Setup and Review of the Leigh Dovetail Jig D4R Pro

I bought the MOST EXPENSIVE dovetail jig on the market! I tested it out and I'm giving you my impressions (the good, and the bad) of the Leigh D4R Pro Dovetail Jig! With much cheaper jigs on the market, it this one worth the premium cost?
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🔴 SUBSCRIBE to my channel: / @biscuittreewoodworks
✅ Tools mentioned in the video:
Leigh D4R Pro Dovetail Jig: amzn.to/3slTDhy
Leigh D4R Pro With Accessories: amzn.to/3sg1eOD
Dust Collection Add-On Accessory: amzn.to/3E0fU75
Some of the links provided are affiliate links. As an affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

[@nathangonzlaez2]

I have had my D4 for 25 years ands its one of the best investments in my toolshop. Once you get going with it you only get better and faster. Gives you endless variety of joints. Well worth the money .

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Glad you're still getting good use out of it after all these years!

[@mattbarton362]

I have the leighd4 for 20 years and love it.ihad yo make 100 jewelry boxes one time.and it was a dream using the d4.far as the dust collection i made my own using pvc and stuff in the plumbing section of home depotand it works for me. As far as router bits, I used the spiral up pit, it's a lifesaver.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

That's a lot of jewelry boxes! I bet that jig was a lifesaver!

[@rockinrod1]

i just got the D4R .My first project after getting familiar with the jig was making a storage / carrying case.I am extremely happy with this tail dove jig.Great video thanks

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Thanks! I’m using mine again tomorrow. I’ve got 7 drawers to build for a dresser!

[@waynehoar4187]

Well done. This jig takes some time to begin producing quality dovetail joints. It’s shortcomings were well addressed in your video. I thought your review was well thought out and informative. Keep it up.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Thanks! I tried to be as honest and thorough as possible!

[@Mike--K]

Nice review, John and I just subscribed. I bought the D4R Pro with the ACD24 accessory kit (VRS and 11 router bits). I agree with you that the "Pro" version should come with the VRS, even if it will increase the base price of the already expensive D4R. I am building a storage/platform case for mine based on the case built by Peter Parfitt (his KZbin channel is New Brit Workshop). My basement shop is small, so I try to put as many machines on wheels as I can so they can be moved out of the way while I work on another machine. While I have hand cut many dovetail joints, they are time consuming for large projects, and look forward to incorporating the D4R into my workflow. For my upcoming cabinet projects, the dovetails will not be seen until someone opens a drawer. Even then, I doubt they will pay attention to the joinery. Since time is the one resource I can't control, any tool or process that reduces the time I spend on a process that has little potential for the "ooh, ahh" factor is a good investment.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Awesome! Thanks!

[@mountainlightwoodcraft]

Well produced video, bro. Please allow me to comment on your dislikes and/or objections from the viewpoint of a cabinet maker who has used the DR4 Pro (or its DR4 predecessor) for nearly 12 years. Yes, the DR4 Pro with its vacuum accessory is quite expensive for a hobbyist or casual maker. However, as a builder who often makes as many as 30 drawer boxes of varying heights in a day, though not every day, I can tell you that it would be nearly impossible to do with the same level of accuracy and repeatability without my DR4 Pro. And believe me, I have tried nearly everything else out there. As for the "cheap plastic handles," I can tell you that they have never failed me in a dozen years of heavy usage. And while I don't know how long they will last in the very long run, they certainly don't appear to be a point of failure. I personally like the fact that I have the opportunity to make my own mounting board as my needs and mounting applications have changed several times over the decade. An integrated (fixed) mounting base would have surely proven to be unsuitable at times. Finally, there are combo packages that include the DR4 Pro plus its dust collection system, but they are, not surprisingly, considerably more expensive than the unit by itself. I believe that this has remained an accessory as opposed to being included with the jig simply because almost every "chip-making" tool in a typical woodshop has some sort of dust collection capability, yet most woodworkers never attach any of them. That's only my opinion, but my experience has shown it to be an accurate statement. Someone who is not inclined to hook up dust collection certainly doesn't want to pay nearly two hundred dollars for the ability to do so. In conclusion, if I bought pre-made drawboxes of the same quality that I produce, I would pay nearly $90 apiece for them in the average heights and widths I typically create. As I can make them myself for less than $25 apiece in solid Maple or Beech, I'm saving a small fortune every time I make boxes, certainly more than enough to pay for the DR4 Pro and it's dust collection unit a hundred times over since first having purchased it.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Thanks for the feedback! Sounds like it's working great for you on the long run, that's great to hear! I did end up buying the dust collection accessory and it works pretty good. It will be making an appearance in my upcoming video.

