Circle Cutting Jig for OF 1400 Router

[texan63]

Has anyone found this type of jig (or made one) for the 1400? I eye-balled fitting a Jasper circle cutting jig, but none of the predrilled holes on the jig line up with existing 1400 baseplate screws (including the existing 6mm threaded holes) when the jig is centered over the collet. I suppose a jig could be fabricated and fastened similar to the secondary baseplate made by Daviddubya (1/23/07, "OF 1400 Router Enhancement"). My concern would be whether using only the two 6mm threaded holes would be sufficient to sucurely fasten the jig. Any help from you folks would be appreciated! 

 

[brandon.nickel]

I made just such a jig in less than an hour out a scrap piece of 1/2" plywood.  I used the baseplate from my LR32 to locate the relative location of the 6mm screw holes.  I drilled them out using a regular hand drill.  Then I loaded a 1/2" spiral upcut bit and counterbored for the head of the screws.  I plunged about 1/4" into the trammel arm.  At first I plunged the exact depth of the top of the screws, but I didn't have enough thread length to engage the threads in the bottom of the OF1400.  So, I dialed the depth stop another 2 mm down and redid them.  After mounting the router on the top of the trammel arm I used the same bit to plunge through the plywood.  I was originally intending to use this configuration to make the circles, but I decided I didn't want to have such a tight clearance (for chip evacuation).  I installed a 3/4" bit and plunged to enlarge the hole.  Then I reinstalled the 1/2" bit to make the circles.  Measure from the center of the circle to your desired radius.  I drilled a small hole at that point and ran a drywall screw through. 

The 3/4" plywood circles were roughed out with my Trion and then followed by two passes from the OF1400, first at 3/8" second at full depth.  A third pass (also full depth) to clean up.  You need to spin the trammel arm clockwise (viewed from the top) in order to prevent unscrewing the pivot screw.  Festool sells an accessory for this but it doesn't get big enough for what I needed.  This made me two perfect 32" diameter circles in less than 2 hours (counting the time to make the trammel arm), jigsaw, and finish cut.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Has anyone found this type of jig (or made one) for the 1400? I eye-balled fitting a Jasper circle cutting jig, but none of the predrilled holes on the jig line up with existing 1400 baseplate screws (including the existing 6mm threaded holes) when the jig is centered over the collet. I suppose a jig could be fabricated and fastened similar to the secondary baseplate made by Daviddubya (1/23/07, "OF 1400 Router Enhancement"). My concern would be whether using only the two 6mm threaded holes would be sufficient to sucurely fasten the jig. Any help from you folks would be appreciated!   

I think you would be OK using those two 6 mm holes.  That is how Festool's hole drilling jig guide plate is attached to a Festool 1400 router; there are no other mechanical connections. 

Dave R.

 

[cflansbaum]

check out the thread athttp://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=1410.0

carl

 

[Tinker]

One responder has shown a piece of 1/4" hardboard drilled to fit an OF 1010 with centering holes at oposite end of the jig.  This requires a bit of accuracy in drilling out the holes to make the template fit the router.  If another router is used later on, new holes must be drilled to accomodate the base of the next router.

I have taken the same type of straight/flat 1/4" plywood and drilled a 30mm hole at the router end.  this alows me to use the Festool 30mm collar with my OF 1000.  Should it become necessary to use my OF 1400 for cutting circles while my 1000 is setup for something else, I just install the 30mm collar for the 1400 and I am off and running without having to drill new holes to fit.

Note:  i have not tried this with my 1400 yet.  I do not have the 30mm collar for it, but I think it should work.  I do find the 30 mm collar for the OF 1000 is slightly greater depth than the thickness of 1/4" hardboard (and plywood), but not enough to make an impossible situation.  Next time I need to cut circles, I will find a piece of 3/8" or 1/2" ply to make the same jig.  In my case, I used used the jig to cut a circle to make another jig for cutting a circle depression in a finished tray to hold a "wine" glass to keep it from sliding as tray was moved.  The whole operation worked fine, altho it took me a lot of extra thinking time to work it all out.  I now feel confident i can set up very quickly next time.  It will take me longer to find a useable scrap to make the jig than it will take to make it.  making the jig only requires that router end is large enough to support the router after driling a 30mm hole for the insert.  The other end can be as far away as needed and only needs to be wide enough to not break as you move the router.  (I got this idea from observing how the MFS circle cutting setup works.  This way, I do not need to drill a perfect fitting hole for the MFS 8mm screw/bearing thingy.  I just insert a sheetrock screw or any type of small screw and if i am cutting the circle for a finished job instead of making a jig for another cut, i have a much less visible hole to contend with and maybe to fill.) 

