.

• Small Depth of Cut adjustments will change joint fit tightness. See 10-3 to 10-5 for why.

• Half-blind PINS and TAILS are routed with the same dovetail bit and must be at the same Depth of Cut.

• The e7-eBush should be set at 10

for ALL half-blind dovetail routing.

• All half-blind dovetail bits work with the Leigh e7-Bush supplied with your Leigh jig, or standard

⁄16"[11,1mm] outside diameter

guidebush.

10-1 Half-Blind Dovetail Terminology:

The pins fit in the pin sockets. Joints should almost always end each side with half-pins.

PIN BOARD THICKNESS➀ determines

the maximum depth of cut➁ you can use. Select a bit with a specified cutting depth that is at about 1⁄8" [3mm] less than the pin board thickness.

A dovetail bit will produce only one spe-

cific cutting depth.

Only1⁄2" [12,7mm]➂ cutting diameter bits

can be used for half-blind dovetails.

10-2 Cutting Depth for Variably Spaced Half-Blind Dovetails

120-8

[11mm]

112-8

[13mm]

101-8

[16mm]

128-8

[9mm]

80-8

[19mm]

DEPTH OF CUT

IMPORTANT: Add

[3mm] to the depth of cut for pin board thickness

NOTE: See10-35 chart on p.38 for range of tail board thickness

Symbol for approximately

Pin Board Thickness

NOTE: Bits 120-8 and 80-8 are included with the jig

[3mm] min.

 Important! Read This About HB Depth of Cut

Page 41

VARIABLY SPACED HALF-BLIND DOVETAILS

Chapter 10D4R Pro User Guide

10-3 Joint Fit and Depth of Cut

Here’s why the depth of cut

➀

changes the fit in half-blind dovetails. Increasing or decreasing the depth of cut does not affect the pin socket width

➁

, but does affect the width of the pin ➂ that

goes into the socket

➁

10- 4 Note that decreasing the bit depth ➀ makes the pin ➂ nar- rower while the pin socket

➁

stays the same width, producing a

loose fit.

Decreasing the bit depth (i.e. raise the bit into the router) produces a looser fit.

10-5 Increasing the bit depth

➀

makes the pin ➂ larger while

the pin socket

➁

stays the same width, producing too tight a fit.

Increasing the bit depth (i.e. lower the bit) produces a tighter fit.

10-6 Bit Angle and Depth of Cut. Half-blind pins and tails are routed with the same dovetail bit, the same guidebush, and the same depth of cut. A different depth of cut requires a different angled bit. Leigh offers five different angled dovetail bits for a range of cut depths. A lesser angle, say 8˚, for a deeper cut

➀

; a

greater angle, say 18˚, for a shallower cut

➁

18˚

8˚

10-7 Cumulative plus/minus tolerances in routers, bits and guidebushes, make it impossible to state exact bit depth for firsttime precision fit. All dovetail jigs require trial and error tests to attain fine fitting joints. The good news; we give a starting depth for each bit. Test and measure the successful ‘Best fit’ depth of cut

➀

or bit projection ➁. Record for future first-time fits.

Depth of Cut

Bit Projection

Page 42

VARIABLY SPACED HALF-BLIND DOVETAILS

Chapter 10 D4R Pro User Guide

10-8 Routing a Test Joint Use the Leigh e7-Bush, and No.120 8,

⁄2"[12,7mm] 14° dovetail bit. Select several pieces of 3⁄4"x

⁄2"[20 x 140mm] x about 8"[200mm], and the plastic bridge

extrusion. Note: Half-blind pin boards must be minimum

⁄2"(13mm)

thick to clamp. For thinner boards see fig.10-21.

10-9 Clamp the spacer board in the rear clamp.

10-10 Mount the finger assembly on the support brackets in

the

HB TAILS mode, flat on the spacer board, scales set on the

thickness of the tail board (

⁄4 "[20mm] in this instance).

The

HB TAILS scale is always set at the tail board thickness.

The scale increments above 1-1

⁄2"[25- 38mm] are for use on

sliding dovetails (see Chapter 16).

10 -11 Measure and mark a line on the inside face of the tail board

➀

to the working depth of the bit to be used as per 10-2 of this chapter. Clamp this test tail board in the left front clamp, against the side stop with the top edge flush under the guidefingers, and the inside face

of the drawer side away from the jig.

10 -12 Unlock and raise the finger assembly support brackets slightly so that the finger assembly is about

⁄8"[2mm] ➀ above

the boards. This will allow easy movement of the guidefingers.

10 -13 While typical traditional layouts have symmetrical pins and spacing with half-pins at each edge, the Leigh jig allows infinitely variable joint designs. Different thickness boards can be easily joined together. Pins can be various sizes and randomly spaced to suit just about any design you create. Before attempting joints of

asymmetrical design, see Chapter 14.

Page 43

VARIABLY SPACED HALF-BLIND DOVETAILS

Chapter 10D4R Pro User Guide

10 -14 Ignoring the outer guidefinger (router support) at the scale, loosen enough guides for the desired tail layout. The illustrated half-pin guidefinger position gives a half-pin socket profile as shown (dotted lines). NOTE: The first few uses, some fingers may “stick”. This is normal.

To “unstick”, loosen the finger screw

⁄4 turn. Press down firmly on the

screwdriver (in the screw) to loosen the finger locking wedge.

10 -15 If gaps between the guidefinger tails are wider than about

⁄8"[3mm], mark and cut pieces of bridge extrusion ➀to fit the guidefinger tail slots. Cut slightly shorter than the space between the guidefinger shoulders

➁

, so guidefingers won’t force apart with the bridge pieces. Squeeze the open side of the pieces and push into place for a friction fit.

10 -16 Remember to tighten any loose guidefingers. Lower the finger assembly back onto the spacer board and workpiece. It

must touch the workpiece or the depth of cut will vary and the joint won’t fit. The scale should be set on the tailboard thickness,

in this case

⁄4"[20mm].

10 -17 Attach the e7-Bush securely to the router and mount the supplied No.120-8 bit to the router. Set the e7-Bush to No.10.

See Chapter 3, page 9 for details.

REMEMBER SAFETY!



Adjust the bit height until the bit tip is level with the marked line

➀

. For the first light cut move the

router from right to left. Make sure you control it firmly, because

it is driven in this direction by the bit. Only the tip of the bit should be cutting on the first cut

➁

. This back or climb routing

leaves a very clean shoulder in face grain.

10 -18

10 -19 Now rout in and out from left to right following the guides

and bridge pieces to rout out the pin sockets, leaving the tails.

See fig. 17-10 “Hints and Tips”.

Page 44

VARIABLY SPACED HALF-BLIND DOVETAILS

Chapter 10 D4R Pro User Guide

10-20 Remove the test tail board, then clamp a scrap board in the front of the jig so that the top edge projects above the top face of the jig by about

⁄8"[3mm]➀. This will keep the scrap piece below the path of the bit when routing the pin board. Remove the spacer board from the rear clamp.

10-21 If you’re mounting Thin Pin Boards:

The minimum recommended pin board thickness is

⁄2"[13mm]. If

you wish to rout a pin board less than the minimum thickness

➀

, it will be necessary to pack the board up from the jig body. We suggest using a piece of

⁄4" to 3⁄8"[6 to 9mm] plywood for this

purpose

➁

10-22 Flush Drawers Place a test pin board in the left rear clamp against the side stop, fitting its front end edge flush against the vertical scrap piece, inside face

of the drawer front away from the jig body. The pin board is now positioned with the edge to be routed flush with the jig’s front face, correctly registered for the scale readings. For drawers with rabbeted fronts, see Chapter 12.

10-23 Rotate the finger assembly to the hHB PINS mode. Set the HB PINS scale equal to tail board thickness (i.e., same setting as tails: this example,

⁄4"[20mm]). HB pins and HB tail scales are

always set to tail board thickness. Make sure the finger assembly is flush and level on the pin board. The guidefingers must touch

the pin board or depth of cut will vary, causing poor joint fit.

10-24 If you have difficulty leveling the finger assembly on a narrow workpiece, place a board the same thickness as the pin board under the other end of the finger assembly, but not under

the rear clamp.



Rout out the waste between the pins. Rout each space from left to right. Do not back rout on end

grain. If the bit enters on the right side of the opening there will be a very strong pull to the left, so... Rout each opening in at least three or four passes, left to right.

10-25

Page 45

VARIABLY SPACED HALF-BLIND DOVETAILS

Chapter 10D4R Pro User Guide

10-26 Remove the pin board and test the fit. If the joint is loose, lower the bit to increase the depth of cut, by the amount of the gap at the bottom of the pins

➀

(when the pins are pulled against

the socket sides

➁

). If the joint is too tight, raise the bit slightly to decrease the depth of cut. Test again. You cannot rout the same board twice. Use two fresh board ends for each test.

10-27 Keep the test tail board that fits well, and mark it with the number of the bit you used to rout it. For quick set-up next time, clamp this tail board in the jig as a depth-of-cut gauge

➀

to show how far to lower the bit. Better yet, measure the bit projection from the end of the guidebush

➁

or guidebush flange ➂ and

record this for fast set-ups in future.

10-28 When you have the proper tightness of fit, check the flushness. The tails should be under flush to the pins by no more

than

⁄64"[0,3mm] to allow for cleanup (exaggerated here). The

concentricity of the collet and guidebush on different routers will affect this tolerance.

1/64"[0,3mm]

10-29 If the tails stand out from the pins, set the h HB PINS scale away from the operator by the amount required.

10-30 If the tails fit in too far past the pins ends, set the h HB PINS scale toward the operator by the amount required. These adjustments for “flushness” are made only in the

HB PINS

mode. The tail mode scale setting remains the same.

1/64"[0,3mm]

10-31 To make a box, rout all four ends of the tail boards, keeping the inside face

of the tail boards away from the jig.

Page 46

VARIABLY SPACED HALF-BLIND DOVETAILS

Chapter 10 D4R Pro User Guide

10-32

Rout all four ends of the pin boards keeping the inside

face

of the boards away from the jig.

Note: When making drawers you may prefer to use through dovetails on the rear corners.

10-33 Assemble the box. As with through dovetails, it doesn’t matter which edge of any of the boards are at the top or bottom, the box will still fit together e.g. pin board “A” can be up either way.

QUICK REFERENCE REMINDERS

10-34 Half-blind (HB) tails: Drawer sides (tailboards) are clamped vertically in the jig. The inside face

of the drawer side goes away

from the jig body. The finger assembly is in the

HB TAILS mode, set to the thickness of the drawer side. Use bridge pieces where required

➀

10-35 Half-blind (HB) pins: Drawer fronts (pinboards) are cut with the board clamped horizontally in the jig. The inside face

of the drawer front faces away from the jig body. The

finger assembly is in the

HB PINS mode, and again set on

the thickness of the drawer side (but adjusted for a flush fit, see

10-28 to 10-30).

