Leigh Jig Cutters

[marcros]

I need to get some cutters for my Leigh dovetail jig. I want to do some through and some half blind dovetails, and I see my options as follows. Does anybody have any experience of any of these? I am not planning on using them day in day out, so cant really justify the expense of the best cutters available. If I start to use it a lot, the criteria may change!

Trend- typically £20+ each and I need 3 cutters to start with. The trend cutters are 1/4" shanks and 1/2" shanks, so would need different guide bushes to use.

Wealdon- about £10 each. 1/4" shanks

Leigh own branded- £12 or so each, 8mm shank

Axcaliber- £11 or so, 8mm shank.

Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/16-pc-8mm-Sha ... 20c2570ecd I am normally reluctant to buy sets because I wont use some of them, but for £50 quid, it is almost the same as buying the 3 I need. I also need to get a collet reducer which is included in the set. Had anybody used these cutters?

I have only seen it today for the first time, but I assume that 12mm cutters are different to 1/2" and to be avoided in a 1/2" router?

Any thoughts, anybody?

 

[Benchwayze]

Hi Marcros,

Don't bother buying 1/4" shank cutters for a Leigh Jig. You have to take deep cuts, and the best bet is an 8mm shank. Not a great deal bigger, but it makes a big difference to the amount of vibration.

I never liked the reducers for routing. You can buy an 8mm collet for most routers. (I have Elu routers, and I know that they fit.) You won't ever regret the extra cash I promise you. I never have any issues with Leigh Cutters.
HTH

 

[marcros]

Thanks John. I wasnt keen on the idea of 1/4" shank cutters for it and had all but ruled them out. However, I am sure that somebody would have recomended Wealdon and Trend if I had not mentioned them as an option.
I am not sure that an 8mm collet is avaailable for my freud, and information is sketchy about their powertools now. No doubt something will fit, but finding out what is the battle. I bought it as an all purpose router, but primarily for the table. If I get into using the leigh jig, I might well get another router for that and hand routing. The big freud is very good though, and I would certainly consider a second, lighterweight one.

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks John. I wasnt keen on the idea of 1/4" shank cutters for it and had all but ruled them out. However, I am sure that somebody would have recomended Wealdon and Trend if I had not mentioned them as an option.
I am not sure that an 8mm collet is avaailable for my freud, and information is sketchy about their powertools now. No doubt something will fit, but finding out what is the battle. I bought it as an all purpose router, but primarily for the table. If I get into using the leigh jig, I might well get another router for that and hand routing. The big freud is very good though, and I would certainly consider a second, lighterweight one.

Ahhh. Thee's the rub!
You'll no doubt find the advantage of two routers with the Leigh, to save time on bit changes. As with any dovetail jig that cuts tails and pins separately.

As the larger routers can usually be fitted with smaller collets (And not vice versa) I bought two Elu 177Es, when I first got the jig. I don't use the Leigh so much now, so I sold on one router. But it's always worth a thought, so whatever you decide, you'll have to be sure that Leigh provide bush adapters for your routers.

I found the Leigh to be a time saver, and it's variable spacing is an advantage. But cutting 'half-blind' dovetails is a bit more of a learning 'curve'.

Anyhow, you can do far worse than a Leigh so, best of luck.

 

[jasonB]

Agree the 1/4" chatter too much. Handytools do all the individual Leigh bits.

http://www.handytools.co.uk/acatalog/Le ... tters.html

They also do the Leigh sleeve so the 8mm bits can be held in a 1/2" collet

J

 

[marcros]

Seems like all suggestions point to genuine Leigh cutters. They seem to be fairly proced too. I will get some from Handy tools I think- probably not worth waiting a couple of weeks and getting nailed for import duty on the ebay ones.