First Look at MicroJig's MatchFit Dovetail Clamps

[@fbtool]

I wish MicroJig would at least offer a sale price once in a while. These are priced at $45.00 a pair now that they have been released as a new and improved for 2018 That's a lot for 2 small clamps!

[@Woodcademy]

A few points on this: First, MicroJig themselves do not often put things on sale because they do not want to undercut their retailers. I can tell you for a fact that Woodcraft Stores, Hartville Hardware, Klingspor, Infinity Tools and other reatailers OFTEN have these clamps for sale. Second, the price increase is largely a supply chain issue. The clamps are made in Taiwan because there is no US manufacturer that can make them for MicroJig (everything else they sell is made here in the US) and the manufacturer has had major issues getting wood supplies into Taiwan to keep up with the demand. The plastics for molding the handles comes in in bulk for many different needs and so is more available, but the process is more expensive. Demand for the clamps has been so high that going to the molded handle was the only way to keep up. Third, there are still quite a few wood handled clamp sets available through the retailers, so if you act soon, you can still buy some at the $40.00 pricing. I personally see no functional difference between the two handles, the way these clamps work, there is no need for extra force being applied to the handle. Fourth, Bessey's Festool track clamp is the same size as the Dovetail clamps and looks exactly the same except for the forged shape of the head. With a wood handle, these retail at $21.00 per pair, so the original wood handled Dovetail clamps were priced competitively. Most Bessey clamps are available with a molded handle and that upgrade will cost you more than $2.50 per clamp. Finally, using these clamps pretty much eliminates the need to buy T-Track. And at $5-7 per foot, it does not take long to justify the price of the Dovetail clamps, not including the fact that after buying the T-Track you still need to buy or build some type of clamp to fit it.

[@fbtool]

Don't get me wrong Ralph I have several MicroJig products and love them. Also customer service is 1st rate. I had a problem with a malfunction of one of their "pusher blocks" and they replaced it immediately. It's just hard sometimes to keep up with the pricing on many woodworking tools. You make some valid points , I'll wait for a sale cause I want these.

[@Woodcademy]

No worries, we all struggle with the cost of our tools!

[@carlbrothers]

I recently picked up the special bit from MicroJig and made some jigs that accept the dovetail calmps. I was able to make a custom sled that I could safely hold my work in place to make some cuts that would otherwise be impossible.

[@Woodcademy]

Carl, it is a great bit that I helped to create! And yes, these are amazing clamps, I have about 12 pairs. I do not buy T-Track anymore!

[@ronmarchelletta2423]

Thanks Ralph for the videos. I recently bought the micro fit 360 miter jig kit which came with two of these clamps. After making the jig I have one suggestion. If the vertical bar could be made round so the clamp can be rotated 360 degrees it would be much more useful in clamping small or odd shaped parts in the miter jig. Is this possible?

[@Woodcademy]

Ron, It really cannot be. The reason the head does not tear out of the MDF or Plywood groove is because the pressure foot is always applying pressure directly over the head in the groove so it can’t tear out. Rotating the arm would change the direction of pressure. You can remove the screw at the end of the bar and reverse the arm. But be careful about how much force you apply that way because the arm will be lifting the head without anything above it to keep it from breaking with too much pressure.

[@ronmarchelletta2423]

@@Woodcademy That explains it. Thanks

[@Woodcademy]

@@ronmarchelletta2423 you are welcome. And thank you for being part of our community.

[@hupajo]

Hi Ralph, verry good idears 😀👍👍👍Last week i have by the MatchFit Pro and this week again :)) Greeting from Germany

[@Woodcademy]

Badman XXL thank you!

[@jimbo2629]

Some of those applications are covered with ordinary clamps. What is the need for a fence on the table saw fence

[@Woodcademy]

Jim, thanks for watching and commenting! There are several operations on the table saw that use some sort of auxiliary fence. Rabbets can be cut precisely on the fence side by burying the dado blade partially into an aux fence. A tall fence allows for cutting wide panels on edge like raising panels, and an "L" shaped fence can be used for template cutting on the saw. One of the features these clamps have is that when adding fences like these, the clamp head is inside the stock so it is not in the way of your cutting operations.

[@MacTech007]

Excellent review Ralph! I'm definitely going to pick up a few pairs of these. I love all my MicroJig products. Cheers from Ontario Canada

[@Woodcademy]

+MacTech007 glad you liked it! They are super useful.

[@ronh9384]

A good video Ralph and I will definitely try a pair. Have you ever done a video on the French Cleat system and various brackets you used with the system that was on screen behind you?

[@Woodcademy]

Thanks Ron! I have not yet done a video on my wall system. I just made it up to provide a nice background for my videos. But you are NOT the first person to ask, so maybe I need to do one.

[@summerswoodworking]

Those are awesome! Great review Ralph!

[@Woodcademy]

+Summers Woodworking thank you!

[@AZsTinyWoodshop]

Ralph, where can we find more information/video/photos of/about the grr-ripper rack on the left at about 5:40?

