circle hole jig ?

[Dangermouse]

does anyone know of a company in the UK that makes/sells a circle hole jig?, I had one from axminster which I've since broken :-(, Ideally I'm looking for something that would guide holes from 32mm up to 100mm

it's a long shot, but I'm sure someone's got some info

 

[Roseland]

How about a router, a 30mm guide bush and MFS400?

Of all the tools I have, the MFS has been the biggest surprise.  When I got it I thought it would be a "nice to have".  But I rarely complete a project without using it somewhere.

I'd need to check the smallest hole it can make...

Andrew

 

[Dangermouse]

hi, this is similar to what I had, not available in the UK unfortunately

 

[Stone Message]

I have the Axminster one. Before I bought it I made a dummy base for my router and put some 6mm dowel holes at strategic places. I then put a 6 mm hole in the work piece and used a short piece of 6mm brass rod as a pivot point. It worked quite well but the old Axminster guide is easier.

Peter

 

[Roseland]

OMG.  I have one, and love it.  It was in the 2014 Axminster catalog as 400384, and described as an "Axminster Hole and Corner Template".  But it's not in the 2015 catalog, and a search for that product code returns resharpenable planer blades.

If you don't mind buying from the USA, this looks like an Imperial version:http://www.infinitytools.com/Circle-Radius-Cutting-Template/productinfo/CIR-001/

They have a UK office:http://www.infinitytools.co.uk and it might be worth giving them a call.

But I'm not selling mine!

Good luck,

Andrew

 

[Roseland]

It looks as if an imperial one is made by Peachtree:http://www.ptreeusa.com/rtr_jigs_circle_templates.htm
They ship internationally:http://www.ptreeusa.com/shipping_information.htm
It used to be sold by Amazon UK:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Router-Circle-Template-Peachtree-Woodworking/dp/B003UO676O

Good luck,

Andrew

 

[Roseland]

OK, so I just went on the Infinity USA website and checked out shipping costs.
The template is $29.90, and shipping is $25 giving a total cost of $54.90.
At today's exchange rate that's just under £38. (Axminster was £27.95 in 2014)
Of course you might get stung for VAT when you import it, but it will be small beer.
It's only imperial, but that might be better than nothing.

Good luck,

Andrew

 

[Stone Message]

If anyone has a CNC with a bit of idle time then there might be a small profit from making something similar in metric of course. It would probably be okay to use 9mm MDF or birch ply.

Peter

 

[Dangermouse]

good idea Peter, I've been thinking about it today, as I've got some off cuts of trespa, I'm going to see if i can make one using hole saws to make a template

 

[Stone Message]

good idea Peter, I've been thinking about it today, as I've got some off cuts of trespa, I'm going to see if i can make one using hole saws to make a template

I've never worked with Trespa - does it cut well?

Peter

 

[Holmz]

I thought that the Forstner bits are available in every mm. That would probably work better than a holw saw, but it may not matter for a template.

 

[Dangermouse]

Peter, trespa is a very strong hard laminate, but it is prone to chipping when cut, it machines well using a router, you just need to take your time with it, as the resin in it burns really easily, and the smell it produces is very distinctive