[@mountainlightwoodcraft]

Will be anxious to tune in for that.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

👍😁

[@markpearson2085]

Great video , been looking at all the dovetail jigs available myself been looking at the Gifkins jig from Australia. Look like the easiest one to set up and there got great instructions Video on KZbin.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

I haven’t seen that one, I’ll check it out. Thanks for watching!

[@markpearson2085]

Col who owns the jig company has a live demo on the jig and box making every few weeks on a Sunday morning Australian time , well worth checking out.

[@5280Woodworking]

Great review. The cam clamps can take abuse, so you should be good there. Overall I thought the review, approach and content delivery were excellent.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Thanks!

[@Carpenters_Canvas]

I have the original version of this jig, 24-inch m d-128r, bought it for 100 at a tool show. Now i need to buy the bits for it and the prices are scary. Looking at leigh tools they have one set that is 500 dollars... would love to get this but its nuts expensive. they also sell aftermarket vacuum attachments .. another 500 dollars. so this is an investment. I can cut hand cut dovetails, and have the best equipment to do so but that takes forever. I cannot believe how expensive the bits are for this machine.. But what else can i do right? .. Headed to my local woodworking place to see if i can get a few of them to get me through this project. when i learn how to use it i plan on making a very thorough video on how to use it, what bits to use and what not.. because although this was very helpful, and thank you so much for your time, this doesn't tell me what to do lol. I agree with what you said about not including the attachments for stuff.. I mean the price of the jig I have purchased, which I think I got a steal on is the only saving grace for me today .. now its just the expensive bits I need. RIP credit card ... lol jk.. i cant justify it right now so i have to find the basics .

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Unless you really need all the bits, just buy the individual ones you need. I doubt you'd ever need every bit that comes in the complete kit. Here's the link to the individual bits for the D-series jigs. www.leightools.com/cutters-d4-router-bits-for-the-d4r-pro/

[@petemclinc]

Helpful review, the D4R Pro is great for making many joints as you mentioned, however it is time consuming to set up, dial everything in and make test cuts. I can see many craftsmen hand cutting dovetails if making only a few, which would be faster. I find it helpful to set up 2 routers with the tails and straight (pins) bits but you'll need 2 guide bushings. This way you can do test cuts without having to switch bits back and forth. Also, use a 12" combo square held against the work and fingers to ensure squareness. When I use my D4R Pro I'm not concerned about how long it will take to take to set up and dial in, heck I even rough out the tails and pins with a coping saw to make less work for the routers and prevent blowout. The time I save actually cutting is worth it.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

It's probably faster if you are just doing a few dovetails to do it by hand, as long as you are comfortable doing it that way. I'm working on a 7 drawer dresser and didn't want to hand cut all those drawer boxes so I figured this is a good excuse to invest in the D4R Pro! I may consider the 2 router option though, that would be an additional time saver!

[@pieces94]

Great video and excellent review! Thank you for your honest opinions.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@cpwright82]

How fiddly did you find adjusting the fit? I have a porter cable 4212 jig that only does even spacing. One of the complaints I have with that jig is that getting the fit right when doing a new batch usually took me 1-2 hours. I could then generally run a lot of drawers that way, but if anything changed it was starting over from pretty much scratch to start. That you can use a scrap piece to adjust the tailboard to your pins incrementally seems quite nice. Do you find that it is easier to adjust by moving your fence or by adjusting the Leigh guide bush?

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Once you understand how the jig works, it's very easy to make minor adjustments. I don't adjust the guide bushing at all, only the fence. One increment on the scale is a 0.005" adjustment to the fit. My first time using the jig I pretty much nailed the fit on the first try. You just need to be meticulous with following the directions, but I hope this video helps with that!

[@MsTheSpike]

A quick question. Do you really need the oval guide from Leigh to work or the round ones (7/16 or 5/8) that comes with my router will do?

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

You really should use the one that comes with the jig. It's properly sized to give you the perfect fit and since it's not symmetrical you can make fine adjustments to the fit by rotating the bushing.