[@Woodcademy]

Tiny, that is the GRR-RIPPER Keeper. Designed by a MicroJig customer who kindly gave them permission to copy it. I created plans for making your own for MicroJig. Video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKXWoIOomtGpkMU Plans can be downloaded from MicroJig’s website for free: www.microjig.com/products/grr-ripper#resources

[@badrinath6059]

Fantastic review, will place order immdtly

[@Woodcademy]

Thank you, Badri. I am happy that you found the video useful. Be sure to subscribe, there is a lot more great content on here.

[@TheFalconJetDriver]

Hint buy HF F style clamps grind a 14 degree angle that slips in the the dove tail saving you $40.00 plus for each clamp!

[@Woodcademy]

You MIGHT be able to re-grind someone else’s track clamp to work in the dovetail, but I see NO WAY you can grind a riveted on F-style clamp head down to fit. But hey, Show us how. And these clamps are $22.50 each, so not sure how you are saving $40.00 per clamp.

[@WKYanks]

Love these.

[@Woodcademy]

Glad you liked the video.

[@jeffdeluca1153]

These are slick but they aren't cheap. I can't see spending $40 for the convenience of a dovetail end when its cast right into the part on a production line. 19 would be more like it.

[@Woodcademy]

Jeff, the ends are forged, not cast. And the price is a touch less than similar clamps with forged heads such as the aftermarket guide rail clamps. Clamps in general are not cheap. But think of it this way: Anywhere you can cut the dovetail groove, (using a VERY common 1/2", 14 degree dovetail bit) you can add a clamp. The clamps will pay for themselves in T-Track you do not need to buy.

[@jeffdeluca1153]

Yea I saw they're 39 for a pair not per clamp which is a fair price considering as you say the advantages

[@Woodcademy]

Jeff DeLuca try a pair out, I guarantee you will not be disappointed!

[@jeffdeluca1153]

I most likely will Ralph... just need to take care of a few other items financially after a good ole corporate downsizing! Fun times!

[@csimet]

The price is now close to $47 per pair. It would be great if they offered a 4 or 8 pack at a discount.

[@Woodcademy]

$45.00 on MICROJIG’s website.

[@balacv8200]

With what are you going to use 5" clamping depth?

[@Woodcademy]

Lots of things! For example, when making a tall fence for the table saw, you need nearly 4 inches on reach to clamp to the Beissmeyer type fence. A while back, I used my Guide Rail (www.woodcademy.com/plans/shop-built-guide-rail-system-plans) to plow a groove in a torsion box work table. That required more than 4 inches of reach as well.

[@duartepaintinghandymanservices]

nice clamps but I don't see how I could justify the price

[@Woodcademy]

Jorge, tool cost is an issue for all of us! At $45.00 per pair they are not cheap, but I look at it this way: I just plow a dovetail groove where I used to install T-Track. At about $7.00 per foot for T-Track, these clamps pay for themselves pretty fast if you build jigs.

[@williamhoward8319]

worth the price as far as i can see

[@Woodcademy]

William Howard they are indeed! I have about 12 pairs in my shop. Thanks for watching, be sure to subscribe.

[@eagleeye5520]

great one

[@Woodcademy]

+Eagle Eye glad you enjoyed it!

[@eagleeye5520]

yes i did thanks man

[@jeffdeluca1153]

Oh wow... they are 40 per pair - oops! Open mouth insert foot

[@WasimBarri]

I simply can't see the value in these. Universal fence clamps ( www.rockler.com/universal-fence-clamps ) for more than half the price as well as your normal standard clamps will pretty much cover most of what you've shown and there is no need to rout out a dovetail slot. Rockler's video on these shows similar usage. With these clamps all you do is drill a 3/8" hole and you have a fence for your band saw, table saw and router table. Also T slots, when needed, aren't that expensive and hold downs can be easily made. One handed clamps, which most people already have will also cover a lot of the usage shown. Sorry Microjig, love your products but not this one.

[@Woodcademy]

John Barr thanks for commenting! One of the cool things about woodworking that I have discovered in my 30 years behind a bench is that there is never only one way to do a task and no tool that is indispensable. I am actually sponsored by Bessey, so I have loads of clamps of all descriptions, but I find these to be unique. I use them all over. I have the Rockler Universal Fence Clamps too, but while they can hold a aux face on your rip fence, they cannot do a tall fence without extra parts. The Dovetail Clamps can slide right down the groove to clamp on your rip fence no matter how tall your tall fence is. I also have some 2x4 saw horses that I added a groove to so anything on top of them can be clamped. In Episode 5 of my Amazon show Woodcademy, I mount a steam bending form to my work table with dovetail Clamps. Using standard clamps would have meant the heads possibly being in the way as I raced to get the steamed parts clamped up before cooling. Microjig sold about 20,000 pairs of these clamps in the first year they came out, so obviously many people can see the value in them.

[@WasimBarri]

You are right Ralph, woodworkers have their own way of doing tasks and finding alternatives when they don't have the specific tool. I can see how some would like this product but from a personal point of view, it has no use in my workshop when I do have adequate, efficient alternatives. I think if these were cheaper I would love to try them as they may have a usage in my workshop. Thanks for replying! If microjig want to send me a pair (ha! ha! wink! wink!) I'd be happy to report back