An in-depth look at Working Smarter with the MATCHFIT System

[@dlight9456]

2:00 There are tricks in the video to promote this product. You used a theory of "pinching" and not pulling because you've flushed wood against the board. But you didn't do this when comparing to the t-track. But I have no doubt this is a great system.

[@davidatkins6919]

Nice job with this video, I've got to look into this to improve my shop performance and skills!

[@skipperscott6089]

A dovetail bit with a built in roundover? Brilliant. You guys are quickly turning me into a Microjiggalo.

[@maralhomes6061]

😂

[@thomlipiczky9021]

Ditto Michael Saffold! I'm really impressed, and have given up T-tracks!

[@nl1318]

The hand at 4:09 was awesome

[@ralphconnell8163]

I live in S. Africa. I have a small workshop. Just bought this. Going to be very helpful. Excellent product.

[@Microjig]

Good to hear! Be sure to share your results with us!

[@kevingeorgiades4879]

I have only 1 set of the original. This new stuff looks really cool and great jig ideas. Thanks for the video. That router flattening jig looks awesome.

[@DESX312]

Just got my kit and this is fantastic! I have more ideas for this than I can count. Got the kit with 2 clamps, jig hardware, and router bit. Made a few cuts on the plywood I'll be using as my assembly top, and was so happy with the results that I immediately ordered more clamps and jig hardware. Great stuff!

[@Microjig]

DESX312 great to hear! We've had the system out for about 5 years and still learning all of the cool things we can do with it! Be sure to share your creations with us.

[@Mr.GucciClass1A]

This is great Morgan. I love your style, funny jabs and the make believe Oh Sh$& moments. 😂 your videos are enjoyable to watch and the match fit system as a whole is fantastic! Building my ultimate sled as we speak.

[@TeamProsperity]

Nicely done ✅

[@Microjig]

After 4 years with the MATCHFit system, we are still just scratching the surface of what it can do.

[@cristofacar]

I have just finished building my workshop and am working on the design of a modern bench. From the bewildering variety of options, I have been seriously considering the MicroJig system, but I am actually put off by this video. Specifically by your explanation of how the dovetail works. If you can't do an honest like-for-like comparason between the different systems, what does that say for your product! However, I suspect in use the ultimate strength of the dovetail slot, or the T-track slot is not a major issue. The MicroJig system does score on versatility - but then it lacks lever and horizontal clamps. Perhaps the answer does lie in a combination of dovetail tracks and dog holes?

[@hipdaddy59]

Love the vid -- and especially the "hand" at 4:09...very subtle...lol

[@AngieWilliamsDesigns]

Great video. Super helpful. Now I want it all.

[@mor8266]

I bought the Micro Jig system sometime ago but didn't realize the versatility until now. Thank you so much Micro Jig. This is probably my most useful tool in the shop.

[@agentchodybanks9120]

it's not

[@FrankDoesIt]

It’s the “Booya” at 9:08 for me. Great and informative video! 🙌🏼

[@lynardburt5992]

I like Morgan, better, you have a way of making this system more impressive, no more expensive tracks for me. I have a KREG Clamp table that is getting this conversion too.

[@michaelsa892]

Damn you microjig another thing I’m going to have to buy from you soon lol.

[@edwardsmith8440]

Lovely. 🤩

[@WoodcraftSupply]

Great video Morgan! It's a shame we won't see you at the tradeshow this year.

[@robertknowles3677]

Do you provide plans for the little custom clamps/adapters made from wood that we see in the video?

[@MrRahluv357]

Hey sir. I just recently made a table Saw stain for my Saw Stop job site saw and I added the Micro Jig system to the left side in a 3/4 piece of plywood. Should I add another 1/2 INC under it?

[@Microjig]

Definitely couldn't hurt! If you decide to do that, I'd use some aluminum square tube (or anything you know is dead flat) clamped to it when glueing it up. The glue will dry conformed to the flatness and hopefully stay reasonably flat for longer.

[@jarod9343]

So when you use your system you pinching the wood, but with the T-track you have nothing against the worktop and just pulling?

[@Microjig]

With the Dovetail Groove, the stock being clamped directly over the head of the clamp (in the groove) balances the forces so the clamp head does not tear out of the substrate. T-Track clamps and hardware are not usually set up to work this way, the clamp pressure is usually applied somewhere away from the head of the T-Bolt.

[@roccopietrofesa7914]

You guys are smart.

[@Microjig]

Thank you Rocco, we appreciate the kind words.

[@enterprise59]

Is it necessary to use the relief bit prior to the dove tail bit?

