Sandal Woods - Fine Woodworking & Cabinetry

Available in six joint patterns, Isoloc joints and templates are unique to Leigh. The styles are: The Wave, The Ellipse, the Key, The Mirror Key, Clover, and Bears Ears. Their large glue surface area and the mechanical interlock of dovetails combine to make a unique joint, available nowhere else.The three easy steps to make these unique joints are:

1. Install variable guide bush and router bit
2. Route the pins
3. Route the tails

The Isoloc templates are not available for the Super 12 jig. However, they are for all the other Leigh dovetail jigs! Using the templates and two different router bit sizes, even inlaid Isoloc joints are possible - how cool is that?

A must-have for me, as I love to make boxes; this must be one of the coolest templates I have ever seen. I must get the finger joint template for my D4 jig, as it will really enhance the variety of the boxes I make - from small to large, square half-blind joints, and round-to-square finger joints! The three simple steps are:

1. Install the guide bushing and straight router bit
2. Route the pins
3. Route the sockets

This episode shows in detail the feature of the super-cool finger joint templates available for the Leigh dovetail jigs. These make the jigs THE most versatile accessory to make finger joints.

This episode shows the Leigh optional accessories for the dovetail jigs “…that make your woodworking projects even more satisfying…” These include the Universal Guide System (UGS), and the Vacuum & Router Support (VRS). I did not produce this video - I obtained permission from Leigh to publish it on my blog.The guide bushings are an essential part of the Leigh dovetail jigs, and just about all jigs that work on a similar principle to guide the router around guide fingers - I buy the Leigh guide bushes, as I have found them to be the most consistent in their roundness, and dimensional tolerances. And the VRS makes my dovetailing life simpler, by eliminating just about all the dust and chips from the jig when I cut dovetails.

I must share an anecdote with you: The very first time I cut dovetails on my D4 I was so excited, I ignored everything around me; I was concentrating very hard in following procedures (from the User Guide), and being careful to avoid tear-out. When I finished making the drawers I almost tripped on my own feet, as I had my legs buried in dust and chips to my knees! I shut down, came into the house, and placed an order for the older dust/chip collection system Leigh sold at the time.

Forward a few years:

I bought the VRS shortly after its release. And now that I have it, the greatest amount of chips I sweep is a fraction of a cup, even after cutting dovetails on a number of drawers, or a cabinet - anything, really. What a pleasure it is to use the new VRS!

Now I can share: Would I consider these “optional”? No. In my mind, they are something I need in my shop. They make my life simpler, and my woodworking more pleasurable.

The winners of the Sommerfeld Tools router bit sets are:

1. Michael Lingenfelter, Bothell, Washington - wins the miniature router bit set
2. Jolene Verlanic, of Colstrip, MT, wins the Starter router bit set

Congratulations to both Michael and Jolene. And thanks to everyone for entering! Let me know how you like the bits.