10-36 On the Leigh D4R Pro, all half-blind dovetails are routed using the Leigh e7-Bush set at No.10 or standard

⁄16"[11,1mm]

diameter bush (min. depth

⁄4" [6,35mm] see Appendix I ). For

instructions to rout end-on-end dovetails see Chapter 13.

■

7/16"

[11,1mm]

Thickness of

Tail Board

Thickness of

Pin Board

Depth of

Cut

Dovetail

Bit

Guidebush

Diameter

/4"-11/2"

[6-40]

min.

/8" [22] ~ 3/4" [19] No.80-8

Leigh e7

/16" [11,1]

min.

/4" [20] ~ 5/8" [16] No.101-8

min.

/8" [16] ~ 1/2" [13] No.112-8

min.

/16" [14] ~ 7/16" [11] No.120-8

min.

/2" [12] ~ 3/8" [9] No.128-8

Numbers in brackets are millimeters

Page 47

Single Pass

Half-Blind Dovetails

D4R Pro - CHAPTER 11

Why rout “single pass” dovetails on a variable spaced Leigh jig? Well, you just may need to reproduce or restore a late 19th or early 20th century drawer which has similar, machine made joints. Or, if you are making a lot of drawer boxes and are not so concerned with the traditional “hand cut look”, then routing both drawer fronts and sides together does go a little faster.

MODE ICONS

Illustrations in this user guide include the correct mode icon for the current instruction. The icons are also used in the instruction text.

Only one mode is required:

Half-Blind Dovetail Tails (HB TAILS) mode

Inches Millimeters

Active

Guide Surfaces

Spacer

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

Stream to your smart phone or tablet to use in your shop as a visual reference. Find the video in the Instructional Videos section of the Support menu at leighjigs.com.

Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 48

SINGLE PASS HALF-BLIND DOVETAILS

Chapter 11 D4R Pro User Guide

11-1 Single Pass Half-Blind Dovetails:

➀

Pins

➁

Pin sockets

➂

Half-pins

➃

Half-pin sockets

➄

Tails

➅

Tail Sockets

The pins fit in the pin sockets. Joints should almost always end each side with half-pins.

Depth of Cut

Tail Board

Pin Board

 IMPORTANT! Bit depths of cut for “single pass” dovetails

are not the same as for variably spaced joints.

11-2 Cutting Depth for Single Pass Half-Blind Dovetails

120-8

14˚

(6.4mm)

(7.5mm)

112-8

12˚

(9.1mm)

101-8

10˚

(4.8mm)

128-8

18˚

IMPORTANT: Add

(3mm) to the depth of cut for pin board thickness

NOTE: See fig.11-9 on p.42 for range of tail board thickness

Pin Board Thickness

DEPTH OF CUT

(10.7mm)

80-8

8˚

DEPTH

OF CUT

Pin Board Thickness

(3mm) min.

Symbol for approximately

RECOMMENDED

NOTE: Bits 120-8 and 80-8 are included with the jig

•

Depth of cut must be as specified for each of the five

bits shown above. Exception: See fig.11-26. Note: Leigh

bits 101-8, 112-8 and 128-8 are optional.

•

Raising the bit above its specified cutting depth will

result in loose joints and may damage the jig, bit and/ or guidebush. A lower setting will result in tighter joints that may not fit together.

•

Small Depth of Cut adjustments will allow for joint

fit tightness.

See 10-3 to 10-5 for why.

•

Choose one of the five, 1⁄2"[12,7 mm] diameter dovetail

bits shown above.

•

Fit the provided Leigh e7-Bush to the router as shown

below and set at No.10, or use a standard

⁄16" [11,1mm]

guidebush (min. barrel depth

/4" [6,35mm] see p.69).

Page 49

SINGLE PASS HALF-BLIND DOVETAILS

Chapter 11D4R Pro User Guide

11-3 Bit Angle and Depth of Cut Half-blind pins and tails are routed with the same dovetail bit, the same guidebush, and the same depth of cut. A different depth of cut requires a different angled bit. Leigh offers five different angled dovetail bits for a range of cut depths. A lesser angle, say 8˚, for a deeper cut

➀

; a

greater angle, say 18˚, for a shallower cut

➁

18˚

8˚

11- 4 Cumulative plus/minus tolerances in routers, bits and guidebushes, make it impossible to state exact bit depth for firsttime precision fit. All dovetail jigs require trial and error tests to attain a fine fitting joint. The good news; we give a starting depth for each bit. Test and measure the successful ‘Best fit’ depth of cut

➀

or bit projection ➁ and record for future first-time fits.

Depth of Cut

Bit Projection

11-5 Routing a Test Joint You need a router, the e7-Bush

set at No.10 (see chapter 3 for e-Bush instructions) and the 80-8

⁄2"[12,7mm] 8˚ dovetail bit. Note: The No.80-8 bit routs at a

shallower ~

⁄2"[13mm] depth on single pass dovetails than on regular variably spaced joints. For this test, start with the No.80-8 bit projecting

⁄16"[24mm] from the router base.

11- 6 This is a typical fixed template comb type jig. The comb depth

➀

is usually dimensioned to suit the most popular drawer

side thickness of

⁄2"[12,7mm].

11-7 Stop Rod and Dovetail Spacer The stop rod is inserted in the fingers

➀

to convert them from deep tail sockets to a shallow

fixed comb. The flexible stop rod is fed through the holes in the fingers from the “far” end of the jig. The Dovetail Spacer (note the dovetail shaped notch) snaps into the channel against the lefthand front side stop

➁

to correctly offset the drawer sides from the drawer fronts. After setup, the Spacer stays in place for the complete procedure.

11-8 Board Widths To achieve equally sized half pins ➀ at each side on a fixed space joint, use the board width from the chart above. Alternatively, you can add up to

⁄4"[6mm] to the listed board

width, or reduce it by

⁄8"[3mm]. This chart covers boards up to a

maximum width of 13

⁄16"[331mm]. Example: the 12"[305mm]

can be up to 12

⁄4"[311mm] or as small as 117⁄8"[302mm].

Single Pass Board Width Chart

Add up to ¼" [6mm] or subtract up to 1/8" [3mm]

⁄16 [55] 8 11⁄16 [221]

⁄4 [83] 9 3⁄4 [248]

4 3⁄8 [110] 10 7⁄8 [276]

5 7⁄16 [138] 12 [305]

⁄2 [166] 13 1⁄16 [331]

7 5⁄8 [193]

–

Page 50

SINGLE PASS HALF-BLIND DOVETAILS

Chapter 11 D4R Pro User Guide

11- 9 With the finger assembly raised in the HHB Tails mode, clamp a drawer side in the front left side, against the side stop and the top end edge slightly above the jig body top

➀

Note: Drawer side (tail board) thickness can be from

⁄16" to

⁄16"[11mm to 14mm]. See 11-25 re drawer side thickness greater

than 9/16".

11-11 With the scale set on 1⁄2"[12,7mm], lower the finger assembly to about

⁄8"[3mm] above the drawer front to ease adjusting the

guide fingers

➀

. The scale is always set on the 1/2"[12,7mm]

mark for single pass dovetails.

11-12 With boards the same width as a board width chart size (Fig. 11-8), set the first guide finger flush against the board edge

➀

and tighten. If board width is greater than a chart size, set the first finger in from the edge by half the additional board width

➁

. If board width is narrower than a chart size, overhang the first finger by half the difference and tighten.

11-13 Set the dovetail spacer

➀

with numeral 2 facing right, against the

single left guide finger. Move the next finger pair➁ against the spacer and tighten. There will be a gap between the pointed ends (pin end) of the fingers, not the tail end. Remove and locate the spacer to the right of the tightened fingers. You should feel friction when removing the spacer ➂. Slide next finger pair➃ against spacer and tighten. Repeat across the board width to position ➄ plus one more finger pair. Place the spacer against the last finger pair ➅ and add one more half finger to the right.

11-14 Move any spare fingers so that they will support the router and tighten all loose fingers. Lower the assembly flat onto the drawer front.

REMEMBER SAFETY!

11-10 Place a sample drawer front from 5⁄8" to 11⁄2" thickness [16 to 38mm] in the rear clamp. Clamp with the side edge against the left rear side stop, front end edge touching flush across the rear of the front board

➀

. Note: the 5⁄8" [16mm] minimum thickness

can be reduced if using other shallower bit depths. ! Board edges

must be square.

Page 51

SINGLE PASS HALF-BLIND DOVETAILS

Chapter 11D4R Pro User Guide

11-15 Unclamp the tail board from the front clamp and insert the dovetail spacer as shown against the side stop

➀

. Re-set the drawer side in the front clamp so that its top edge touches the guide fingers and is perfectly flush with the top face of the drawer front and the left edge is against the Spacer.

! Board edges must be square.

11-16 Insert the Stop Rod through the holes in the fingers➀.

For the first light cut move the router from right to left. Make sure you control it firmly, because it is driven in this direction by the bit. Only the tip of the bit should be cutting on the first cut

➁

. This back, or climb routing, leaves a very clean shoulder

when routing side grain.

11-17 Now rout in and out from left to right. Follow the guides

in on the left of each finger opening to touch the stop rod and come out on the right. The pins, tails and sockets are formed

simultaneously.

11-18 If the joint is loose, lower the bit to increase the depth of cut by the amount of the gap at the bottom of the pins

➀

. If the joint is tight, raise the bit slightly to decrease the depth of cut. Test again. If there is a gap at only one end of the joint, the boards have been routed at different depths. Check the finger assembly is flat on the pin board and the tail board touches the bottom of the fingers.

11-19 Keep the test tail board that fits well, and mark it with the number of the bit you used to rout it. For quick set-up next time, clamp this tail board in the jig as a depth-of-cut gauge

➀

to show how far to lower the bit. Better yet, measure the bit projection from the end of the guidebush

➁

or guidebush flange ➂ and

record this for fast set-ups in future.

11-20 When you have the proper tightness of fit, check the flushness. The tails should be under flush to the pins by no more than

/64"[0,3mm] to allow for cleanup (exaggerated here). Any concen-

tricity errors in the collet and guidebush on different routers will affect this tolerance.

1/64"[0,3mm]

Test the joint fit. Pull the joint apart so the tails are tight against the socket sides (2)

Page 52

SINGLE PASS HALF-BLIND DOVETAILS

Chapter 11 D4R Pro User Guide

11-21 Moving the finger assembly affects the pins and tails. So, if the tails stand out from the pins, set the

HB TAILS scale

away from the operator by half the amount required.

11-22 If the tails fit in too far past the pins ends, set the

HB TAILS scale toward the operator by half the amount

required.

1/64[0,3mm]

11-23 To make a box, repeat the procedure four times, ensuring the drawer fronts, rears and sides are all rotated correctly in the jig, keeping the inside face

of the boards away from the jig.

11-24 Assemble the drawer. As with through dovetails, it doesn’t matter which edge of any of the boards are at the top or bottom, the drawer will still fit together e.g. pin board “A” can be up either way.

