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Wasted $120 on a fancy dovetail jig I used exactly once
Bought that Leigh jig two summers ago thinking I'd finally step up my drawer game. Set it up, made one practice joint, and realized I hate how slow it is. I can cut dovetails by hand in way less time than it takes to adjust those stupid templates. Now it sits in a box under my workbench. Anyone else got a tool they bought for a specific project that ended up being a total waste?
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kai_webb911mo ago
Have you tried using it as a really expensive paperweight? I keep my old hand plane on a shelf just to remind myself I'm better at buying tools than using them.
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taraross1mo ago
Oh man, I feel that so hard. I've got a whole shelf above my workbench dedicated to tools I bought for some ambitious project I never finished. There's a combination square I bought thinking I was going to build a custom bookshelf from scratch, and now it just sits there looking pretty next to a rusty old chisel. Maybe it's just me but I actually find it kind of calming to look at them, like a museum of my own failed intentions. At least they're not taking up drawer space, right?
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Started getting into hand cutting dovetails myself and honestly selling that jig on Craigslist was the best move I made. Used the cash to buy a good fret saw and some nice chisels from a guy on Facebook Marketplace. Now I actually enjoy making drawers instead of fighting with that jig. The first few hand cut joints looked rough but after a dozen or so practice ones they started coming out presentable. Sold that overpriced paperweight to a guy who probably uses it twice a year, just like I did. Have you thought about listing it online and putting that money toward something more your speed?
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