Leigh Industries' Isoloc Templates offer six new and fully functional variations on the venerable dovetail jig. All of the designs are amazingly easy to cut. If you've ever cut half-blind dovetails on a fixed jig, you've already done more complicated work than Isoloc templates will require. The precision-machined aluminum templates fit any Leigh D-series 24" dovetail jig directly, with no modification required. All you'll need is a 5/16" straight router bit. Leigh recommends rigid, clean-cutting solid carbide up-cut spiral bits. Note shank diameters equal cutting width; order adapters separately to fit 1/2" collets. The template guide used with Isolocks is provided with the templates, and it's one of the system's strong ponts. It's Leigh's Variable Guidebush System, which allows built-in fine tuning of joint tightness. The turret of the nominal 1/2" template guide is milled to a 5-degree taper, so rotating the threaded turret within its mounting flange can increase or decrease its effective size in increments of less than .001", allowing quick and easy tuning to fit any bit. VGS template guides fit any standard Porter-Cable, Black & Decker or DeWalt style router base, and can be fitted to other routers using the Leigh adapters listed separately.
Each Isoloc template offers two joint patterns. All six patterns can be used for half-blind or through joints, and each can also (with 1/4" & 3/8" bits instead of the usual 5/16" bit) cut joints with a 1/16" inlay of contrasting wood--or our silvery solid metal wood filler, perhaps, for a highly decorative effect. Stock capacities are from 3/4" to 1-1/2" thickness on the socket or "pin" piece and up to 1" thick on the "tail" piece. Maximum workpiece width varies slightly depending on the shape of each template. Key & Clover patterns can be up to 23-3/4" wide. Ellipse is up to 23-1/4" wide; Mirror Key is up to 22-3/4" wide; Bear's Ears and Wave patterns up to 22-1/4". Each template comes with a 5-piece VGS template guide system and fully illustrated manual which is a model of clarity.