11-25 For tail (drawer side) boards thicker than 9/16" [14,29mm] ➀,

set the scale to

[12,7mm]

➁

and leave the stop rod in place. Do

not set the scale to the actual tail board thickness. With thicker boards,

more of the inside portion of the tail board

➂

will be routed away. Slight scale adjustments may be required for a flush fit. See figures 11-20 through 11-22.

11-26 Hint: Increasing the Depth of Cut (see page 40) This is based on setting the eBush on 10. The depth of cut for each bit can be increased slightly by turning the eBush to a lower number. For example, if you turn the eBush from 10 to 9 you will have to increase the depth of cut by 0.014" [0,36mm] for the 80-8 bit. If you turn the eBush two increments to number 8 you will have to increase the depth of cut by 0.028" [0,71mm] and so on.

■

Cutting Depth Increase

80-8 0.014"

101-8 0.011"

112-8 0.009"

120-8 0.008"

128-8 0.006"

per e-Bush Increment

Bit

Page 53

D4R Pro - CHAPTER 12

Rabbeted

Half-Blind Dovetails

Before attempting rabbeted half-blind dovetails, first master the techniques of flush half-blind dovetails in chapter 10.

➀

Pins

➁

Pin sockets

➂

Half-pins

➃

Half-pin sockets

➄

Tails

➅

Tail Sockets

Bit selection is critical. You need to select a specific dovetail bit for your rabbeted half-blind dovetail project, depending on the rabbet depth you are using.

• Choose one of the five

⁄2"[12,7mm] diameter dovetail bits shown above. See bit selection in Appendix II.

• Depth of cut must be as specified for each of the five bits illustrated above.

Exception: See fig.11-26. Note: No’s 101-8, 112-8 and 128-8 are optional Leigh bits.

• Raising the bit above its specified cutting depth will result in loose joints and may damage the jig, bit and/ or guidebush. A lower setting will result in tighter joints that may not fit together.

• Small Depth of Cut adjustments will change joint fit tightness. See 10-3 to 10-5 for why.

• Rabbeted Half-blind PINS and TAILS are routed with the same dovetail bit and must be at the same Depth of Cut.

• All half-blind dovetail bits work with the Leigh e7-Bush supplied with your Leigh jig or a standard

⁄16"[11,1mm] outside diameter

guidebush.

• Each dovetail bit will produce

only one depth of cut. Only

⁄2" [12,7mm]➂ cutting diameter bits can be used for half-blind dovetails.

12-1 Rabbeted Half-blind Dovetail Terminology:

The pins fit in the pin sockets. Joints should almost always end each side with half-pins.

RABBET DEPTH➀ determines the maximum depth of cut➁ you can use. Select

a bit with a depth of cut that is at least 1/16" [1,6mm] less than the rabbet depth.

Lip thickness 4 will vary depending on overall board thickness – maximum 3/8” when using undercut side stops.

Rabbet width 5 is variable and set to suit project.

12-2 Cutting Depth for Rabbeted Half-Blind Dovetails

120-8

[11mm]

112-8

[13mm]

101-8

[16mm]

128-8

[9mm]

80-8

[19mm]

DEPTH OF CUT

IMPORTANT: Add

[3mm] to the depth of cut for pin board thickness

NOTE: See10-35 chart on p.38 for range of tail board thickness

Symbol for approximately

Pin Board Thickness

NOTE: Bits 80-8 and 120-8 are included with the jig

[3mm] min.

Rabbet Width

Lip Thickness

Pin Board

Tail Board

 Important! Read This About Rabbeted HB Depth of Cut

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

Stream to your smart phone or tablet to use in your shop as a visual reference. Find the video in the Instructional Videos section of the Support menu at leighjigs.com.

Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 54

RABBETED HALF-BLIND DOVETAILS

Chapter 12 D4R Pro User Guide

12-3 Provided the drawer front lip is 3⁄8"[9,5mm] or less in thick- ness

➀

, you can mount and rout rabbeted drawer fronts and sides

exactly the same way as flush drawer fronts. If the lip is thicker or wider than

⁄8"[9,5mm] ➁see 12-6 thru 12-8.

12-4 Rabbeted Pins You will need to clamp a scrap stop block

➀

in the front of the jig out from the jig’s front face by exactly the depth of the rabbet

➁

.This brings the pin ends exactly in line with the

front jig face

➂

, ensuring that the scale reading is accurate.

12-5 An easy accurate way to do this is to rabbet the end of a scrap piece

➀

vertically over a dado blade or router bit at the same time

as you rabbet the drawer front (horizontally)

➁

12-6 If the lip thickness➀ is greater than 3⁄8" [9,5mm], it will not fit under the side stop. Block the drawer side away from the front side stop by exactly rabbet depth (see 12-3 ). Make up a block

➁

and

stick it to the jig face

➂

with double-sided tape. Make sure it touches the side stop. This will offset the drawer side from the side stop by the width of the rabbet, and align the sockets with the pins.

12-7 If the rabbet width➀ is greater than 3⁄8"[9,5mm], the drawer side must be offset from the front side stop by the depth of the rabbet minus

⁄8"[9,5mm]. Make up a block to this measurement and stick it to the face of the jig, touching the front side stop. This will offset the drawer side away from the side stop and align the sockets with the pins.

12-8 Make sure you select a dovetail bit that has a working depth of cut less than the rabbet height

➀

. Otherwise, you will rout into

the rabbet lip

➁

. It is difficult to clean up the drawer sides and front corner after assembling a rabbeted drawer, so make sure the fit is flush before you complete the drawers (see 10-28 to 10-30).

■

Page 55

D4R Pro - CHAPTER 13

End-On-End

Dovetails

While you have the router set up for half-blind dovetails, it is a good time to try end-on-end dovetails.



If you have not yet routed half-blind dovetails or read through chapter 11, please do so now before attempting end-on-end dovetails.

13-1 End-on-end dovetails are made in the same modes as halfblind joints, but both boards are routed vertically in the front clamp, alternately face side in and then face side out

. Boards for end-

on-end joints may be up to

⁄4"[20mm] thick.

 Use only the guidebush, dovetail bits and depths of cut as

specified in Chapter 10 or Appendix II.

13-2 The end-on-end dovetail is laid out in the H HB TAILS mode. There is a special mark on the scale for end-on-end dovetails. Align the support bracket line with the small arrow as shown. Adjust the guidefingers as required.

25–38

1 2

1 4

3 4

1 2

13-3 Rout the tails. Clamp end-on-end dovetail boards in the jig for routing one end face side in and one end face side out. Keep

the same edge against the side stop for both ends.

13- 4 Rout the tails on each end of the tail boards.

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

Stream to your smart phone or tablet to use in your shop as a visual reference. Find the video in the Instructional Videos section of the Support menu at leighjigs.com.

Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 56

END-ON-END DOVETAILS

Chapter 13 D4R Pro User Guide

13-5 Rotate the finger assembly to hHB PINS mode and again set it on the small scale arrow for maximum pin board thickness (

⁄4"[20mm]).

There is no theoretical minimum thickness, but avoid thin board tearout, see 17-11. Rout pins on each end of pin boards, same edge against the sidestop for both ends. Narrow pins are illustrated (look like narrow tails), but guidefingers can easily adjust for even-sized tails and pins.

25–38

1 4

1 2

3 4

13- 6 Always assemble end-on-end joints keeping the edges of the boards that were against the side stop all in line.

Applications for End-on-End Dovetails

As one example, you can make a flat, stable, and attractive chest lid by edge-jointing and glueing end-on-end dovetailed boards.

■

Page 57

D4R Pro - CHAPTER 14

For certain procedures, you will need to use both ends of the Leigh D4R Pro jig. Asymmetrical joint layouts are one example. On the Leigh Jig, no joints will be truly symmetrical, but they can look symmetrical. Apparent symmetry is only required for aesthetic reasons, and not for strength. Be sure you have read and understood chapters 8

through 14 before attempting these procedures.

14 -1 By symmetrical we mean a joint that looks or is approximately symmetrical about its center line but is probably not, and need not be precisely symmetrical. Using the Leigh jig, it is easy to cut a joint that looks symmetrical; the pins will always align perfectly with the tails cut at the same spacing. Remember, symmetry is only required for appearance, not for joinery reasons.

14-2 By asymmetrical we mean a deliberately uneven layout of pins and tails required by the project design. For example, asymmetrical joints may be used for blanket chests or boxes. One pin is made wider for a saw-cut allowance…

14-3 So the chest and lid half-pins all look the same width after the lid portion

➀

is cut off.

14-4 In the chest example you can see that if both ends of the board are cut under the same guidefingers, the wide sockets and pins at opposite ends will not line up. Remember, the same inside face

of the through dovetail tail board has to face away from

the jig for each cut.

Asymmetric

Dovetails

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

Stream to your smart phone or tablet to use in

your shop as a visual reference. Find the video in the Instructional Videos section of the Support menu at leighjigs.com.

Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 58

ASYMMETRIC DOVETAILS

Chapter 14 D4R Pro User Guide

14-5 Deliberately asymmetrical joints must therefore be routed on both ends of the jig using two separate, almost mirror-image layouts.

14-6 The layouts need not be exact mirror images because the parts that fit together will be made on the same end of the jig. For a typical blanket chest you would rout corners A and C on one end of the jig and corners B and D on the other end. As long as the side stop marks all face up (or all down), the box will go together.

14-7 Here is an easy way to cut these near-mirror-image joints. Lay out the A and C corner joints in the usual way (i.e., in the

TD PINS mode). Rout the A and C corners’ tails and pins.

Leave the guidefingers set and in the

TD PINS mode.

A/C

B/D

14-8 Simply flip a completed A or C pin board from one end of the jig (like turning a page) to the other end, and center each pair of guidefingers over a pin.

14-9 Now rout the B and D corners’ tails and pins using this guidefinger pattern. When you assemble the case, the A and/or C ends will fit each other, and the B and/or D ends will also fit each other. Keep the boards inside face i inwards on the case and the side stop edges all turned the same way, and the parts are sure to match (see 14-6).

B/D

A/C

14 -10 To transfer a mirror image asymmetrical half-blind joint…

Page 59

ASYMMETRIC DOVETAILS

Chapter 14D4R Pro User Guide

14 -11 Turn the tail board (like turning a page of a book) to the other end of the jig. Position the guidefingers over the tails, then rout the tails for the other drawers. This tail board layout may look symmetrical, but as the next illustration shows, it forms part of an asymmetrical joint.

14 -12 This common example of asymmetry is where boards are of a different width. In this case, a drop-front drawer, the drawer front bottom half-pin is much wider than the top half-pin. The top edges of the drawer front and sides are flush, so it makes sense to use these edges against the side stops at each end of the jig.

