Dovetail Jig: Any opinions on the Porter Cable 4216 Super Jig?

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Canuck

Wayne
Corporate Member
I had one of these for a few years (less the 4215 miniature template). I believe I had the 4510.

http://www.amazon.com/PORTER-CABLE-...95&sr=1-3&keywords=porter+cable+dovetail+jigs

I found that once I had the bit depth precisely set, cutting the dovetails was pretty easy stuff. What made me upgrade to the Leigh jig was the ability to have variability of dovetail spacing. With the 4510 I have to endure that spacing and drawer widths complied with the fixed spacing of jig template. Kinda restrictive.

Other than this issue to worked fine for me for many projects.

Wayne
 

frankc4113

Frank C
Corporate Member
Just today I made 9 cabinet drawers with half blind dovetails using the 4216 jig. It works perfectly. The only issue I have is not with the jig but the Porter Cable 690LR router that I used. Fine adjustments are almost impossible to make with it. Once again, the jig is great but you really want to use a router that has a finer adjustment to get those joints tight enough so that you need just a slight amount of effort to get them together. Using the Porter Cable router, I had to make a lot of test pieces before finally getting it right.
 

Charles Lent

Charley
Corporate Member
That's their older style jig. The combs that control the router position are not adjustable, which is fine if you buy all of the different combs that you will ever want with the jig, because I doubt that these jigs will be available much longer. Their new version dovetail jig has adjustable fingers like the Leigh jigs, so you can vary the dovetail spacing. A non adjustable jig will force you to make joints on equal increments depending on the width of the comb increment. The adjustable jig will let you make any length joint up to the length capability of the jig with as many dovetails as you want and at any spacing that you want.

You should look at both the better Porter Cable adjustable dovetail jigs and the Leigh Super dovetail jigs before you decide to buy this jig. Yes, they cost a bit more, but they will offer you so much more in capability. I own the Leigh D4R jig and couldn't want a better dovetail jig, but Leigh now offers a cheaper alternative in their Super Series dovetail jigs. The only real difference is that the Super Series jigs use stamped steel frames for lower cost of manufacture and the Pro jigs, like my D4R, use extruded and machined aluminum to build the frames. They both work the same and produce very accurate dovetail joints. Leigh also offers the very best manuals in the business and if you follow the directions in their manual you will make a perfect, or nearly so, dovetail joint on your first try. I have also talked to Leigh's technical service department and was very impressed with the help that I received. I did not receive the same quality of help when I needed it for one of my Porter Cable tools.

Charley
 

chris_goris

Chris
Senior User
To all,

planning on some shop cabinets and looking for a dovetail jig that is both reasonable and does a good job. Looking at this (amazon link, I can't find this jig on the Porter Cable site)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2084660942&pf_rd_i=desktop

Not sure if it's been discontinued, but this looks good and it's a reasonable price.

Any opinions?

Bob H
<aka Durnik>

Hi Bob,
Ive got an older Porter Cable omni jig 24" Ill sell you for $150…. IMG_20140907_160246_504-4.jpg
 

nn4jw

New User
Jim
I've got one of those PC 4216 Super jigs, the 4 router bits you need with it, and the bushings. I've used it maybe 3 times and it's in good shape. If you want it I'll sell the whole thing for $125.
 

redknife

Chris
Corporate Member
Fine adjustments are almost impossible to make with it. Once again, the jig is great but you really want to use a router that has a finer adjustment to get those joints tight enough so that you need just a slight amount of effort to get them together. Using the Porter Cable router, I had to make a lot of test pieces before finally getting it right.

Frank/others if the 690 is problematic for fine adjustments is there a fixed base router you prefer for use with dovetail jigs?
 

Stuart Kent

Stuart
Senior User
These two pieces of equipment are unfairly matched all too often, they are not the same. The Porter Cable was designed to make drawer boxes easily and reliably in production environments where minimal learning and maximum volume were both required. The Leigh was designed for a craftsman market where time is a secondary concern to quality. Both of these things have their place, and I have owned both. I recently sold my Leigh jig and bought a second Porter Cable for drawers. I sharpen my chisels for the good dovetails.
 

frankc4113

Frank C
Corporate Member
I'm looking at the Milwaukee 5616 router. It appears, at least in the videos and literature, to have a more precise and easier to make adjustment than the Porter Cable 690. Twisting the motor in the base of the 690 and getting down to a 1/64th"is a hit and miss type thing. I'll be looking at the 5616 in the store to see if it actually is all it advertises to be.
 

