Leigh SUPERJIG-12-18-24, SUPER12, SUPER18, SUPER24 User Manual

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CONTE NTS and STANDAR DS

SUPERJIG-12-18-24 User Guide

Your New Leigh Dovetail Jig

Congratulations! You now own a most useful and versatile dovetailing tool. The Leigh Superjig Dovetail Jig will help you cut an infinite variety of joints, and all of its major functions are described in detail in this manual, plus there's a slide-out Quick Reference Guide underneath the jig. A very helpful DVD is also included, but the manual is essential reading.

We recommend that you first assemble and mount the jig, carefully following the instructions in the first section of the manual. Then read the rest of the manual, following along with the basic functions and principles of operation, before you try to do any actual joinery routing. By all means, cut a few practice joints in scrap boards before you use the jig to rout a precious hardwood work piece! If you have any questions that are not answered in the manual, please call the Leigh customer support line*.

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

*See Appendix IV – Customer Support

Important! Inches and Millimetres

The Superjig can be ordered in inch or metric versions. They're identical except for the calibration scales. This Leigh Englishlanguage user guide show measurements in both inches and millimetres, with “inches” first, followed by “millimetres” in square brackets. Example:

⁄4"x 51⁄2"x8" [20x140 x 200mm]

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

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



will be at the top, the “millimetres” scale  will be at the bottom. Only the front “active” half of the scales are illustrated. For clarity, setting positions are indicated with a red line in the manual only. On the jig, the lines are black.

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SUPERJIG-12-18-24 User Guide

CONTENTS and Standards ........................................................................................iii

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

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

Chapter 3 – Guidebushes and the unique Leigh e-Bush .......................................... 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 Dovetail Procedures .............................................................. 19

Chapter 9 – Variably Spaced Half-Blind Dovetail Procedures ................................ 29

Chapter 10 – One-Pass Half-Blind Dovetails ........................................................... 37

Chapter 11 – Rabbeted Half-Blind Dovetails .......................................................... 43

Chapter 12 – Asymmetric Dovetails ....................................................................... 45

Chapter 13 – Sliding Dovetails .................................................................................49

Chapter 14 – Box Joints ............................................................................................ 55

Chapter 15 – Hints and Tips ..................................................................................... 61

Appendix I – Attaching the Leigh e-Bush to the Router ........................................65

Appendix II – Bit Selection ....................................................................................... 67

Appendix III – Jig Parts List ...................................................................................... 73

Appendix IV – Customer Support ............................................................................ 78

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SUPERJIG-12-18-24 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. You needn’t worry about memorizing these symbols now, because they are repeated quite frequently in the manual, 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 cutting. Each finger assembly scale has it’s own mode icon



, identifying that joint part. You will also find the

joint mode icon in the top left corner of most illustrations



indicating which finger assembly mode to use.

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



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)

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SUPERJIG-12-18-24 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



This edge against sidestop

Sawcut allowance



฀Caution: use special care for this

operation



Numbered References in text

฀This icon  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



indicates the “inside” of a board. All half-blind 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  indicates boards that

are mounted both ways e.g. sliding dovetails and box joints.

Dotted line icons

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

Centreline of board or layout

Equals

Does not equal

Approximately

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SUPERJIG-12-18-24 User Guide

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1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

Jig Assembly, Mounting,

and Using the Clamps

SUPERJIG - CHAPTER 1

Make Sure You Have All the Parts.

Before you start to assemble your Leigh SUPERJIG, 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. DVD instructional video (English only)

2. 2 Dovetail bits, 1 straight bit, 1 Collet Reducer, 1

e7-Bush & Nut

3. 2 scale thumbscrews c/w nylon washers

2 each, front and rear Side Stops 1 Spacer

4. 2 support brackets

5. 2 support knobs

6. Square-head guidefinger screwdriver

7. 4 clamp springs

4 clamp T-bolts 4 flat washers 4 T-bolt nuts 4 Jig Hold-down Wood Screws No.10 x1" 1 Pin Wrench

8. 4 cam-action speed clamps

4 cam clamp pivot nuts …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

The large inner box contains:

10. 1 finger assembly on a bar, complete with scales

Super12, with 13 guidefingers Super18, with 16 guidefingers Super24, with 19 guidefingers

2 lengths bridge material 1 cross cut fence (identical to bridge) 2 clamp bars c/w end plugs 1 Nylon Stop Rod 1 Quick Reference pull-out card

If any items are missing from your jig, contact your supplier or Leigh Industries immediately.