14 -13 Mount the right end of the drawer front on the left end, but do not rout this opening

➀

14-14 Mount the left end of the drawer front on the right end, using the mirror-image layouts on both ends, but do not rout this opening

➁

14 -15 Both ends of the jig are also used for the top corners of a slant-front desk. The joints themselves may be symmetrical, but they must be routed on opposite ends of the jig because the sloped front will not register accurately against the fixed side stops.

14 -16 At the back of the desk both sides and top are flush, so the rear edges are set against the side stops. Place the left end of the top tail board against the left side stop

. Rout the tails.

Page 60

ASYMMETRIC DOVETAILS

Chapter 14 D4R Pro User Guide

14 -17 The left side of the desk goes against the left side stop e. Rout the pins.

14 -18 Transfer the joint layout from left to right (as for 14-8 to 14-11) and place the right end of the top tail board against the right side stop

. Rout the tails.

14 -19 Place the right side of desk against the right side stop f. Rout the pins.

14-20 Note: If, in the slant-front desk example, the pins were in the desk top and the tails in the sides, then all the parts would be routed in the opposite ends of the jig to those shown above.

■

Page 61

Box Joints

D4R Pro - CHAPTER 15

Concept of Operation

The first board is set against the side stop ➀.

The Spacer is used to space the guide fingers

➁

The Spacer is also used against the side stop

➂

to accurately offset mating workpieces for correct board to board joint alignment.

IMPORTANT: “Actual” Joint Sizes

The D4R Pro finger assembly was originally designed solely for dovetailing. Adapting the assembly for box jointing was a serendipitous combination of luck (existing guides approximately the correct dimension) and clever design; the e7-Bush and Spacer. As a result, the nominal

⁄8" and 3⁄4"[9,5 and 19mm] box joint sizes are closer to 25⁄64"

and 49⁄64" [9,8 and 19,6mm] respectively.

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

Stream to your smart phone or tablet to use in your shop as a visual reference. Find the video in the Instructional Videos section of the Support menu at leighjigs.com.

Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 62

BOX JOINTS

Chapter 15 D4R Pro User Guide

Board Width Selection

Choose a joint size in the chart below:

9,5mm] or

[19mm]. Board width is determined by the total number of pins and sockets in the joint design and whether the joint is symmetrical or asymmetrical. Use this chart to determine board widths up to 16

/32" [412mm] (limited by the number of guide fingers).

D4R Pro

3/8" 3/4" 9,5mm 19mm

1 1/8

1 29/32

2 11/16

3 15/32

4 7/32

6 17/32

7 5/16

8 3/32

8 7/8

9 19/32

10 13/32

11 3/16

11 31/32

12 3/4

14 9/32

15 1/16

15 27/32

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

2 9/32

3 1/16

3 27/32

4 5/8

5 3/8

6 5/32

6 15/16

7 23/32

8 17/32

9 1/4

10 1/32

10 13/16

11 9/16

12 11/32

13 1/8

13 29/32

14 11/16

15 7/16

16 7/32

/16

4 5/8

6 5/32

7 23/32

9 1/4

10 13/16

12 11/32

13 29/32

15 7/16

2 9/32

3 27/32

5 3/8

6 15/16

8 17/32

10 1/32

11 9/16

13 1/8

14 11/16

16 7/32

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

117

137

157

176

196

216

235

255

275

294

314

334

353

373

393

412

117

157

196

235

275

314

353

393

137

176

216

255

294

334

373

412

107

127

147

167

186

206

225

245

265

284

304

324

343

363

383

402

Symmetrical Symmetrical

Asymmetrical Symmetrical Asymmetrical SymmetricalAsymmetrical Asymmetrical

Board Width - INCHES Board Width - MILLIMETERS

Box Joints Terminology

➀

➁

Pin board

➂

Socket

➃

Socket board

The pins fit in the sockets.

Symmetrical joints have a pin on each

board edge. Total pins and sockets is always an odd number.

Asymmetrical joints have a pin on one board

edge, and a socket on the other edge. Total pins and sockets is always an even number.

EXAMPLE

joint size Asymmetrical layout 10 sockets and pins = 3

/32

board width

EXAMPLE

joint size Symmetrical layout 11 sockets and pins = 4

/32

board width

Page 63

BOX JOINTS

Chapter 15D4R Pro User Guide

15-1 Bit and Guidebush selection Only the e7-Bush and the

⁄16" bit ➀ that came with the D4R Pro are required for box joints.

Spiral upcut router bits

➁

will cut cleaner than straight flute. Where metric size bits are available an 8mm straight or spiral bit may be substituted for the

⁄16". Always start test routing with the e7-Bush

set on “5”. Note: the box joint Spacer

➂

has a square notch.

15-2 3⁄8"[9,5mm] Box Joints

Place the finger assembly on the support brackets in the HB TAILS mode, set the scales on the small triangular arrow

➀

and lower the assembly onto the spacer board. All box joints are routed in this position. Note: maximum board thickness is 1"[25mm].

15-3 Clamp a test board in the front left clamp, against the side stop with the top edge flush under the guide fingers. The board may be clamped face side in or out

. Mark and adjust the depth

of cut to suit the thickness of the mating boards

➀

15-4 Raise the finger assembly about 1⁄8"[3mm] to allow ease of guide finger adjustment

➀

. Position the second guide finger

⁄32"[1,0mm] in from the board edge ➁ and tighten the finger.

The first finger stays against the scale block as a router support

➂

Note: Square ended boards are essential to achieve flush joint alignment.

15-5 Place the Spacer on the finger bar to the right of the second finger, numeral 1 on top overlapping the locked finger

➀

. Move

the next finger in to touch the Spacer

➁

. Hold the guide finger

firmly against the Spacer and tighten the second finger screw

➂

. As you remove the Spacer you should feel some friction; this indicates that the guide finger is correctly spaced

➃

15-6 Now place the spacer vertically on the right hand side of the third finger; the prongs to the left

➀

. Hold the guide finger

firmly against the Spacer and tighten the second finger screw

➁

As you remove the Spacer you should feel some friction

➂

; this

indicates that the guide finger is correctly spaced.

Page 64

BOX JOINTS

Chapter 15 D4R Pro User Guide

15-7 Repeat this procedure across the jig until there is at least one guide finger spaced past the right hand side of the work piece. Finger pairs should have a uniform

⁄2"[12,7mm] space between

them

➀

, and .054"[1,37mm] gap ➁ between fingers of the same

pair. Tighten the unused guides.

15-8 Lower the finger assembly onto the spacer board and doublecheck that the bit depth is down to the center of the pencil line

➀

Make sure the collet does not rub on the guidebush.

15-9 Rout one end of the scrap board. Rout into each finger opening

➀

and between each finger ➁. Make sure to run the

guidebush on both sides of each opening.

15 -10 Remove the board and fit the box joint Spacer against the front side stop with the number 3 showing

➀

. Make sure it is fully home. Clamp the second test board with its side edge against the Spacer and its top edge touching the guide fingers. Rout this board. Note: Square ended boards are essential to achieve

flush joint alignment.

15 -11 Test the boards for fit and flushness. If the joint is loose, turn the e7-Bush to a higher number and rout two more boards. If the joint is too tight, turn the e7-Bush to a lower number. Trial-and-error establishes the best e7-Bush setting. Record it on this bush drawing for a good result the next time. Note: each increment adjusts glue line fit by

0.002"[0,05mm]. Retighten the eBush nut after each adjustment.

15 -12 If the joint is over flush ➀, raise the bit slightly. If it is under flush

➁

, lower the bit.

1 2

Page 65

BOX JOINTS

Chapter 15D4R Pro User Guide

15-13 Lets make a box with 3/8" box joints..

Prepare four boards and number them 1 to 4. Then select the grain alignment and mark the common top (or bottom) edge

. Don’t

worry about face side selection; this can be done after routing.

15 -14 All box joint boards are clamped alternating face side in

and face side out jalways with the same side edge against the side stop (or Spacer).

15-15 Rout both ends of boards 1 and 3 with their edges against the side stop. Be sure to keep the same edge to the stop.

15 -16 Rout both ends of boards 2 and 4 with their edges against the Spacer and the Spacer in the No.3 position.

Keep the same edges to the Spacer.

15 -17 Keeping the marked side stop edges of all boards toward the top (or all to the bottom) of the box, select the preferred outside faces before routing the grooves

➄

for the bottom.

15 -18 The same method will produce end-on-end joints.

Page 66

BOX JOINTS

Chapter 15 D4R Pro User Guide

15-19 3 ⁄4"[19mm] Box Joints Set-up and space the guide fingers exactly as for

⁄8"[9mm] joints. Start with the same e7-Bush

setting. See 15-2 thru 15-9. Prepare four boards using the board width chart for

⁄4"[19mm]

joints and number them 1 to 4 around the box

➀

with the com-

mon edges marked.

15-20 Rout both ends of boards 1 and 3 but only rout between the guide finger openings

➀

not between the finger sides➁. Keep

the common edge against the side stop. Hint: Mark the router base at the 12 o’clock position

➂

and steer

this mark along the pointed ends of the fingers at the rear of the assembly.

15-21 Now rout both ends of boards 2 and 4, with the common edge against the side stop but only rout between the finger sides

➁

not between the finger openings ➀.

Hint: Now steer the base 12 o’clock mark between the pairs of finger points

➂

15-22 Remove the board and fit the Spacer to the side stop with number 3 showing

➃

. Now rout both ends of boards 2 and 4 again,

with the common edge against the Spacer and again …only rout

between the finger sides

➁

, not between the finger openings ➀,

steering the router mark between the pairs of finger points

➂

15-23 With the Spacer still in position rout both ends of boards

1 and 3, with the common edge against the Spacer and only rout between the finger openings

➀

, steering the router mark along

the finger points

➂

15-24 Joint fit Check for joint fit as usual, and repeat testing if required. Theoretically, there will be nothing in the

⁄4"[19mm] sockets, literally a zero thickness wall, where the bit has passed by twice. However, routing tolerances can leave a very thin “wall” uncleared by routing. This can be quickly removed with a chisel or sandpaper.

■

Page 67

Sliding Dovetails

D4R Pro - CHAPTER 16



Routing sliding dovetail “slots” across the face grain of horizontal boards is very tough on dovetail bits. Always use the largest shank size available to you; we recommend at least 8mm shanks, but 1⁄2" would be

even better, with of course the appropriate guidebush. If you have to use 1⁄4" shanks in hardwood, use a second router to rough out the slot center with a straight bit. While we recommend

⁄8"[15,9mm] as the ideal size guidebush for sliding dovetails, we appreciate that many users

will have only a 7⁄16" bushing. These instructions cover both those guidebushes. The Leigh 7⁄16" e7 and 5⁄8" e10 guide

bushes can be used to make fine fit adjustments for sliding dovetails.

With the Finger Assembly in

HALF-BLIND DOVETAIL TAILS (HB TAILS) mode,

install the sliding dovetail fence (cross-cut fence)

KEEP the finger assembly in the same mode

Sliding Dovetail

Slots are cut

across the board

face.