[@Microjig]

It is HIGHLY recommended to cut a relief groove before cutting the dovetail. This does NOT mean you can only use our bit. Any 1/4" straight cutter will work, and I even cut them using a 1/4" dado stack on the saw sometimes. The relief groove should be used with any "undercutting" bit like a dovetail or a t-slot cutter for example. The relief groove removes much of the waste from the cut so there is not so much for the undercutting bit to remove. And this also means fewer chips trapped in the groove being re-ground over and over. You will find you get cleaner cuts, and your dovetail bit will last MUCH longer when you use a relief groove.

[@enterprise59]

@@Microjig Thank you! I look forward to ordering this setup soon WITH the relief bit.

[@Microjig]

@@enterprise59 glad to be of help. You can always email us directly at [e-mail]

[@deezle1460]

that matchfit dove tail with roundover works as advertised.... I can see a clear difference of "tearout" between matchfit dovetail and other dove tails (bosch)... matchfit dovetail is definitely cleaner cutting.

[@Microjig]

Dee, thank you! We originally made the round over to reduce the sanding needed at the sharp tops of the grooves. But the physics of a radius cutter means that they cut in tiny steps down from the top just like making multiple passes. So there is a lot less tear out.

[@billfarkas8247]

Will any standard store bought accessories work with this dovetail? Like the kreg clamp or 1/4-20 or 5/16-18 bolts?

[@ChuckInOregon]

This is new to me. What are the dimensions of the basic project board and what is the spacing of the dovetail slots?

[@Microjig]

The standard spacing is 4" apart on-center, so the dimensions of the board are always divisible by 4 - 16" x 20", 24" x 32", etc...

[@robertknowles3677]

@@Microjig I have a small piece of mdf 19 x 22 inches that I am doing the dovetails on for the first time. I thought it would be a good idea to start with this first before I do the dovetails on a workbench. I was planning on making the spacing about 2 1/4 inches apart thinking that would give me more areas to clamp and let me clamp things that are smaller than a piece of wood. Do you think I would have an issue with this spacing?

[@patrick5156]

Big fan of microjig! Why the tiny fake hand at 4:10?

[@michaelsa892]

Lol I had to go back and look

[@jellyg.8961]

"if you have an extra pair of hands, use them"... - Woodworking proverb

[@TheBuckyLumberCo]

Why not?

[@brianfreeman8290]

I'm intrigued, but am still a beginner. I've recently bought a basis quarter inch router. Will it be up to this work, or ought I have got a half inch, please?

[@Microjig]

Brian, a 1/2" capable collet gives you more options certainly, but most 1/4" collet hand routers will do just fine with our MATCHFIT bits. The smallest, trim routers (less than 1 hp) will struggle, but anything 1hp or larger should work. You will want to mill the relief groove first, it will reduce the load on your router and greatly extend bit life.

[@Foxholeatheist]

Several times in this video you show a green work surface with Matchfit dovetails as well as dog holes... what is that material?

[@Foxholeatheist]

So, it appears that it's your Ultimate Workbench, but even in the plans for that bench, you have people commenting that you don't describe the material used on the one in your video. I'm assuming it's some sort of relatively easily machinable plastic.

[@Foxholeatheist]

Or, of course, it could just be green MDF. :D

[@Microjig]

@@Foxholeatheist it is indeed "just" green MDF. When we did this years ago, the colored MDF was nearly impossible to find in the US. We had it imported at ridiculous cost. Today you can find colored MDF a bit more easily, but it is still a very expensive option.

[@Foxholeatheist]

@@Microjig I went down a rabbit hole last night looking at alternate materials for a table. I think high-strength UHMWPE would be neat. 😁

[@Microjig]

@@Foxholeatheist Be careful. A very slick top surface is NOT desirable. You want some friction on the table top to help hold parts as you clamp them. Early on I made a table from phenolic faced plywood (awesome stuff) but it turned out to be too smooth and clamped parts wanted to slide and shift on the surface. I personally still like baltic birch or cabinet grade plywood.

[@TheDylanish30]

@mircrojig can i get more detail on the planer jig set up shown at 10:51? how think should the plywood be that I route the dovetail tracks into?

[@lvp9111]

Hello, Why not exactly the same tests under the same conditions????? (1'30 to 1'48) Afraid of the outcome??? No test in configuration at the moment 3'35 to 3'40 ????

[@Microjig]

We admit this was a bit of artistic license. But no, not afraid. As long as the part being clamped is over the head of the clamp in the groove, the hear will not pull out. See the explanation here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXnXgJivZZJsbbc

[@robertknowles3677]

Do I still need to worry about the fuzz material if I use my own bit to cut the relief groove? I was thinking that after I use the microjig dovetail bit, it would clean up that fuzz on the edges. Is that the case?