Tinker

 

[greg mann]

The benefit to Tinker's approach is that the router can turn in the jig so you can keep your hands in the same orientation as the jig goes through the arc: a big benefit. I hate chasing the router handles around in a circle. MFS works this way too.

Note: apostrophe added. My little hang-up :

 

[Jerry Work]

Hi Texan63,

An easy way to make a tramel of any length is to cut a piece of 3/4" (19mm) MDF a bit shorter than the longest radius you need.  Place the two steel rods that connect the guide rail slide to the router into the router base with just a bit of the tips sticking out.  Measure the center line spacing on those rods.  Also, measure the height the under side of the rods are off of the surface upon which the router sits and the diameter of the rods (these measurements differ a bit between the various Festool routers). 

Use a router table or the guide rail to route two parallel groves the diameter of the rods with center line spacing matching the rod center line spacing.  Make the depth such that the rods will sit flat in the groves without tipping the router base.  Slide the rods into these groves and the tops will project above the top of the MDF by a couple of mms.  Screw a couple of pieces of hard wood across the top of the rods to hold them firmly in place.  Now your router is held firmly at the end of the tramel and by loosening the knobs on the router that hold the rods you can adjust the location of the router closer to or away from the center point.  If you centered your groves for the rods on the width of the MDF, then the center of the MDF will be the center of the router bit and where your pivot point should be located.  Drill a hole through the MDF for the center point.  I like 4mm holes as that is the diameter of the center pin on the metal Festool tramel for the jig saw.  That pin has a nice knob on it so it is easy to place and remove.

This kind of tramel is very fast to make and can be adjusted over a wide range simply by moving the pivot point and can be adjusted very precisely by moving the router on the rails.  Use the micro adjust if you want to.  The problem with screwing the router to the top of a tramel is your only adjustment is where you drill the center point hole and that is often not accurate enough.  Hope this helps.

Jerry

Has anyone found this type of jig (or made one) for the 1400? I eye-balled fitting a Jasper circle cutting jig, but none of the predrilled holes on the jig line up with existing 1400 baseplate screws (including the existing 6mm threaded holes) when the jig is centered over the collet. I suppose a jig could be fabricated and fastened similar to the secondary baseplate made by Daviddubya (1/23/07, "OF 1400 Router Enhancement"). My concern would be whether using only the two 6mm threaded holes would be sufficient to sucurely fasten the jig. Any help from you folks would be appreciated!   

 

[Tinker]

Jerry, as always, I like your idea.  i will try it
Tinker

 

[texan63]

Thanks to all who gave good ideas for the jig, especially Brandon, Carl, Tinker and Jerry W. I took my rod measurements yesterday and will go for the trammel method that Jerry described. Thanks again!
Travis, in frigid MN. 

 

[HowardH]

FWIW, I heard back today from the owner of Jasper tools and he said the OF1400 will not work with their jig.  I ordered a MFS system this week to get a festool solution to the same problem.  Obviously, I will be able to use the system for far more than cutting circles but it's a good reason to get one!

 

[colotimber]

Try Micro Fence they make fantastic product, a precision product that I believe that Festool owners will appreciate.  I believe that they offer an adapter for Festool, www.microfence.com

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Here's another simple approach to a circle cutting or routing jig that I have used on many occasions.  It is compact and very portable, and easily expandable to great size if needed.  The edge guide for the 1400 and most other routers comes with a pair of steel rods.  I have not confirmed this, but I think the Festool edge guide rods are 10 mm diameter.  Make a pivot block beginning with a small (~ 1" x 1" x 2", the dimensions are not critical) block of wood, MDF or HDPE (plastic).  Bore a hole through the pivot block corresponding to the diameter of the steel rods, then make a saw cut parallel to the bore from one edge to the bore to create a pair of opposed flanges.  (Don't cut the pivot block into two pieces.)  Drill a second hole (perpendicular to the direction of the first bore) through those flanges to receive a screw or bolt which when cinched up will draw the flanges toward one another.  Fit the "bottom side" block with a pin, nail or screw to use as a pivot point of your circle.  Slide the pivot block onto one of your edge guide rods, and tighten the screw or bolt to clamp the pivot block to the steel rod anywhere along its length to set the radius.

Need a longer radius?  Make a second connector block with a single through bore and pair of clamping flanges and use it to join your pair of steel rods end-to-end.  With the edge guide rods supplied with the 1400 router, you should be able to make circles up to about 4 ft diameter.  (I have not checked to determine how large I can actually achieve.)  The rods and your homemade pivot and connector blocks will easily fit in the Systainer supplied with your 1400 router.

Need to avoid drilling or otherwise marring your workpiece with your pivot pin?  Use double stick tape to temporarily fasten a small piece of plywood or MDF or hardboard to your workpiece to receive the pivot pin. 