Inches Millimeters

Active

Guide Surface

Sliding Dovetail Tails

are cut across the board end edge

Inches Millimeters

Active

Guide Surface

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

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Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 68

SLIDING DOVETAILS

Chapter 16 D4R Pro User Guide

16 -1 With the finger assembly in HHB TAILS mode, the sliding dovetail fence fits into the recesses in the ends of the tail guides for routing sliding dovetails.



Space the guides fairly evenly across the jig. Firmly seat the fence into end of each guidefinger to ensure a straight cut.

16-2 Using the sliding dovetail fence as a guide surface for the guidebush, you can make lateral router cuts across the faces of horizontal boards (we call these dovetail slots), and...

16-3 Across the top ends of vertical boards to cut the tail. First rout one side

➀

...

…then turn the board side-over-side

➁

to cut the other half of

the tail.

16- 4 Turn the e7-Bush to “5” and use the No. 120-8, 1⁄2"x 14° bit for sliding dovetails. This e7-Bush setting will allow for fine fit adjustment of the tail later. A standard

⁄16"[11,1mm] guidebush (min. depth 1/4" [6,35mm]

see page 69) can be used but without the fine adjustment provided by the e7-Bush.

16-5 On a full width joint, the slot depth-of-cut should be no more than

⁄3 the board thickness ➀. If the tail board is a load-bearing horizontal

member (e.g., bookshelf or step), make the tail fairly thick for good tail neck strength

➁

. Shorter sliding dovetails for less structural demand may be slightly deeper, with narrower profiles, especially if appearance is important

➂

(e.g., where narrow rails join wider boards).

2/3

1/3

16- 6 Use 3⁄4"x 51⁄2 "[20x140mm] softwood to make two slot boards

➀

, plus one narrow test slot board ➁, two tail boards

➂

and one narrow test tail board

➃

. The tail boards ➂ and test tail

board

➃

must be exactly the same thickness. This will make two

uprights and two shelves.

Page 69

SLIDING DOVETAILS

Chapter 16D4R Pro User Guide

16-7 Marking Out: Do not mark slot positions on board faces; mark the edges

➀

of both slot boards together for perfectly level shelves. Mark the narrow test slot board in the same way at several closely spaced random spots

➁

. This board is used only for setup.

16-8 On the test slot board only, square the marks across the face.

16-9 Mount the test slot board in the rear clamp, markings up.

Dovetail slots are best routed from left to right because the bit’s clock-

wise rotation pulls the guidebush against the fence. But when routing close to both ends of a board, you may need to rout slots from right to left. See 16-30.

16 -10 Mount a 3⁄4"[20mm] thick ➀(yes, the 3⁄4"[20mm] thick- ness is important) square-ended board vertically in the front clamp against the side stop, with the top edge butting the underside of the test board.

16 -11 Position and clamp the test board so that one of the edge marks is in line with the outside edge of the vertical board.

16 -12 With the finger assembly (including the sliding dovetail fence) on the support brackets in the

HB TAILS mode, set the

scale to

⁄16"[11mm] ➀. Make sure the finger assembly is level and

sitting flush on top of the board. The

HB TAILS scale was not designed for this operation, but with this setting the routed slot will be close to centered on the slot line.

Page 70

SLIDING DOVETAILS

Chapter 16 D4R Pro User Guide

16 -13 If you use a larger guidebush, for example 5⁄8"[15,9mm] rather than

⁄16"[11,1mm], move the scale in by the difference of the two guidebush radii. E.g., suggested scale reading for a

⁄8"[15,9mm] guidebush would

⁄32"[9mm] ➁.

16 -14 Adjust the bit so the cut depth is about 5⁄16"[8mm]. Rout from left to right maintaining light inward pressure of the guidebush on the fence. Rout in only about 1"[25mm] and back out again.

 Do not lift the router.

16 -15 Check to see if this short slot is centered on the pencil line. If not, adjust the finger assembly in or out and retest on the other lines as necessary until the slot is centered. Lock the finger assembly in this position and record the setting for future reference.

16-16 Now rout sliding dovetail slots in the two main slot boards with the boards in the horizontal position in the rear clamp, slot side, that is inside face

up.

The guidefingers must be flush on the board.

16 -17 Replace the spacer board in the rear clamp, and with the finger assembly on the spacer board, mount a test tail board vertically in the front clamp, flush under the guidefingers. Either side can face out

16 -18 The HHB TAILS scale is not designed specifically for this mode, but it does allow you to make precise adjustments for tail size and tightness of fit on sliding dovetails.

Page 71

SLIDING DOVETAILS

Chapter 16D4R Pro User Guide

16 -19 Adjust and set the finger assembly ➀ so it is clear that the routed tail

➁

will be too large for the slot.



Rout one side of the test tail board.

Make one light pass from right to left (climb routing). Make sure you control it firmly, because it is driven in this direction by the bit. Only the tip of the bit should be cutting on the first cut (see inset). This back or climb routing leaves

a very clean shoulder in side grain.

16-21 Finish left to right, with the guidebush touching the fence.

16-22 Turn the test tail board around in the jig and rout the other side as above.

16-23 Test the joint for fit. The tail should be too big. If it is too small, adjust the finger assembly outward by at least half the difference and rout another test tail on the other end of this test board.

16-24 If the tail ➁ is too big, move the finger assembly ➀ toward the jig by half the amount the tail is too big. Rout the same test board again; keep adjusting and testing until a good fit.Use trial and error each

time. It doesn’t take long, and you get a good fit. For fine fit adjustment with the e-Bush see 16-25.

16-20

Page 72

SLIDING DOVETAILS

Chapter 16 D4R Pro User Guide

16-25 Note: the e7-Bush fit adjustment for sliding dovetails works reverse to normal. Fit adjustments are made by adjusting the

tail size only, not the socket. The e7-Bush is turned down to a lower number for a tighter fit, and up to a higher number for a looser fit. Each increment changes the glue line fit by 0.001”[0,025mm] When the fit is satisfactory, rout one end of a project tail board and test again. If the fit is good, rout all tail board ends.

16-26 When the fit is satisfactory, rout one end of a project tail board and test again. If the fit is good, rout all the other ends.

Note: Variations in board thickness, guidebush diameter, bit depth, angle, diameter and concentricity, make it impractical to record sliding tail size settings.

16-27 Stopped Sliding Dovetails

If a stopped sliding dovetail is called for...

Measure from the outside tip of the dovetail bit to the edge of the router base.

16-28 Measure the same distance from where you want the slot stopped to a position on the finger assembly. Move a guidefinger to that point and mark the guidefinger with a felt pen as a visual router stop mark…

1 2 3 4

100

16-29 Or lightly clamp (with a soft-jawed clamp) a short board to the finger assembly to act as a router stop.

16-30



Dovetail slots preferably are routed from left to right because the bit’s clockwise rotation pulls the guidebush against the fence. However; as when routing close to both ends of a board, it may be necessary to rout slots from right to left. Bit rota-

tion will tend to pull the router away from the fence. Feed slower and maintain constant guidebush pressure against the fence.

■

Page 73

Hints and Tips

D4R Pro - CHAPTER 17

The following pages contain valuable information that will help you get the most from your new Leigh D4R Pro dovetail jig. Our website contains additional information and technical bulletins that further expand your jig's capabilities.

Go to: www.leighjigs.com and click on the “Support” tab.

17-1 Through Dovetail Pins With the straight bit, carefully climb-rout from right to left. Make sure you control the router firmly when climb routing.

Climb routing produces a nice clean shoulder at

➀

Note: For clarity, the guidebush is not shown in this sequence.

 Rout through on the right side.

17-3 Climb rout from left to right from the rear of the cut. Take care to control router.

 Rout back through towards you on the left side.

17-4

17-2

The online video will reduce your learning time dramatically!

Stream to your smart phone or tablet to use in your shop as a visual reference. Find the video in the Instructional Videos section of the Support menu at leighjigs.com.

Watch the Online Instructional Video

Page 74

HINTS AND TIPS

Chapter 17 D4R Pro User Guide

17-5 Rout away the rest of the waste.

Note: Spiral up-cut straight bits (inset) generally rout more smoothly than the two-flute carbide-tipped bits. Leigh recom-

mends solid carbide bits.

17-6 Through Dovetail Pins Tearout

To prevent tearout at the back bottom part of a straight cut, scribe a line with your marking gauge across the back of the pin board at exactly the depth of cut.

17-7 Dovetail Tails Tearout With the dovetail bit, most tearout occurs at the top left exit of the cut.

17-8 To help prevent this, back up the cut with the end-grain of a horizontal board pushed against the back of the workpiece and held in the rear clamp. This board replaces the spacer board.

17-9 This same scrap piece can remain in place for successive cuts.

17-10 Always rout the right hand half pin socket starting from behind the board and moving the router outwards

➀

, and rout the left hand half pin socket from the outer face, moving the router inwards

➁

. Position the non-active guide fingers both sides so

that they do not impede this process

➂

3 3

Page 75

HINTS AND TIPS

Chapter 17D4R Pro User Guide

17-11 For particularly vulnerable pieces or that last piece of exotic wood, the best solution is to clamp horizontal scrap pieces to front and back of the work piece. Make sure the clamps are below the bit depth. PLYWOOD material is not suitable for routing; laminates are very prone to tearout. Figures 17-10 or 17-11 are essential for plywood but do not guarantee success.

17-12 A single scrap piece can be C-clamped on the back of halfblind tails, but make sure you protect the workpiece from the clamp pads. Note: There is no 100% solution to tearout. It’s not the jig’s fault, just something that happens when machining, sawing and even chiseling wood. Important pieces fall off from where you least want them to.



On face cuts, whether using a straight bit or a dovetail bit, climb routing or back routing will leave a

clean edge; but great caution must be exercised in controlling

the router’s movement from right to left, as the bit rotation pulls the router in that direction anyway

17-14 General Hints

Router Stand: Make up a small router stand as illustrated, to mount the router securely on the bench when not in use.

[90mm]

[40mm]

7"[180mm]

/2"

17-15 For routing long vertical boards it may be necessary to build a jig stand to mount securely on your bench. Make the stand and bench height combination sufficient to accept the board length you have in mind. The jig stand should be bolted securely to the bench. Make up a stable platform to stand on as in the illustration. Do

not use a set of steps. Steps are not stable enough.

17-16 When placing long horizontal boards in the rear clamp, make sure the rear end of the board is supported to prevent unnecessary racking of the jig.

17-13

Page 76

HINTS AND TIPS

Chapter 17 D4R Pro User Guide

17-17 More On Symmetry

It doesn’t matter if symmetrical-looking joints on a single box do not precisely mirror the adjacent corners. No one will ever know the difference. These joints look perfectly symmetrical on their own, but...

17-18 If a number of these boxes end up side-by- side, e.g. spice caddys on a kitchen shelf, the slight misalignments of the joints could be unattractive. So when making boxes or through dovetail drawers that will be lined up beside each other with the joints showing...

