Wasted $400 on a cheap dovetail jig that couldn't hold tolerance

Picked up a dovetail jig from a discount tool site back in March thinking I was saving a bundle. First few joints looked okay but after about 10 drawers the thing shifted and every tail came out loose. Had to scrap three drawer boxes and start over with hand cut joints. Anyone else get burned by budget jigs that just don't hold up to real use?

2 comments

2 Comments

sageadams1mo ago

Honestly @bennett.nora you're making it sound WAY worse than it probably was.

bennett.nora1mo ago

Did the instructions say "requires calibration" or did I just miss the fine print where it said "may explode after drawer number 10"? My first dovetail jig was supposed to be a budget bargain but I swear the thing had more slop than a wet noodle. I ended up with tails so loose they looked like I chased them with a butter knife. Hand cutting is definitely the way to go after that mess, even if my first hand cut dovetails looked like a toddler's art project.