Adding long legs to the Leigh FMT

Sometimes a project calls for drastic action. This is exactly what I had to do, to allow me to cut integral tenons on very long rails for a project for a client.I normally work with the Leigh FMT on the workbench. But now I am using the workbench to make a stand that will allow me to set the FMT on this new stand on the bench: A kind of self-raising, tower crane. I start the process by milling stock for the legs, and all rails. After a couple of test cuts, I am ready to cut the mortises, and then the tenons:

Cutting the mortises:

fmt-mortise-legs

And now, cutting the tenons:

fmt-tenons-rail

I always dry fit, prior to glue-up.
I do it in stages – I like to glue up the legs first:

fmt-legs-dryfit

Then I glue the rails onto the two sets
of legs previously assembled, and check for square:

fmt-glueup-legs

Some tweaking is required – and
hand tools are sometimes the
quickest way to get
it done – thus, the integrated shop:

fmt-tweak-legs

Now I can test the surface mount
Leigh clamps on the new plywood top:

fmt-on-legs-3

The self-raising, tower crane-like FMT
on its new perch, with a mock-up of a long rail;
I must design a cleat to make attachment
to the bench a little cleaner:

fmt-on-legs

This little stand will allow me to cut integral tenons on long work pieces. But I still must figure out a way to better clamp all four corners – I think I will probably use cleats on either side of the stand.

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Leigh Industries

Episode 19. Yet more cool stuff for Leigh jigs – Isoloc templates




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?




Episode 18. More cool Leigh stuff: Finger Joint templates




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.