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Still tempted to keep it, I took it apart to lube parts thinking I could live with it. At a limit, one knob ran into another. If you are to the point of appreciating dovetails, then you will recognize a poor design. I almost never write reviews of products. When I bought one, I was non-plussed by the fact that it did not include a router bit as advertised. Playing with it to understand its function, I noticed that knob settings conflicted with one another. It was very difficult to put back together because of obstructed nuts. I applaud Woodstock for its price, but this is a case where you get what you pay for.
I was impressed that Woodstock (aka Shopfox) used the criticism of replacing the plastic template with the aluminum one recommended by several consumers. The 2 two adjustments that extend for the width of the horizontal piece bind at the greatest width due to no spacer. Woodstock, please continue in the spirit consumer satisfaction and improve this. A spacer would keep it aligned (that's a tough fix due to the squarednut that keeps it in a track).
Other than those holders being junk this works just fine. I had to take the knobs and bolts, that clamp the jig to the top of the board, and replace them. This jig is ok. The knob is just pressed over the top of the bolt. If they would of just spent a few bucks more to get better knobs this would of been great right out of the box and I would of given it a 5 star rating. I just used a die to cut new threads on the end.
If you are going to throw your Jigs away, please send them too me. Mine is Aluminum and thick enough not to bend or break unless terribly abused. and lends itself to very bad western criticism. This is the first time I've heard of "Plastic Combs" on this Jig.
Yep, I found them staring me right in the face. It is a very good router and does what it says it does. The reason I rated it with 4 (four) stars is, the manual I received with it is terrible. I've copied the Rockler manual, so now I know what the Jig is capable of and I can read it. The good news, is that we are as fair as I thought we were. I'm glad of this comparison, between the two Jigs happened. Some are very expensive with good quality control too). I bought some Rockler Combs and a set up for the Jig.
My version is very consistent and turns out a good product every time it's used (after adjustment or you have a dedicated Router, etc). Mine is just like it and I know this, because my friend bought one from Rockler. We compared them. My advise is not to be afraid of the "low price". This Jig is made overseas in one of the Oriental Countries (Have you noticed that most of them are.
So, I looked mine over very carefully for the flaws that were described in these reviews. I read these reviews and thought I'd lost my mind or someone had a grudge against this Jig. The bad news, is that some people bought very bad Jigs. For the poor people that bought that very bad Jig, I can say "Thank you" for guiding me toward a great manual (comparatively speaking).
It will make through Dovetails, now. No, it is not made of gold, but it has well made a lot of drawers and decorative joints for me. Those were my first thoughts, but I also think we are more fair than that. As a matter of fact, it is a "carbon copy" of the earlier Rockler Jig.
I can always use spare parts. His Rockler is one of their early ones and the parts are interchangeable between the two Jigs.
I think part of my problem is that the comb table or template on mine is not of consistent thickness, but whatever the case; I'm unable to adjust the unit with any sort of precision. With several years of experience under my belt, I decided to dedicate another afternoon to getting this jig to perform properly - no such luck. There must be millions of poorly built drawers out there by now. I actually logged on today for the sole purpose of researching its replacement - not to review it - and I was very surprised to see that it was still being sold. As a beginning woodworker, I too purchased this unit several years ago, spent an afternoon trying to get it to work, and then shelved the thing in frustration. Also, between the router base AND work surfaces, there seems to be a whole lot of rocking going on - a little flatness goes a long way.In the interest of ending the cycle of frustration, this dovetail jig will not even make it to eBay - it's going to be flung high and long on the scrap heap at the local landfill. "Always buy the best tool you can afford, you get what you pay for, etc." I'd use it for a boat anchor, but I suspect it would probably break.
I agree with Steven. I ended up buying the PC 4212 as I have heard very good things about that jig. I tried to save a few bucks by buying this, but there is so much slop in this unit that the only thing consistent with this jig is the inconsistency of the results.
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