17-19 Use the asymmetrical mirror image aligning techniques 14-4 to 14-11 for perfectly aligned neighbour joints.

17-20 Using The Router Mark the router base top edge at the 12 o’clock position with a felt marker pen. Without wood or bits, try some dry runs in each jig mode. This will soon get you used to positioning the guidebush against the correct guide surface without looking under the router.

 Do not rout at face level.

17-21 Some router bases have sharp edges on the outside and inside corners. A slight chamfer of the edges with a fine file or sandpaper block will ease router movement on the jig. An occasional light spray of “Top Cote®” application of soft wax to the router base makes for smooth, easy router movement on the jig.

■

Page 77

Attaching the Leigh e-Bush

to the Router

D4R Pro - Appendix I

711C 716C

e7 e10

Nut for e-Bushes and C Guide Bushings

703

702R

706R

705R

710

721

704R

702

RA1129

Set of two Bosch Adaptors: RA1126 and RA1100

RA1100

RA1126

The correct guidebush is the vital link between the router and your Leigh Jig. It precisely steers the router. Where possible, always use the Leigh system to ensure correct bush length and precise diameter for accurate results.

Leigh offers the adaptors below to fit guidebushes to over one hundred router models new and old, including Porter Cable, Black & Decker, and DeWalt. Many other makes e.g. Bosch, Fein, Festool, Milwaukee etc., either offer or include base adaptors. See list of routers in the Template Guide Bushing and Adaptor Selection chart on the next page.

Leigh Template Guide Bushing

and Adaptor System

e-Bushes fit many

routers directly

e-Bush with

Adaptors 702 & 702R

e-Bush Mounting Variations

e-Bush with

Adaptor 703

e-Bush with

Adaptor 710

Page 78

ATTACHING THE LEIGH E-BUSH TO THE ROUTER

Appendix I D4R Pro User Guide

ROUTER

MAKER

ROUTER

MODEL

ROUTER

ADAPTOR

7/16" OD

BUSHING

◆

5/8" OD

BUSHING ▲

AEG

OFE 710 in plunge base Not Required

e7 or 711C 716C

OFSE 2000 703

e7 or 711C 716C

RT1350E 706R

e7 or 711C 716C

BLACK & DECKER

All Professional, HD1250, RP400K, 7614 Not Required e7 or 711C 716C

6200 720673-00 e7 or 711C 716C

SR100, 7AEE, KW780 series, KW800, KW850 710 e7 or 711C 716C

BOSCH

90085, 90088, 90098, 90140, 90150, 90300, 90303, 90305, 91264 Aftermarket base plate required e7 or 711C 716C

1600, 1601, 1602, 1603, 1604, 1606, B1350 RA1110 required e7 or 711C 716C

North American ROUTERS PRODUCED AFTER mid-2010: 1613EVS, 1613AEVS, 1617,

1617EVS, 1618, 1618EVS, 1619EVS, MR23EVS, MRC23EVS, MRF23EVS, MRP23EVS

RA1100 & RA1126 required

Sold only as Set RA1129

(Set includes RA1100 and RA1126)

e7 or 711C 716C

North American ROUTERS PRODUCED BEFORE mid-2010 and others available

worldwide that include the RA1126 adaptor: 1613(EVS)(AEVS), 1614(EVS), 1617EVS,

1618EVS, 1619EVS, B1450, GOF900(CE)(ACE), GOF1200, GOF1250(CE)(LCE),

GOF1300(CE)(ACE), GOF1600CE, GOF2000CE, GMF1400, GMF1600CE, POF800ACE,

POF1100AE, POF1200AE, POF1400ACE

RA1100 required

Sold only as Set RA1129

(Set includes RA1100 and RA1126)

e7 or 711C 716C

1611, 1611EVS, 1615, 1615EVS, B1550, GOF1600, GOF1700ACE 702 e7 or 711C 716C

CRAFTSMAN

(SEARS)

All non-plunge models Aftermarket base plate required e7 or 711C 716C

135275070 Plunge See Skil 1823 or 1835

Other plunge models 702 e7 or 711C 716C

MD11 Plunge & Fixe d Base. MD9.5 Fixe d Base Not Required e7 or 711C 716C

DEWALT

DW610, DW616, DW618 Not Required e7 or 711C 716C

DW613, DW615(UK) 710 e7 or 711C 716C

DW614, DW615, DW621, DW624, DW625, DW626 N. America Only, Supplied w/router e7 or 711C 716C

DW621K, DW622 and DW626 outside N. America 706R e7 or 711C 716C

DW625 Type 1,2,3,5 outside N. America 702 e7 or 711C 716C

DW624 & DW625 Type 4 outside N.America, DW625EK 702R e7 or 711C 716C

ELU

OF15, OF15E, OF97, OF97E 706R e7 or 711C 716C

MOF68, MOF69, MOF96, MOF96E 710 e7 or 711C 716C

MOF131, MOF177 Type 1,2, & 3 702 e7 or 711C 716C

MOF177 Type 4, MOF177EK 702R e7 or 711C 716C

2720, 2721, 3328 Not Required e7 or 711C 716C

3303, 3304 EO9600 or 761 270-00 e7 or 711C 716C

3337, 3338, 3339 702 e7 or 711C 716C

FEIN RT1800 Supplied w/router e7 or 711C 716C

FESTOOL

OF1E , OF2E, OF650, OF900E ,OF1000, OF1010E 704R e7 or 711C 716C

OF2000, OF2000E 705R e7 or 711C 716C

OF1400 and OF2200 North America Only Supplied w/router e7 or 711C 716C

OF1400 Outside North America 493566 e7 or 711C 716C

OF2200 Outside North America

494627 O-Ring may be required

to keep bushing centered

e7 or 711C 716C

FREUD FT1700(2), FT2000, FT2200, FT3000 721 e7 or 711C 716C

HITACHI

TR8, TR12, FM8, M8, M12 Series 325211 OR 703 e7 or 711C 716C

M12VC, KM12SC, KM12VC Not Required e7 or 711C 716C

M12SA2, M12V2 325224 e7 or 711C 716C

MAFELL LO65E 702 ■ e7 or 711C 716C

MAKITA

M363, MRP090, RP1800(F), RP1801(F), RP2300(FC), RP2301(FC), 3612C Europe Qk Fit Base

721 e7 or 711C 716C

3600, 3606, 3608, 3612, 3612B, 3612BR, 3612C N. America, 3620, 3621, RP0900,

RP900K

703 e7 or 711C 716C

3601B 321 493-1 e7 or 711C 716C

RP0910, RP1110C 706R e7 or 711C 716C

RF1100, RF1101, RD1100, RD1101, RP1101 Not Required e7 or 711C 716C

MASTERCRAFT

Please contact Leigh for assistance

METABO OF1612, OFE1812 (for all others, please contact Leigh for assistance) 704R e7 or 711C 716C

MILWAUKEE

5615, 5616, 5619 49-54-1040 (replacement base) e7 or 711C 716C

5625 49-54-1026 (replacement base) e7 or 711C 716C

5670 Not Required e7 or 711C 716C

PERLES OF808 Series, OFE6990 710 e7 or 711C 716C

PORTER-CABLE

(ROCKWELL)

Most Not Required or Supplied w/router e7 or 711C 716C

8902

Porter-Cable Sub-Base 42186 e7 or 711C 716C

RIDGID R2930 (for all others, please contact Leigh for assistance) 704R e7 or 711C 716C

RYOBI

R30, R50, R150, R151, RE155, R500, R501, R502 703 e7 or 711C 716C

R600, R601, RE600, RE601 702 e7 or 711C 716C

R160, R161, R162, R163K, R165, R170,

R175, RE175, R180, R180PL, R181, R185, ERT1150

706R e7 or 711C 716C

SKIL

1823 or 1835 91803 e7 or 711C 716C

SK1810, 1815, 1820, 1825 RAS140 e7 or 711C 716C

All others Aftermarket base plate required e7 or 711C 716C

TREND T3, T4, T5, T9, T10, T11– UniBase required 710 e7 or 711C 716C

TRITON

TRC001 TGA006 or 704R e7 or 711C 716C

JOF001, MOF001, TRA001

Accessory Kit (includes adaptor)

TGA001 or TGA150

e7 or 711C 716C

WEGOMA OF850 Series 710 e7 or 711C 716C

Template Guide Bushing and Adaptor Selection

Leigh dovetail jigs require a router ﬁ tted with a guide bushing. An adaptor may be required to ﬁ t the bushing to the router.

See www.leighjigs.com for the complete list of routers.

DIRECTIONS

A. Locate name of router maker in

Column 1.

B. Locate router model in Column

2. If your router is not listed visit leighjigs.com for a complete, upto-date list of routers.

C. Locate adaptor required for your

router in Column 3.

• Order Leigh adaptors (part no’s in

red) in Column 3 from Leigh.

• Order Bosch adaptors RA1100 and RA1126 in Column 3 from Leigh or your Bosch dealer.

• Order all other adaptors in Column 3 from the router manufacturer’s dealer.

Note: Adaptor mounting screws are

included with router.

■

MAFELL – Rework adaptor slightly.

D. Guide bushings in Columns 4 and

5 ﬁ t all adaptors listed and may be ordered if required. Note:

◆ The

e7 elliptical guide bushing (7/16" [11,1mm]) is supplied with all Leigh D-series dovetail jigs for routing dovetails and box joints. Order only if you require a replacement. The 711C/711TP* guide bushing (7/16" [11,1mm]) can also be used, but only for routing dovetails.

▲

An optional 5/8"[15,9mm] 716C or 716TP* guide bushing is used with 1/2"[12,7mm] shank router bits on D4R Pro, D4R, D4, D3, D1258R, D1258, jigs. Order only if using 1/2"[12,7mm] shanks.

All 8mm shank bits work with the

e7-Bush supplied with your Leigh jig, or with any

7/16

"OD [11,1mm] guide bushing that has a min. barrel length of 1/4"[6,35mm]. No other guide bushing sizes can be used.

Note:

*The 711C has replaced the 711TP guide bushing. Both are

7/16

"OD

[11,1mm].

*The 716C has replaced the 716TP guide bushing. Both are 5/8"OD [15,9mm].

Page 79

Bit Selection

D4R Pro - Appendix II

Optional router bits for variably spaced through and half-blind dovetails.

8° Dovetail Bit for Tails

The pins➀ must fit into the pin sockets ➁. Therefore the

dovetail bit’s depth of cut

must be equal to or a little

greater than the pin board thickness

➂

Measure the pin board thickness

➂

Select the dovetail bit with the correct depth of cut B from the following pages (bits must be 8° for through dovetails).

Straight Bit for Pins

The matching straight bit is listed on the charts with the dovetail bit.

Dovetail Bit Angle

All through dovetail bits must be 8º. This angle matches the D4R Pro guide finger pin angle. If you try to use a different angle of dovetail bit, there will be a mismatch between the pins routed at 8

Guidebush

All 8mm shank through dovetail bits listed in this appendix work with the e7-Bush (

⁄16" OD [11,1mm]) supplied

with your Leigh jig, or any

⁄16" OD [11,1mm] guidebush.

