Wasted $150 on a cheap dovetail jig from a big box store

I thought I was saving money buying that $60 dovetail jig from the orange store. Three drawers later the plastic guide snapped and ruined a nice piece of cherry. Ended up spending $200 on a decent Leigh jig that actually works. The cheap one couldn't even handle half-inch stock without slipping. Anyone else get burned by a tool that looked good in the aisle?

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2 Comments

rowanbennett2mo ago

The worst part is that plastic guide chews up the wood when it lets go, so you're not just out the jig money, you're also scrapping a whole board you already cut to size. Happened to me with a cheap router bit set, ended up costing more in ruined walnut than the premium bits would have been in the first place.

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alicea262mo ago

Did I mention I also managed to glue my thumb to a tail board while trying to salvage the mess?

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