[@ClevesBackyardWoodworking]

wish I had the funds for this, but great video!

[@JK-jl1bf]

I went on Amazon after reaching out to the company and they said it’s best to get into their product line there but I also shop on eBay and all together for less than $500 you can totally be set up in your shop with this MICROJIG. Plus, you literally make your own tools from materials you would buy and use over and over with a router.

[@marcelvermaak5393]

Hi Morgan, I build a table saw sled with 5/8 MDF and 4inch centered dovetail slots, and the whole sled "bowed". Do you think I should use thicker MDF or rather use plywood instead? I chose MDF because of its flatness. Regards fromSouth Africa

[@Microjig]

Yeah 5/8" is a bit thin. When you remove a material from only one side, it will have a tendency to cup because of the space created by the grooves. There's no material there to keep it flat, so moisture and temperature changes are a factor. So, I would recommend after routing out the dovetail tracks, clamp the sled down on something flat and seal it with some clear coat. Also the sled may have a little flexibility to it, but when you secure a fence to it (as long as the fence is flat), the sled should conform to the flatness of the fence and you're good to go

[@91dfred]

Are those green-handled clamps with the green pads available for sale? I'm not fining them on your website.

[@robertknowles3677]

They just came out for release. So I am sure they had pairs of their own to put together the promotional video. They are available here www.microjig.com/products/dovetail-clamp-ap

[@derekw40]

So it only works well if the material is flat. You never showed a raised piece being clamped down with the dove tail clamp. You only did that with the other clamping methods.

[@SimonHartropp]

Per the idea at times 8:34 thru 9:10 for Rip Cutting dados. Is there a problem if I put both the Cross-Cut and the Rip Cut kerf trims on the same Setup Gauge?

[@Microjig]

Nope, should not be!

[@artdaedelow8108]

I used the Microjig straight bit first followed by the Microjig dovetail bit and found the Microjig Clamps were too tight. I realize I can sand each channel to allow the lamps to slide better but I am wondering if I was doing something wrong. Ant ideas?

[@Microjig]

Art, This should not be an issue. I got your email and replied to it, check your inbox.

[@davidtroncoso9313]

Love it!!!

[@Wood_Slice]

I love infomercials lol. I agree that the matchfit system is great but only mention the good stuff of the system whilst stating only negative of aluminum track and i can def see that u overexerted the pressure on the t-track (aluminum or just plywood) to show it fail whilst stop at the limit of the dove tail clamp. Dont get me wrong you have a great and versatile system but i am not a fan of manupulating info to show your product being better. Using dog holes to clamp can provide wayyyyy more pressure that the dovetail track but so much pressure is not needed, as is with t-track

[@G0F15H]

I actually laughed at 3:02! “Boo-yah”

[@alexandervinckenbos]

Well....if you "pinch" the T-track like you "pinch" the dovetail, would't you have the same forces applied? 😁

[@dt2419]

not quite as the contact surfaces, angle of pressure and other important factors such as the metal track being a seperate object changes how the force is applied.

[@dlight9456]

Haha I thought that I was the only one commented with this. True.

[@lafamillecarrington]

Love the Matchfit system, but just made the tapering jig out of (flat) 18mm plywood and found that after routing the dovetail grooves there was a definite bow to the jig. Is this a common problem, and how can I solve this?

[@esixx17]

A little deceptive. You arent clamping rh dovetail clamps in the same setup the t track clamps. Without the "pinching" on top of the dovetail clamp they will tear out the top of the grove just like you show the t track clamps tearing out the top.

[@daveklein2826]

No they won't. Watch the video again slower

[@esixx17]

@@daveklein2826lool closer and watch The first 2 minutes. They are not clamping the dovetail the same way they clamp the t track. There are also videos out there that PROVE EXACTLY what I commented on. If you do not have the direct top down pressure on the track 1:55 then you will tear out the track no matter what clamp you use. They don't show you a t track set up like the dovetail at 1:55.

[@Set_your_handle77]

I know most colors have been taken but i wish your colors would have been different.

[@kimnach]

If only I'd seen this two weeks ago, before I routed slots for t-track.

[@thorshuatus]

I'm considering dovetails now over t-tracks due to cost. T-tracks & their clamps do look pretty cool though.

[@robertdennis1439]

whats with the rubber hand????

[@daveklein2826]

That's all you got out of the video.....wow

[@robertdennis1439]

@@daveklein2826 I'm easily distracted!... Not the greatest attribute around table saws!