[@terybaker]

Awesome video. I appreciate your honesty. Thank you sir.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@medic0us]

I’ve use this jig for 12 years every weeks and unless you’re miss using the cam clamp they will never breaks. It comes without clamp because many woodworker will mount it according to their needs. Mine is mounted on it’s carrying case so I don’t have to bend to see what I’m doing. You are right that this jig is pretty expensive and you can bye it as a package with Vacuum Touter Support VRS witch works super good.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

That's great to know! I hope they don't wear out or break, they just seem kind of cheap compared to the rest of the jig. I just received the vacuum attachment, so I'll be trying it out on my next project. You say you mounted the jig to it's carrying case? Mine did not come with a case and I bought it brand new. I'm trying to figure out where I'm going to store it.

[@medic0us]

@@biscuittreewoodworks I should have written « the case I built » instead of «it’s carrying case » if you want I can send you pictures

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

@@medic0us ok, I thought I was missing out on some kind of hard case they used to provide. For now I’ve got mine on the shelf under my workbench.

[@carboranadum]

Good video! The add on dust collection is worth the extra money, IMHO. I do not think it should be included in the package. That way cost is cheaper for folks who don't need it. I love the D4R!

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

I ended up ordering the dust collection add-on. It really makes a huge difference!

[@MikeyDonna]

When cutting soft wood like this , if you wrap the top of the board being cut with one layer of blue painter tap it will element blow out on the pins or tails

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

That may help, but I would be careful using tape with this kind of jig. If the tape is on the wood in a location that the jig references, it will throw off the jig and you could end up with gaps in the dovetails. So if you use tape to help prevent blow out, just make sure it's not on a location that touches the jig.

[@robertpacheco4244]

I’ve been using mine for 20+ years. The cams work just as well today as when I bought it. The reason that you build the platform is because everybody’s situation is different. Mine is actually a raised platform so that I have more room for long boards and is at a more comfortable height for routing. I don’t think it’s fair to knock them for not including the dust collection, it is available at a higher package cost. That is not unusual with any product. You get what you pay for. FYI, if you want a super easy and quick way to cut box joints, get the available comb assembly. It’s a dream to use.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Good to hear the cams are still working well on yours. I don't know if they changed anything on them in the last 20 years, so hopefully they hold up. I bought the addon dust collection attachment, but I really think it should be included. I don't know of many tools that make you pay for adding a dust collection point. Almost everything comes with it these days.

[@nicholasmanovich4330]

Thanks biscuit ! Another good video !

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@am2dan]

It's probably better than the old dovetail jig I saw this morning at an estate sale for $8. I passed. Thanks for the video.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

I would hope so! Thanks for watching!

[@Carpenters_Canvas]

can anyone answer this question? Do you really need to use leigh bushing guides? I have normal bushing guides and the dimensions are what leigh says is required but want to be sure.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

The Leigh bushings are not perfectly round like standard bushings. This allows you to fine tune the fit of the dovetails by rotating the bushing to either remove more or less material.

[@Carpenters_Canvas]

@@biscuittreewoodworks thanks for the response, i understand that part but there are other ways to adjust that. I should note i have the older version of it. the d-1258r version that didn't use the oblong bushings. besides that, how do you fine tune it without holding the router with the precision of a robot?

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

@@Carpenters_Canvas I'm actually pretty fast and rough with it and get near perfect results. The router just sits on the top of the jig and I push it through the wood following the guide fingers. I used it to build an entire set of drawers for a dresser in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jITcY2WdbsiUZpo

[@Carpenters_Canvas]

@@biscuittreewoodworks beautiful work for sure, but is the bushings really needed to be leigh? I have read a lot of things and people how use it regularly say no. but thanks for your time and keep up the great work!!

[@Mike--K]

@@Carpenters_Canvas If you are not interested in making very small adjustments with the Leigh elliptical bushing, then any bushing with the appropriate outer diameter will work fine. I use the 7/16-inch outer diameter Porter Cable style bushing when I make half-blind dovetails using the Leigh jig. The Leigh elliptical bushing allows you to shift the alignment of the bushing relative to the shaft of the cutter as needed. So far, I haven't needed to make any adjustments.

[@yobuddi]

Well done sir!

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Thank you!

[@ezrabrooks12]

Good Work.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Thanks!

[@BigNicky77]

Great video! Thank you

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Glad you liked it!

[@sphlouge]

Good video, but I’m still a bit confused about the gauges in the end of the rails. The ones colored. Also I have an older model that only has 6 in of fingers. It’s a 24 inch jig so I’m assuming it should have almost 24 in of fingers. I eve called leigh and the guy I spoke to had no clue. This is the company that makes the jig. What the hell.?