The optional Leigh 716C guidebush or standard

⁄8" OD

[15,9mm] guidebush is used with

⁄2" [12,7mm] shank

bits. No other guidebush sizes can be used for through dovetails. See page 70.

Shank Selection

The Leigh D4R Pro comes with one through dovetail bit and one straight bit, with 8mm shanks, plus a

⁄2"[12,7mm]

to 8mm collet reducer. The reducer

➃

simply slides into

the

⁄2"[12,7mm] collet ➄ of your router and the 8mm shank bit is inserted into the collet reducer. The collet is tightened as normal. The collet reducer is not required with

⁄2" [12,7mm] shank bits.

Note:

➃

is a collet reducer, not a collet➄. The reducer does not replace the collet, it slides directly into your collet.

Pin Board

Tail Board

Through Dovetail Bit Selection

Page 80

BIT SELECTION

Appendix II D4R Pro User Guide

A B / G C D E F Guidebush BITS Overall Diameter Cutting Depth Range Shank Diameters Shank Length Overall Length Angle Diameter

No. 100 13/16" [20,6] B 1" to 1-1/4"* [26,0-32,0*] 1/2" [12,7] 1-3/4" [45,0] 3" [76,0] 8° 716C or 5/8" [15,9] No. 150 7/16" [11,1] G 1/8" to 1-1/4" * [3,0-32,0*] 1/2" [12,7] 1-3/4" [45,0] 3" [76,0] – 716C or 5/8" [15,9]

A B / G C D E F Guidebush Bits Overall Diameter Cutting Depth Range Shank Diameters Shank Length Overall Length Angle Diameter

No. 90 11/16" [17,5] B 5/8" to 1" [16,0-26,0] 1/2" [12,7] 1-3/4" [45,0] 2-3/4" [70,0] 8° 716C or 5/8"[15,9] No. 160 1/2" [12,7] G 1/8" to 1-1/4"* [3,0-32,0*] 1/2" [12,7] 1-3/4" [45,0] 3" [76,0] – 716C or 5/8"[15,9]

Note: Bit and joint drawings are about actual size.

Note that some of the dovetail bits’ depths of cut overlap. For example: No. 70-8 bit

: 1⁄4"–1⁄2" [6 - 13mm]

No. 75-8 bit

: 3⁄8"–5⁄8" [9,5 - 16mm]

No.80-8 bit

: 1⁄2"–13⁄16" [12 - 20mm]

This means all three bits are capable of routing boards

⁄2" [12,7mm] thick using

one of the following combinations: No. 80-8 and 140-8, No.75-8 and 140-8, or No. 70-8 and 140-8. The three bit combinations will produce slightly different-looking joints because each dovetail bit produces a different size diameter of pin: No.70-8

➀

: 3⁄8"

No.75-8

➁

: 7⁄16"

No.80-8

➂

: 1⁄2"



Do not attempt to rout dovetails at less than the minimum depth of

cut specified, as the bit can hit the guide fingers or guide bushing.

Leigh Through Dovetail Bits













100

150

Numbers in brackets are millimeters *An extra step is required to rout joints with a cutting depth greater than 1"[26,0]













160

Page 81

BIT SELECTION

Appendix IID4R Pro User Guide

A B / G C D E F Guidebush BITS Overall Diameter Cutting Depth Range Shank Diameters Shank Length Overall Length Angle Diameter

No. 80-8* 1/2" [12,7] B 1/2" to 13/16" [13,0-20,6] 8mm (or 1/4") 1-3/4" [45,0] 2-9/16" [65,0] 8° e7 or 7/16"[11,1] No. 140-8* 5/16" [7,9] G 1/8" to 1" [3,0-26,0] 8mm (or 1/4") 1-3/4" [45,0] 2-3/4" [70,0] – e7 or 7/16"[11,1]

A B / G C D E F Guidebush BITS Overall Diameter Cutting Depth Range Shank Diameters Shank Length Overall Length Angle Diameter

No. 75-8 7/16" [11,1] B 3/8" to 5/8" [9,5-16,0] 8mm (or 1/4") 1-3/4" [45,0] 2-3/8" [60,0] 8° e7 or 7/16"[11,1] No. 140-8* 5/16" [7,9] G 1/8" to 1" [3,0-26,0] 8mm (or 1/4") 1-3/4" [45,0] 2-3/4" [70,0] – e7 or 7/16"[11,1]

A B / G C D E F Guidebush BITS Overall Diameter Cutting Depth Range Shank Diameters Shank Length Overall Length Angle Diameter

No. 70-8 3/8" [9,5] B 1/4" to 1/2" [6,0-13,0] 8mm (or 1/4") 1-3/4" [45,0] 2-1/4" [57,0] 8° e7 or 7/16"[11,1] No. 140-8* 5/16" [7,9] G 1/8" to 1" [3,0-26,0] 8mm (or 1/4") 1-3/4" [45,0] 2-3/4" [70,0] – e7 or 7/16"[11,1]

Note: Bit and joint drawings are about actual size.













80-8 140-8

Numbers in brackets are millimeters * Bits 80-8, 120-8, and 140-8 come standard with the Leigh D4R Pro













75-8 140-8













70-8 140-8

Included

with

D4R Pro

Included

with

D4R Pro

Included

with

D4R Pro

Included

with

D4R Pro

Page 82

BIT SELECTION

Appendix II D4R Pro User Guide













60-8 140-8













50-8 140-8

Numbers in brackets are millimeters * Bits 80-8, 120-8, and 140-8 come standard with the Leigh D4R Pro

A B / G C D E F Guidebush Bits Overall Diameter Cutting Depth Range Shank Diameters Shank Length Overall Length Angle Diameter

No. 60-8 5/16" [7,9] B 1/8" to 3/8" [3,0-9,5] 8mm (or 1/4") 1-3/4" [45,0] 2-1/8" [54,0] 8° e7 or 7/16"[11,1] No. 140-8* 5/16" [7,9] G 1/8" to 1" [3,0-26,0] 8mm (or 1/4") 1-3/4" [45,0] 2-3/4" [70,0] – e7 or 7/16"[11,1]

A B / G C D E F Guidebush Bits Overall Diameter Cutting Depth Range Shank Diameters Shank Length Overall Length Angle Diameter

No. 50-8 1/4" [6,35] B 1/8" to 1/4" [3,0-6,35] 8mm (or 1/4") 1-3/4" [45,0] 2" [50,0] 8° e7 or 7/16"[11,1] No. 140-8* 5/16" [7,9] G 1/8" to 1" [3,0-26,0] 8mm (or 1/4") 1-3/4" [45,0] 2-3/4" [70,0] – e7 or 7/16"[11,1]

Included

with

D4R Pro

Included

with

D4R Pro

Page 83

BIT SELECTION

Appendix IID4R Pro User Guide

Pin Board

Tail Board

Bits:

The same dovetail bit routs both

parts of a half-blind dovetail.

Flush Drawers:

The dovetail bit’s working depth

of cut

must be less than the

pin board thickness

➀

for flush

Half-Blind Dovetail Bit Selection

drawers by at least 1⁄8"[2mm].

Rabbeted Drawers:

The dovetail bit’s working depth of cut

must

be about

⁄16"[1mm] less than the rabbet depth ➁

for rabbeted drawer fronts. Drawer Sides (Tail Board): Minimum thickness is 1⁄4"[6mm]. Drawer side thickness ➂

does not affect bit selection.

Note:

is the nominal working depth for half-blind dove-

tails, not the maximum depth.

must not be varied, except

for minor adjustments for joint fit. See page 37.

Selecting the Bit

Measure the drawer front thickness (minimum

⁄2"[12mm]) ➀

or rabbet depth (minimum ~

⁄16"[11mm]) ➁.

Select a bit with the appropriate depth of cut

from the following pages. Can I use any dovetail bit? No, all half-blind bits must be

⁄2" [12,7mm] diameter. As the angle changes, so does the depth of cut. Using bits that are a different angle and diameter will result in joints that don’t fit, and could damage the jig.

Guidebush

All 8mm shank half-blind dovetail bits listed in this appendix work with the e7-Bush (

⁄16" OD [11,1mm]) supplied with

your Leigh jig, or any

⁄16" OD [11,1mm] guidebush. No other

guidebush sizes can be used for half-blind dovetails. See page 70.

Shank Selection

The Leigh D4R Pro comes with two half-blind bits with 8mm shanks, plus a

⁄2"[12,7mm] to 8mm collet reducer. The reducer

➃

simply slides into the 1⁄2"[12,7mm] collet ➄ of your router, and the 8mm shank bit is inserted into the collet reducer. The collet is tightened as normal. The collet reducer is not required with

⁄2"[12,7mm] shank bits. For a 1⁄2 "[12,7mm] collet you

will require the included

⁄2"[12,7mm] to 8mm collet reducer,

No. 172-8.

Note:

➃

is a collet reducer, not a collet ➄. The reducer does

not replace the collet, it slides directly into your collet.

Page 84

BIT SELECTION

Appendix II D4R Pro User Guide

Leigh Half-Blind Dovetail Bits



















80-8

Tail board

Drawer Side

Min Thickness

1/4"[6,5mm]

Pin board

Flush Drawer Front

Min Thickness

HB Variable: 7/8"[22mm] HB Single Pass:

35/64"[14mm]

Pin board

Flush Drawer Front

Min Thickness

HB Variable: 3/4"[19mm] HB Single Pass:

31/64"[12,3mm]

Pin board

Flush Drawer Front

Min Thickness

HB Variable: 5/8"[15,9mm] HB Single Pass:

27/64"[10,7mm]

Pin board

Rabbeted Drawer Front

Min Rabbet Depth

13/16"[20,5mm]



















101-8

Tail board

Drawer Side

Min Thickness

1/4"[6,5mm]

Pin board

Rabbeted Drawer Front

Min Rabbet Depth

11/16"[17,5mm]

Tail board

Drawer Side

Min Thickness

1/4"[6,5mm]



















112-8

Pin board

Rabbeted Drawer Front

Min Rabbet Depth

9/16"[14,5mm]

Numbers in brackets are millimeters * Bits 80-8, 120-8, and 140-8 come standard with the Leigh D4R Pro

Bits

Overall Diameter

Working Depth

Shank DiametersDShank LengthEOverall LengthFAngle

Guidebush

Diameter

HB Variable HB Single Pass

No. 80-8*

1/2" [12,7] ~3/4" [19] ~27/64" [11] 8mm (or 1/4") 1-3/4" [44,0] 2-9/16" [65,0] 8˚ e7 or 7/16"[11,1]

Bits

Overall Diameter

Working Depth

Shank DiametersDShank LengthEOverall LengthFAngle

Guidebush

Diameter

HB Variable HB Single Pass

No. 101-8

1/2" [12,7]

~5/8" [15,9]

~23/64" [9] 8mm (or 1/4") 1-3/4" [44,0] 2-3/8" [60,0] 10˚ e7 or 7/16"[11,1]

Bits

Overall Diameter

Working Depth

Shank DiametersDShank LengthEOverall LengthFAngle

Guidebush

Diameter

HB Variable HB Single Pass

No. 112-8

1/2" [12,7] ~1/2" [12,7] ~19/64" [7,5] 8mm (or 1/4") 1-3/4" [44,0] 2-21/64" [59,0] 12˚ e7 or 7/16"[11,1]

Included

with

D4R Pro

Page 85

BIT SELECTION

Appendix IID4R Pro User Guide

Note: Bit and joint drawings are about actual size.

