Festool OF 1400EQ Circle Jig

[grobkuschelig]

Although I love my MFS, no need to run out and buy one just to cut circles.  Just buy a longer knob screw for the guide rail attachment and replace the one that is in the knob so it protrudes out the bottom as pictured.  Works great!...

I'm also doing what Jim does, but with a "sharpened tip" on the screw inside the handle.
It really works a treat. Have never reached for the MFS for circles, because quickly exchanging the screw in the handle is so quick and easy. (Although the MFS is around for other things...)

Also, the pivot point is in line with the cutter, which makes measuring the "diameter to cut" very easy.

 

[Bob D.]

Don't you just use a piece of wood and the copying ring?

More or less, but my jig has an adjustable pivot pin like so many others to whatever radius you desire within the range of the jig of course. Mine will give me up to an 18" radius which covers most of my needs.

 

[billdevlin]

Was just looking at the jig and thinking trying to keep both ends engaged without popping out would be fun. Was thinking you could add two of the hold down clamps to hold the router down to the jig.

 

[nickao]

Comparing a jasper jig or a shop made jig to Micro fence is a joke.

The Micro Fence jig worth every bit of 200.00.  I love when guys start talking about how something is so expensive when they are on a Festool forum. We pay 1.00 for a sheet of sandpaper and 575.00 for a sander.

I paid over 900.00 for my router and I darn well  am going to have the best circle jig on the planet connected to it.

Let say an we make an 18" diameter disc then a matching 18" diameter pocket for it to fit into. And I want a PERFECT fit. Then immediately make a a 2.75" disc with a matching pocket and again I want a perfect fit, I better be able to push the male into the female and lift it off the table with it holding itself. Pressure fit.Then immediately after that make a 36.85" diameter disc and  then a mating radius cut part to but against. SO the inner arc mates against the outer diameter of the 36.85" disc perfectly..Lets make 8 of them, say 3" wide so they go all the way around the 36.85" disc and form a perfect ring around it. The 8 parts will  butt up against the disc it like a puzzle.

The only way you are going to beat time wise with me using the Micro Fence jig is use a CNC machine or have a shop made jig that works like a Micro fence jig does with a screw type system. You wont be more precise using a CNC  becasue the Micro fence jig is as precise and accurate as any CNC machine.

I have owned every circle  jig I could get my hands on and I still buy new models as they come out and nothing is as good as my OF 2200 connected to my Micro Fence Circle jig. IMHO, Any circle jig that requires you screw a base on to the router is automatically not as good as a Micro Fence Of 2200 combination. By the time you put that base on I am done with half the stuff I have listed. And IMHO any jig that isn't analog, meaning unlimited adjustment like with a screw can't be as good either. I guess digital movement like on my INCRA jigs could work as well on a circle jig.

And for the record the Micro Fence jigs arent really solid at all, so I tend to believe anyone that says it is  either doent own it or at least use it much. If you dont add extra feet every 12" so so they get quite flimsy actually. It's one draw back, but if you stick to  smaller stuff it doesn't matter much.

It takes 5 seconds  to attach my Micro Fence Circle jig to my OF2200 and about 10 seconds to pull it out to rough size and maybe about 45 seconds to dial it in to .001(if I take my time). So it's not fast enough ???? faster than 1 minute from size to size to within .001 is needed?  For what?

Go ahead and use a trammel with a piece of ply, I did it for years and it works, but that doesn't make it better than a Micro Fence jig.

 

[ben_r_]

Wow, well okay then. We know how he feels now...

 

[Svar]

Was just looking at the jig and thinking trying to keep both ends engaged without popping out would be fun. Was thinking you could add two of the hold down clamps to hold the router down to the jig.

Works just fine. Not attaching the router to the jig is the whole point. 1) its very quick, 2) you don't have to rotate the router as you cut (good grip of the tool, no tangled cords and hoses).

BTW, with Micro Fence jig you can't do circles smaller than about 7 in. Same deal with Festool jig.

 

[Cheese]

I love when guys start talking about how something is so expensive when they are on a Festool forum. We pay 1.00 for a sheet of sandpaper and 575.00 for a sander.

Funny...kind of like when those guys start crying about having to spend $2500 for a cracked alloy wheel for their $80,000 Benz.

 

[scary]

Dammit! I totally did Jims hack today for my 1010 and thought i came up with something cool, by myself! Totally took pictures and everything today and came here to post them. I didnt even know what a Festool was when Jim originally posted his.

 

[nickao]

Was just looking at the jig and thinking trying to keep both ends engaged without popping out would be fun. Was thinking you could add two of the hold down clamps to hold the router down to the jig.

Works just fine. Not attaching the router to the jig is the whole point. 1) its very quick, 2) you don't have to rotate the router as you cut (good grip of the tool, no tangled cords and hoses).

BTW, with Micro Fence jig you can't do circles smaller than about 7 in. Same deal with Festool jig.

Well that's not really true, you can do smaller than 7" circle with a Micro fence, just not with their circle jig attachment.

You just need swap to the fence attachment, which I always have on hand. With the Center Bar & Outboard Levelers Kit and the Edge Guide you can make  1/2 inch to 9 inch circles. You dont need to purchase the circle jig attachment for the Micro Fence edge guide for small circles. For little circles I use a DeWalt 611 that just stays on the edge guide small circle set up.

 

[Svar]

Was just looking at the jig and thinking trying to keep both ends engaged without popping out would be fun. Was thinking you could add two of the hold down clamps to hold the router down to the jig.

Works just fine. Not attaching the router to the jig is the whole point. 1) its very quick, 2) you don't have to rotate the router as you cut (good grip of the tool, no tangled cords and hoses).

BTW, with Micro Fence jig you can't do circles smaller than about 7 in. Same deal with Festool jig.

Well that's not really true, you can do smaller than 7" circle with a Micro fence, just not with their circle jig attachment.

You just need swap to the fence attachment, which I always have on hand. With the Center Bar & Outboard Levelers Kit and the Edge Guide you can make  1/2 inch to 9 inch circles. You dont need to purchase the circle jig attachment for the Micro Fence edge guide for small circles. For little circles I use a DeWalt 611 that just stays on the edge guide small circle set up.

Yes, but it's entirely different jig. That's a lot of gear for rather simple operation. Maybe, if I were cutting circles for living. I'll stick with a pice of ply with two holes for now.

 

[Rob-GB]

I really don't get this whole argument about accuracy to the nth degree.
We work in wood and wood based products most of the time and they move according to temperature and humidity and each type react differently, which, we mere mortals cannot predict.
If a jig, homemade or shop bought, works for you then fair do's, why get argumentative about it.
Here is my post about how I do it for those who like other options.

Rob.