Durnik

New User
Bob
To all,

Thanks for the information (and the offers), assessing the upgrade to a variable spacing jig given the feedback here. Chris, Jim, don't wait for me, but I may be reaching out to you if I decide not to jump to the variable spacing jigs.

Just as an aside, any issues with using a Triton router with any of these (Leigh, Porter Cable) jigs? Other threads seem to say that the triton and kreg plate make a good combination for a router table.

Bob H
<aka Durnik>
 

junquecol

Bruce
Senior User
I have a couple of the 4212's. Because I use them of drawer boxes, they more than fill my needs. Bought the second used, which included extra bits which were worth more than I gave for jig. I guess extended manual is still available on line. It's actually a small book in number of pages. (Make sure your printer has both paper and ink.)
 

ehpoole

Administrator
Ethan
I'm looking at the Milwaukee 5616 router. It appears, at least in the videos and literature, to have a more precise and easier to make adjustment than the Porter Cable 690. Twisting the motor in the base of the 690 and getting down to a 1/64th"is a hit and miss type thing. I'll be looking at the 5616 in the store to see if it actually is all it advertises to be.

The PC 690 was my very first router, I can not say that I ever had any problems making precise depth adjustments. Iin fact, I found it quite straightforward in that regard -- my experience was quite different in that regard. You may have some issues if the base clamping adjustment is left extremely loose as you will then be fighting gravity, but if you adjust it to allow a light friction fit then the adjustment will stay put while you set it and lock down the base. Judging from recent photos online I do not see any obvious changes made to the base or the adjustment over the intervening years, so the new models should work just the same as the older units.

You can also use the depth gauge ring on the router base to make fine adjustments by initially zeroing the ring out (after adjusting the bit to be flush at zero depth using a piece of wood or aluminum as a feeler gauge) with the vertical score line in the motor base, then rotate the motor in the base by the desired measurement on the depth gauge ring (if things have not changed then it should be calibrated in 1/64" units IIRC). I frequently used either the depth gauge ring or a simple ruler held against the router base/table and then read off the depth directly against the bit's cutting edge.

For many years it was my only router and was well used both freehand and in a router table, and never any issues setting it up for precise cuts. I also have several modern PC 890s (including one permanently installed in my router table), but they have a totally different base design. My only real complaint was that my PC 690 did not support speed control, though some of the newer models may add that feature (???, the modern 890s do have speed control).

Fortnately there are a number of very nice and affordable entry level routers these days from the major manufacturers (just stay away from the really cheap routers like the Ryobi and Craftsman models as they have many compromises). However, you may wish to start out with a 2-1/4HP router (such as the PC 890 dual base kit) with built-in speed control and a kit with both the fixed and plunge bases. These make for a much more versatile router and are equally at home for use as a freehand router and in a router table. The speed control allows you to slow things down for more control when freehanding critical or heat sensitive work as well as for working with larger bits in your router table. They cost a little more up front, but they greatly expand what you will be able to do with your first router. The only advantage that the smaller ~1.5HP routers offer is slightly less weight than their 2-1/4HP big brothers. However, I do not recommend the full size 3-1/4HP routers as a first router as they are both very heavy and powerful and a bit much for most (esspecially beginners) to use freehand and are often most at home mounted in a router table for those large jobs (like cabinetmaking bits).

Whatever you decide upon, I wish you the best in your adventure!
 

Charles Lent

Charley
Corporate Member
You should look for routers with 1/2" bit capability, because the 1/2" bits don't flex as much as the 1/4" bits. The routers should also be as light as possible, because you will be lifting them on and off of the jig a lot when making multiple joints. It's also very beneficial to have 2 routers, one with the straight bit and one with the dovetail bit, so you don't loose the bit height setting once you have everything calibrated just right. That said, I have 2 DeWalt DW618 routers that I use with my Leigh D4R jig. If you go with 2 identical routers you will want to color code the routers. I use red and blue electrical tape on the handles. This is to keep from grabbing the wrong one DAMHIKT. I've found that the D handle fixed bases work really well for doing dovetails.

Charley
 
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