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

There's not going to be enough fingers to completely fill the 24 inch span, but it should have a few more than 6. You should be able to search online for the instruction manual for the model of jig you have. That might help if you have a question on the gauges. The person you spoke with probably doesn't even work for the company. Most companies outsource their calls to a call center and gives them a list of common questions and answers.

[@sphlouge]

@@biscuittreewoodworks thank you for the fast reply. However I could have sworn the fingers on your jig covered most of the jig . I can understand not the full 24 but if I only have 6 in of fingers how do I d a blanket chest that’s 24 in wide. I have searched the net but I keep getting shoved from one dead zone to the next. I’ll continue my quest, thanks again, Michael

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

@@sphlougeyou can make dovetails on a wide board by spacing out the fingers. There’s no need to have them all crowded together. In the video you can see me spacing out the fingers. You would just space them out more.

[@sphlouge]

@@biscuittreewoodworks gotcha, thanx. I have a few dovetail jigs. I bought this leigh jig from a woman whose husband died. I gave her much more than she ask for. She had no idea the value of anything she was selling. I didn’t buy anything else . I have tons of tools , but I helped her price everything else out.. anyway that’s how I have the jigs I’ve been a furniture maker for 58 years. I do a lot of hand cut dovetails. I just started a small limited addition pieces and thought I could expedite the process with the leigh. Other than a couple things , your video was excellent and informative. Appreciate your help

[@MikeyDonna]

The back ground music is a distraction . !!!

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Sorry, some people like having the background music and some don't. Hard to keep everyone happy.

[@davidhart7339]

Quit whining buy the dust collector add on, it’s worth the money.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

I bought it. Still think it should be included though.

[@MikeyDonna]

That music does NOTHING for you video !,!!!

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

And this comment does NOTHING to change it!

[@steveh8724]

Look this is an OK review but the complaints are pretty lame. The mounting board simply should not be a problem for anyone who plans to use this 'PRO' dovetail jig. ANY other base approach would add cost for all, despite being unnecessary for many. As for the clamps, as you stated, you only need light pressure to hold the workpiece securely. Is there any history of these breaking with repeated use? If so, I haven't been able to find it. As for the dust collection, it's quite obvious that the plain version which is ~$750 (D4R Pro 24") comes without the dust collection accessories. BUT you can always choose to pay ~$1000 and get the jig with accessories including supplemental dust collection. Or you can choose to start with the plain version and then buy the accessories later. So what's you complaint? Surely you're not suggesting that they ONLY sell the complete package? Once again, I don't see this as something to complain about. Just pick the version you want. It's not like they would sell the whole package for the lower price if that's all they offered. In fact if they were to do that, the price would probably increase because I'm guessing a lot of folks buy the model without accessories to start. So you would have a lot fewer sales if the entry price was $1,000.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

If you don't agree with the issues I had then you should absolutely love this jig and should run out to get it. I never said any of these issues were deal breakers or reasons not to buy. I even mentioned I was going to have to get a bit picky in order to list some issues with the jig. On the clamps there is a history of them breaking. I know this because it even says so in the manual for the jig. I was completely aware the jig did not come with the dust collection accessory. I said I believe they should include it for the cost of the jig. They don't, so that's their choice and people have to decide if that's a problem for them or not. For me, I didn't like it, but I bought the dust collection add-on anyway because I want to keep using the jig. My issue is that there even is a version without dust collection and no I don't think adding dust collection should make this jig cost $1000. If these issues are so minor to you, I don't understand why you felt the need to rant to me about my opinions, not once, but twice. If you think it's perfect the way it is, that's great! I think some minor improvements could be made, but that's my opinion. I'm not forcing everyone to adopt those opinions or berating the company or anyone else that wants to disagree. So anyway, thanks for your thoughts on the matter and have a nice day!

[@steveh8724]

Wait, your #1 complaint is that you had to screw the jig to a scrap board so you could clamp the board to your workbench? Really? THAT's your primary complaint? Well, you could have just screwed it directly to your bench or to a stand or to whatever mounting surface you like. Why in the world would you want the jig to come with some larger base that you might or might not need or want? Especially when the SOLUTION to the PROBLEM is a single piece of scrap wood? I don't get it.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

I think you didn't hear me correctly. That was my #1 complaint in the list, as in the first thing I'm listing, not necessarily my biggest issue with the jig. If you don't get the issue with that, then great, you won't have a problem with it.