[@TeamProsperity]

👍👍👍

[@adrianmack3]

I have no doubt this is a great system, one I'll likely buy into, HOWEVER. You misrepresented the holding ability of the wooden t-slot "track" in plywood with your demo of a bridged clamping demo where there is no support "pinching the clamp and material to the track, yet, you don't do the same bridged clamping demo for your clamps. Yes, I agree your clamps will likely have better strength, but it's a bit disingenuous to not demo them the same way to prove the "other" way is inferior.

[@robertknowles3677]

I have complete confidence in this product as I already bought the matchfit kit. I too would like to see the same be done for both the t-track and the dovetail. For example, I would like to see a video pan out and show each clamp, setup the same demo and show how many times each is cranked before you start seeing some damage. You know what, I am going to do that at some point myself. I think I have an extra piece of t-track laying around. I only used t-track on this large 180 inch long miter station I built. I had plans to install t-track on everything. Two work benches, a drill press table top, a 10 inch bandsaw table area, a router I was going to build into my workbench and several other ideas. Once I saw this system a couple months ago, I put a pause on all of that work. One work bench alone with just a basic 4x8 rectangular table top and 4 intersection kits, saved me about $180 in track.

[@XJWill1]

I very much doubt they have the same strength at T-track clamps. With the T-track, you have both the aluminum body itself AND the screws going into the material to provide force against the bottom of whatever you are clamping. With the dovetail clamps, you have only the bit of wood or MDF to provide force against the bottom of whatever you are clamping. Not only is it one against two things, but wood is more compressible than aluminum. I'm sure that is why they did the unfair comparison with the T-track placed under a bridge, while the dovetail clamp got the ideal case of a flat surface pushing down on the groove.

[@daveklein2826]

@@XJWill1 watch the video again and slower....then you might understand

[@XJWill1]

@@daveklein2826 Use your head, and harder...then you might not be so confused.

[@dlight9456]

True. That's also my comment above. Very tricky if you don't observe it well.

[@csimet]

While I like my MatchFit system and use it all the time, your comparison to t-track is a bit biased and only shows their clamps being use with no material directly above the clamp location (1:31 2:33)... displaying how it pulls out at the base. To be fair, the MatchFit system will do the same, any of them will, if there is no supporting material above the clamp base. The main reason I like the MatchFit over t-track is it is quicker and cheaper to setup as opposed to installing t-track (time, labor and extra material cost). Your clamps are a bit pricy and I wait until they are on sale or offered in a discounted quantity.

[@Microjig]

You are, of course, completely correct. This was certainly a bit of "marketing license" by Morgan. As you mention, the entire point of the MATCHFit system is to eliminate the need and cost of aluminum extrusions except in the most extreme cases.

[@csimet]

@@Microjig You honesty is appreciated! Rare in these days.

[@calvinmartin3711]

Boo-yah!

[@JK-jl1bf]

Who would thumb this down?

[@KK-WNY]

Perhaps someone who picked up on the trickery involved when comparing the dovetail clamping to the t-track and t-slot. The product looks very useful and I just bought some. But they shouldn't BS people in their promo video.

[@mrbebko]

Yeah, where's the "pinching" effect when showing the T-Track? Misleading advertising at its best.

[@Microjig]

What "pinching" effect are you referring to? The dovetail hardware does "wedge" into the groove when you tighten them, but that is by design. It keeps the hardware in place until you "snap" it loose with a push downward. I can loosen a wing knob, switch parts and re-tighten without the hardware moving. We could easily have used a 30 or 45 degree angle that would not have this feature but we chose to use it.

[@LordPadriac]

I like everything about the system except the dado stop. If you have to make just one quick dado - something no one ever needs to do - I can see making the dado by making forty tiny cuts. If you're doing what most people do when they make dados - which is make a lot of them - it's just not useful. Just setup your router or stacked dado set.

[@Microjig]

Actually, the Dado Stop is best for half lap joints, which, in furniture making, often are in singles or pairs. Making several cuts with the regular blade will be faster than changing to a dado stack for one or two joints. But the Dado Stop CAN be used with a dado stack to make cuts in two or three passes. Woodcademy has a video showing how: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hX66lZZ5qtOAl7s

[@martinschulman1751]

Lovely system, well described but you speak too fast.

[@MikeWilliams-yp9kl]

Video footage shows the WRONG setup

[@rednil]

That plastic hand though...

[@Microjig]

Right?

[@denisdore643]

Come on guys. Micro Jigs provide many advantages over other tools but, you're stretching too far the comparison. Few of your arguments are... well... some yellow-hair-guy would call it "fake news"...

[@MikeWilliams-yp9kl]

Rubbish video NO WOOD ON TRACK , DOVETAIL WOOD ON TOP , FALSE ADVERTISING