Need a longer radius?  Make a coupling block to fit a piece of steel rod or electrical conduit.  For example, you can make a coupling block with one half of the through bore sized to fit your Festool edge guide rods and the other half sized to fit a piece of threaded rod or conduit that is commercially available.  3/8" threaded rod should work well.  If you use theaded rod, you can also join pieces of it with commercially available coupling nuts.  Likewise you can join pieces of conduit with additional homemade coupling blocks or commercially available screw type couplings for the conduit you are using.

Dave R.

 

[texan63]

For colotimber:

Thanks for the suggestion. The Microfence circle cutting rig looks very precise; however, the total cost (with the required oversized mounting bars for Festool routers) is about $245. For that amount, I would spring for the Festool MFS.
Thanks again, Travis

 

[chrisrosenb]

FWIW, I heard back today from the owner of Jasper tools and he said the OF1400 will not work with their jig.  I ordered a MFS system this week to get a festool solution to the same problem.  Obviously, I will be able to use the system for far more than cutting circles but it's a good reason to get one!

I use the Jasper jigs with my OF1400. All I had to do to make them work was to drill mounting holes in the jigs.

 

[Jerry Work]

One more quick tip on trammels for routers, especially for smaller diameters.  Standard stamped steel angle brackets available at most hardware and big box stores come in various sizes.  One common size is the width of the outboard support foot on the 1000 and 1400 series routers.  The ones in my local hardware store have one hole that lines up perfectly with the mounting hole when the base of the angle bracket is level with the base of the router.  To use it as a trammel, just drill a 4mm hole through the base of the angle bracket corresponding to the center point you need, screw it in place on the router and drop a 4mm machine screw through that hole and into a 4mm center point hole in your work piece.  The router is held securely while you make the circular cut.  When finished, remove the 4mm screw and put it back in the box, take off the angle bracket and put it with your hardware stuff and you are done.  Nothing to store, no time involved and it works well.  Hope this helps.

Jerry

 

[texan63]

for Jerry Work:
I apologize, Jerry, but I can't visualize the hardware you mention nor exactly where it would fit on the 1400 to make a trammel pt. arrangement. Can you give it another try?

Thanks much, Travis

 

[Qwas]

for Jerry Work:
I apologize, Jerry, but I can't visualize the hardware you mention nor exactly where it would fit on the 1400 to make a trammel pt. arrangement. Can you give it another try?

Thanks much, Travis

Imagine a 90 degree angle bracket (like something used to hold a shelf onto the wall). One leg rests on your work piece and the other leg is pointing straight up. One of the screw holes on the upright leg lines up with a hole in the side of the router base (or you can always drill a hole that will line up). One of the screw holes on the work piece leg could be used to hold a center point (4 mm diameter). If you need a smaller circle, drill a new 4 mm hole and put the center point in the new hole.

I think the angle bracket Jerry is talking about is for holding 2x4s together at a 90 degree angle.

Hope that helps. I know sometimes my mind is on a different track and its hard to visualize a different thought. It happens to all of us.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Travis,

HD and Lowe's carry angle iron stock that is pre-punched with many holes on its flanges.  Similar stock is used by overhead gararge door companies to mount the door tracks and motor unit to the framing.  Don't forget that you can simply use the factory edge guide with the factory edge guide rods to make a trammel jig within the length range of those rods.  Attach a piece of wood to the vertical flange of the edge guide and affix you pivot pin to that piece of wood.

 

[texan63]

FWIW, I heard back today from the owner of Jasper tools and he said the OF1400 will not work with their jig.  I ordered a MFS system this week to get a festool solution to the same problem.  Obviously, I will be able to use the system for far more than cutting circles but it's a good reason to get one!

I use the Jasper jigs with my OF1400. All I had to do to make them work was to drill mounting holes in the jigs.

Chris, were you able to use any of the existing screw holes in the OF 1400 base to attach the Jasper jig(s)? I have the Jasper Perfect Circle Guide (No. 270) and when I inserted the Jasper 1/4 " dowel pin into the router collet, then inserted the pin into the jig center hole, no existing router base plate screw holes lined up with any Jasper holes, although one of the two 6mm holes came close. Not wanting to drill and tap new screw holes into the OF 1400 base, I  abandoned the idea of using the Jasper jig. How did you attach yours??
Thanks, Travis   

 

[chrisrosenb]

Travis,
I used the 2 larger predrilled holes in the 1400 router base. The hole on the side of the plunge lock knob lined up with the large predrilled hole near the 4 7/16 mark on the the  Jasper 200 jig.
I drilled a hole for the other hole between the 4 13/16 hole & the large predrilled hole.