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.

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JIG ASSEMBLY, MOUNT ING, AND USING THE CLAMPS

Chapter 1 SUP ER JI G-12-18-24 User Guide

1-1 Install Side Stops Insert two clamp T-bolts through the rear jig body holes



and place a “stepped” rear side stop over

each bolt



, using the rear part of the double-hole . Make

sure the bolt's “T” is between the extrusion ribs



. Don’t forget

the steel washer



and use a ½"[13mm] wrench to tighten the

nuts.

1-2 Insert the two front clamp T-bolts through the jig body holes. Make sure the bolt's “T” is between the extrusion ribs. Place a front side stop and steel washer over each bolt but only finger-tighten the front nuts; you will need to index these to the rear stops later.

1-3 Prepare a flat ¾"[20mm] mounting board (plywood or MDF), at least 5"[125mm] wide. Length



: 26" for Super12, 32" for Super18, 40" for Super24 [660, 830 or 1000mm respectively]. Clamp it to the front of your bench. Centre the jig on the board, front face slightly overhanging the board edge



. Mark the four hold down screw posi-

tions. Drill small pilot holes at a slight angle



[125mm]+

1-4 Quick Reference Pull-Out Decide whi ch en d of the jig you wish to access the “Quick Reference” instruction pull-out and place the jig over the pull-out



. Using the screws provided; screw the jig to the board. Make sure that the pull-out slides freely.

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 Screw a clamp lever assembly onto each T-bolt.

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JIG ASSEMBLY, MOUNT ING, & USING THE CLAMPS

Chapter 1SUP ER JI G-12-18-24 User Guide

1-7 Now you need t wo boards about ¾" x 6" x 8" long [20 x 150 x 200mm]. Both must have perfectly square ends to accu-

rately index the front and rear side stops.

Check for squareness: stand both pieces vertically on a flat surface. Make sure side edges are flush at bottom and top



Turn one piece around on its end



. If side edges are flush top to bot-

tom



, the boards are square. If not, ; cut two that are.

90˚

1-8 Align Front Side Stops Clamp one square ended board in the front, not touching the left side stop and with the top edge above the top surface of the jig body



. Place the other square board in the rear

clamp, tight against the left rear side stop



, with its front edge touching

flush across the rear of the vertical board



. Tighten the rear clamp.

90˚

1-9 Now loosen the front clamp and position the front board so its top end edge is perfectly flush and level with the top face of the horizontal board



and, both boards left edges are also perfectly

flush



. Tighten the clamp.

1-10 Now push the front left side stop inwards and flush against the vertical board



and firmly tighten the clamp bolt nut.

Repeat operations 1-8 thru 1-10 at the right side of the jig. The front and rear side stops are now indexed to provide accurate board alignment in all routing procedures. You may now remove the boards.

1-11 Insert the right and left support brackets. Attach the knobs, raise them to full height and tighten the knobs.

Note: For clarity, the set lines on support brackets  are shown in red in this user guide. The actual bracket lines are black.

1-12 Make up a 3⁄4"x 6"[20 x 150mm] finger support board as shown. Lengths: 11"[280mm] for Super12, 17"[430mm] for Super18, and 23"[600mm] for Super24. This board will support the guidefinger assembly in all front-clamping vertical board modes. Clamp it in the rear of the jig.

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JIG ASSEMBLY, MOUNT ING, AND USING THE CLAMPS

Chapter 1 SUP ER JI G-12-18-24 User Guide

1-13 Before using the jig, the scales must be set into position on the finger assembly. Install the two thumbscrews a few turns into the scales



. Loosen the scale lock screw  at each end by one

turn only.