Numbers in brackets are millimeters * Bits 80-8, 120-8, and 140-8 come standard with the Leigh D4R Pro

Tail board

Drawer Side

Min Thickness

1/4"[6,5mm]



















120-8

128-8

Pin board

Rabbeted Drawer Front

Min Rabbet Depth

1/2"[12,7mm]



















Tail board

Drawer Side

Min Thickness

1/4"[6,5mm]

Pin board

Rabbeted Drawer Front

Min Rabbet Depth

7/16"[11mm]

Bits

Overall Diameter

Working Depth

Shank DiametersDShank LengthEOverall LengthFAngle

Guidebush

Diameter

HB Variable HB Single Pass

No. 120-8*

1/2" [12,7] ~7/16" [11,0] ~1/4" [6,35] 8mm (or 1/4") 1-3/4" [44,0] 2-1/4" [57,0] 14˚ e7 or 7/16"[11,1]

Bits

Overall Diameter

Working Depth

Shank DiametersDShank LengthEOverall LengthFAngle

Guidebush

Diameter

HB Variable HB Single Pass

No. 128-8

1/2" [12,7] ~3/8" [9,5] ~3/16" [5] 8mm (or 1/4") 1-3/4" [44,0] 2-1/8" [54,0] 18˚ e7 or 7/16"[11,1]

Included

with

D4R Pro

Pin board

Flush Drawer Front

Min Thickness

HB Variable: 9/16"[14,5mm] HB Single Pass:

3/8"[10,3mm]

Pin board

Flush Drawer Front

Min Thickness

HB Variable: 1/2"[12,7mm] HB Single Pass:

5/16"[8mm]

Page 86

BIT SELECTION

Appendix II D4R Pro User Guide

Page 87

Jig Parts

D4R Pro - Appendix III

See parts list and drawing on the following pages.

Order parts directly from Leigh by calling toll-free 800-663-8932 — but first have your jig information ready. Please quote the jig model, serial number, part number, part description and quantity required.

Page 88

JIG PARTS

Appendix III D4R Pro User Guide

How to Order Parts

Order directly from Leigh by calling toll free 800-663-8932 — but first have your jig information ready. You’ll need the jig model, serial number, part number, part description and quantity required.

Note: Place the finger assembly in half-blind

mode to determine left hand and right hand scales.

PART DESCRIPTION PART No. QUANTITY

User Guide D4R Pro, English–Inch/Metric 560 1 1/2" [12,7mm] 8˚ Dovetail Bit, 8mm Shank 80-8 1 1/2" [12,7mm] 14˚ Dovetail Bit, 8mm Shank 120-8 1 5/16" [7,9mm] Straight Bit, 8mm Shank 140-8 1 1/2" [12,7mm] to 8mm Collet Reducer 172-8 1 Body Extrusion 212 1 R.H. End Housing 232 1 L.H. End Housing 242 1 8 x 1-1/2" End Housing Screws 260R 8 5/16"-18 x 4-1/4" Clamp Bar T-Bolts 271 4 Flat Washers for Clamp Bolts 283 4 1/4"-20 Square Nuts (Accessory Attachment) 284 2 1/4"-20 x 3/4" FH Machine Screw (Accessory Attachment) 287 1 5/16"-18 Clamp Bar Hex Bolt Nuts 300 4 Clamp Bar Springs 311 4 Front Clamp Bar (complete with End Plugs 7115) 332R 1 Rear Clamp Bar (complete with End Plugs 7115 and Leigh Decal) 335 1 R.H. Inch Scale Assembly, Complete (R.H. in H.B. Tail Mode) 392 1

or R.H. Metric Scale Assembly, Complete (R.H. in H.B. Tail Mode) 392M 1

L.H. Inch Scale Assembly, Complete (L.H. in H.B. Tail Mode) 394 1

or L.H. Metric Scale Assembly, Complete (L.H. in H.B. Tail Mode) 394M 1

Sliding Dovetail Fence (Cross Cut Fence) 432 1 Plastic Bridge Piece Extrusions 433 2 H.B. Pin Guide Rail, 1/4" x 1/4" 441B 1 Finger Guide Rail, 1/4" x 3/4" 451B 1 R.H. Fingers (complete with Wedges, Nuts, Washers and Screws) 465 13 L.H. Fingers (complete with Wedges, Nuts, Washers and Screws) 475 13 Finger Wedges 7221 26 8-32 Threaded Finger Nuts 7210 26 Finger Washers 7215 26 8-32 x 0.259" PH Machine Screws (Finger Lock) 7225R 26 Leigh Assembly Wrench/Gauge 540 1 Leigh Finger Adjusting, No.2 Robertson Screwdriver 550 1 R.H Support Bracket 5260 1 L.H. Support Bracket 5270 1 Cam-Action Speed Clamps (complete with Step Washers 802) 801 4 Cam-Action Speed Clamp Step Washers 802 4 8-32 x 1/2" Hex Socket, Flat Point Set Screws (Scale Lock) 3110R 2 5/64" Hex Key (2mm may also work) 3156 1 1/4"-20 Hex Nuts (Jig Hold-Down) 6030 4 1/4"-20 x 1" FH Machine Screws (Jig Hold-Down) 6060 4 Support Bracket Knobs 7025 2 Clamp Bar End Plug 7115 4 e7 eBush (Guide Bushing) and Nut e7-Bush 1 Pin Wrench 730V 1 Nylon Stop Rod 8624 1 D4R Pro Dovetail Spacer 570 1 D4R Pro Box Joint Spacer 580 1

Page 89

JIG PARTS

Appendix IIID4R Pro User Guide

560

540

6030

287

172-8

433

3156

e-7

730V

8624

550

432

802 801

332R

6060

6030

7025

260R

242

392 392M

5260

232

7115

3110R

394

394M

5270

300

311

283 271

802

801

441B

451B

284

212

335

7215 7221 7210

7225R

475

465

7115

284

140-8

80-8

120-8

570

580

Page 90

JIG PARTS

Appendix III D4R Pro User Guide

Page 91

Customer Support

D4R Pro - Appendix IV

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

Maxis Distribution 128 Ingleston Rd., Wakerley, Qld., 4154 Australia Tel: 1300 767 366 Tel (Int.) +61 7 3292 0392 Email: [email protected] Web: www.maxis.com.au

CHINA

Harvey Industries Co., Ltd. 68-10 Suyuan Avenue Jiangning District Nanjing 211100, China Tel: (0)86 5792 8869 / 5792 8021 Fax: (0)86 5792 8826 Email: [email protected] Website: www.harveyworks.cn

FRANCE

Ets Bordet 98 Rue Louis Ampère, 93330 Neuilly Sur Marne, France Tel: 01 41 53 40 40 Email: [email protected] Web: www.bordet.fr

GERMANY, AUSTRIA & SWITZERLAND

Hacker GmbH Holzbearbeitungsmaschinen Traberhofstraße 103 D-83026 Rosenheim Deutschland Tel: 08031 269650 Fax: 08031 68221 Email: [email protected] Web: www.leigh.de

ITALY

Ferrari Macchine Legno SRL Via Gallarata 74/76/78 20019 Settimo M.se (MI) Italy Tel: 39 02 335 010 95 Fax: 39 02 335 005 27 Email: [email protected] Web: www.ferrarimacchine.com

JAPAN

Off Corporation Inc. 323-1 Yanbara, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka-shi Shizuoka-ken, Japan 424-0002 Tel: 81-50-3816-0115 Fax: 81-54-367-6515 Email: [email protected] Web: www.off.co.jp

KOREA

Leigh Korea 390-13, Ilsan-ri, Mohyeon-myeon, Cheoin-gu, Youngin-si, Gyeonggi-do, 17033 South Korea Tel: +82-70-8252-0988 Fax: +82-31-765-5602 Email: [email protected] Web: www.leigh.co.kr

NETHERLANDS, BELGIUM & LUXEMBOURG

Houtbewerking Krielaart 9217RR Nijega, Netherlands Tel: +31 512 354 770 Email: [email protected] Web: www.leighjigs.nl

RUSSIA

Rubankov ul. Vozrogdeniya, d. 20A, lit. A Saint-Petersburg, 198188, Russian Federation Tel: 7-812-390-73-90 Email: [email protected] Web: www.rubankov.ru

SOUTH AFRICA

Hardware Centre PO Box 4059, Randburg 2125 South Africa Tel: +27 011 791-0844/46 Fax: +27 011 791-0850 Email: [email protected] Web: www.hardwarecentre.co.za

SWEDEN

Toolbox Sweden AB Bruksgatan 3, S-597 30 Atvidaberg, Sweden Tel: 46 120 854 50 Fax: 46 120 854 69 Email: [email protected] Web: www.toolbox.se

UNITED KINGDOM & IRELAND

Axminster Tools & Machinery Headquarters, Unit 10, Weycroft Avenue Axminster, Devon EX13 5PH United Kingdom Tel: 0800 371822 Text: 07786 200699 Email: [email protected] Web: www.axminster.co.uk/leigh

© 2008 Leigh Industries Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Leigh Industries Ltd. Updated 12/2018

Distributors

MAILING ADDRESS

Leigh Industries Ltd.

P.O. Box 357

Port Coquitlam, B.C.

Canada V3C 4K6

LOCATION

Leigh Industries Ltd.

1615 Industrial Ave.

Port Coquitlam, B.C.

Canada V3C 6M9

EMAIL/ WEB

Customer Service

[email protected]

Technical Support

[email protected]

Website

www.leighjigs.com

Manufacturer: Canada/USA

Our Commitment to You Leigh Industries takes pride in its commitment to providing excellence in customer service and support. This

user guide is designed to provide you with the answers to any questions you have. However, if you require assistance, please feel free to contact our technical support staff or a distributor listed below.

NOTE:

Email can be useful, but

technical queries usually raise queries from us. A phone call is the quickest and most convenient way to get queries answered, either directly to Leigh (toll free in N. America) or to your national distributor.

–Thanks!

TEL/FAX

Customer Service and Technical Support

800-663-8932

(Canada/USA)

604-464-2700 (Tel.) 604 464-7404 (Fax.)

Page 92

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Joining Tradition with Today

Printed in Canada