1-15 Pull up on the finger bar  while pushing down on the scale



to ensure the bar is touching the two registration pads  inside the scale. Maintain pressure and tighten the scale lock- screw



. Repeat at the other end. To maintain correct finger assembly alignment, follow this procedure whenever you remove the scales from the finger assembly.

1-16 With the finger assembly in +TD Pins mode , move the outer end guidefingers to touch the scale block and lock in position



. Note: the outer end guidefingers are used for router support

only. When guidefingers are loosened, the finger assembly should

easily slide on the support brackets. If not, apply a little candle wax to the mating surfaces.

1-17 Finally, slip the Spacer on the outside of the left rear side stop



, the nylon stop rod through its storage hole in the left end 

and the pin wrench in its slot in the right hand end housing



1-18 With Superjig assembled and mounted, you have some items left over:

1-14 Slide the finger assembly onto the support brackets, in the +TD Pin mode and set on the

⁄2"[12,7mm] setting. First,

tighten both thumbscrews



Do not lower the assembly onto the finger support board.

1 Leigh jig user guide

1 DVD instruction video (English only)

1 Leigh e7-Bush and nut

2 Dovetail bits

1 Straight bit

1 Collet Reducer

1 square-head screwdriver

3 bridge-piece/crosscut extrusions

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JIG ASSEMBLY, MOUNT ING, & USING THE CLAMPS

Chapter 1SUP ER JI G-12-18-24 User Guide

1-19 The Jig Clamps Use a piece of flat, even-thickness wood to familiarize yourself with the jig cam clamps.

You will operate

the cam-action speed clamps every time you use the jig, so get used to the feel of the clamps first. Do not force the cam-action speed-clamp. It has great leverage, and excessive force may damage the workpiece or the jig.

1-20 A smooth, firm action is enough to engage the clamp. Rule of thumb: If you can't throw the lever by pressing the end of it firmly with your thumb, reduce the tension. Firm thumb pressure is about right. A few minutes of trial and error will help you feel the right clamp tension.

1-21 For all but the wider workpieces, you need only operate the clamp on the workpiece end of the jig to release the board



. For

narrower boards, the clamp at the free end



should be just tight

enough to bow the clamp bar about

⁄16"[2mm] .

1-22 When engaged, the front clamp levers should normally point down and the rear levers should point away from the operator



or up to 90˚ either side  as required to obtain the optimum clamping pressure.

1-23 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 15-13.

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JIG ASSEMBLY, MOUNT ING, AND USING THE CLAMPS

Chapter 1 SUP ER JI G-12-18-24 User Guide

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Template Guidebush System Selection Chart

MPORTANT: Check the make and model of your router in column 1. Where possible, always order the Leigh adaptors and template guide bushes (indicated in red), which are specially designed for use on

Leigh jigs. (711TP) Order no. 477009 (e7) Order no. 478260 (716TP) Order no. 477011. The e7 is standard with new Leigh jigs.

ote: Adaptor mounting screws are provided with most routers. 5/8" O.D. guide bushes are used only with 1/2" shank router bits. * Leigh Adaptors 702, 702R, and 703 may require a small lug to be “drilled out” to use the e7 guide bush. Note: Ideal barrel depth is 1/4" to 9/32" (6mm to 8mm) below the router base. Other manufacturers’ guide bushes may require careful cutting to length. All Leigh g

uide bushes have 9/32" long barrels.

OUTER MAKER ROUTER MODEL LEIGH OR ROUTER

AKER’S

ADAPTOR NO.

RDER NO.

7/16”OUTSIDE D

IAMETER GUIDE

USH NO.

5/8”OUTSIDE D

IAMETER GUIDE

USH NO.

WORKS WITH L

EIGH VGS

AW635R 710 210500 711TP or e7 716TP YES AW127R 710 210500 711TP or e7 716TP YES

All Professional, HD 1250, BP400K, 7614 No adaptor required 711TP or e7 716TP YES

SR100, 7AEE, KW780 series, KW800, KW850 710 210500 711TP or e7 716TP YES

POF800ACE. POF1400ACE, POF1100ACE, POF1200ACE, RA1100 required

GOF900ACE, GOF1300ACE, GOF900CE, GOF2000CE, GOF1200 for 711TP, 716TP

GMF1400 and VGS 800439 711TP or e7 716TP YES

1611, 1611EVS, 1615, 1615EVS, B1550, GOF1600, GOF1700ACE 702* 410003 711TP or e7 716TP YES

702R* 410001 711TP or e7 716TP YES

DW613, DW615(UK) 710 210500 711TP or e7 716TP YES

DW621K & DW626 (UK) 706R 410005 or 706 711TP or e7 716TP YES

DW625 Type 1, 2, 3, 5 (UK) 702* 410003 711TP or e7 716TP YES

DW624 & DW625 Type 4 (UK), DW625EK 702R* 410001 711TP or e7 716TP YES

OF15, OF15E, OF97, OF97E 706R 410005 or 706 711TP or e7 716TP YES

MOF68, MOF69, MOF96, MOF96E 710 210500 711TP or e7 716TP YES

MOF131, MOF177 Type 1, 2 & 3 702* 410003 711TP or e7 716TP YES

MOF177 Type 4, MOF177EK 702R* 410005 or 706 711TP or e7 716TP YES

3337, 3338, 3339 702* 410003 711TP or e7 716TP YES

OF1E, OF2E, OF650, OF900E, OF1000, OF1010E 704R 310023 711TP or e7 716TP YES

OF2000, OF2000E 705R 310024 711TP or e7 716TP YES

OF1400 UK 493566 - 711TP or e7 716TP YES

OF2200 494627 O-Ring

requred to keep

guidebush centred - 711TP or e7 716TP YES

FT1700(2), FT2000, FT2200, FT3000

721 210899 711TP or e7 716TP YES

TR8, TR12, FM8, M8, M12 Series 325211 or 703* 410006 711TP or e7 716TP YES

M12VC, KM12SC, KM12VC No adaptor required - 711TP or e7 716TP YES

M12SA2, M12V2 325224 - 711TP or e7 716TP YES

L065E

702* 410003 711TP or e7 716TP YES

RP1801, RP2301FC 721 210899 711TP or e7 716TP YES

3600, 3606, 3608, 3612, 3612B, 3612BR, 3612C N. America

3620, 3621, RP0900K 703* 410006 711TP or e7 716TP YES

3612C Europe Qk. Fit Base 721 210899 711TP or e7 716TP YES

3601B 321 493-1 - 711TP or e7 716TP YES

RP0910, RP1110C 706R 410005 or 706 711TP or e7 716TP YES

RF1100, RF1101, RD1100, RD1101, RP1101 No adaptor required - 711TP or e7 716TP YES

OF1612, OFE1812

704R 310023 711TP or e7 716TP YES

OF808 Series, OFE6990

710 210500 711TP or e7 716TP YES

All

710 210500 711TP or e7 716TP YES

R2930

704R 310023 711TP or e7 716TP YES

R30, R50, R150, R151, RE155, R500, R501, R502 703* 410006 711TP or e7 716TP YES

R600, R601, RE600, RE601 702* 410003 711TP or e7 716TP YES

R160, R161, R162, R163K, R165, R170, R175, RE175, R180,

R180PL, R181, R185, ERT1150 706R 706 711TP or e7 716TP YES

1823 or 1835 91803 - 711TP or e7 716TP YES

All others No adaptor required - 11592 71021 NO

SK1810, 1815, 1820, 1825 RAS140 - 711TP or e7 716TP YES

T3, T4 710 210500 711TP or e7 716TP YES T5, T9 710 210500 711TP or e7 716TP YES

T10, T11EK 710 210500 711TP or e7 716TP YES

TRC001, TRA001 TGA006 (or 704R) 310023 711TP or e7 716TP YES

MOF001 TRA359 - 711TP or e7 716TP YES

AXMINSTER WHITE

BLACK & DECKER

BOSCH

CMT

DEWALT

ELU

FESTOOL

FREUD

HITACHI

MAFELL

MAKITA

METABO

PERLES

POWER DEVIL

RIDGID

RYOBI

SKIL

TREND (FELLISATI)

TRITON